Write each frame as one sentence
Each frame gets a sentence that says what the viewer learns or feels in it. If a frame needs two sentences, it is probably two frames.
Creative & DesignContent Creator
Brand storyboard: a sequence of frames that tells the brand story
A brand storyboard sets out the sequence of moments in a brand story, such as an opening problem, the turn and the result, with one message per frame. It works when every frame records its shot or still, the words on screen, the feeling and its purpose, so the team can review the story before any film or animation is made. A storyboard written this way is a plan for review, not a finished film.
Format notes
Give every frame one job and one message
Record the shot, the still and the hold time
Note the shot type, the still or sketch you already have, and how long the frame holds. Where a still does not exist yet, say so instead of leaving the frame blank.
Write on-screen words exactly as they will appear
Words on screen should be readable in the time the frame holds. Write them out letter for letter, so reviewers can check the spelling and every claim in them.
Use the five image slots for the turns
Uploads or Unsplash picks can fill up to five image slots. Use them for the frames that mark a turn in the story, and describe the other frames in the text instead of adding images.
Weak and strong wording
Describe what the camera sees, not how the scene feels
Weak: Show the customer being happy.
Strong: Frame 4: a customer lifts a finished box and looks up at the camera. Shot: medium close-up. Words on screen: none. Purpose: the result.
Happy is a judgment. A shot, a subject and a purpose tell the crew what to make.
Weak: Something cool happens here.
Strong: Frame 2: the product sits on a dark table while the light moves across its surface. Hold: about [number] seconds.
Cool gives no direction. The strong version names the object, the action and the time the frame holds on screen.
Weak: Strong ending.
Strong: Final frame: the logo, the one-line promise and the web address on a plain background, held for [number] seconds.
The ending is often the frame reviewers argue about. Naming each element keeps the argument on the actual choices.
Weak: The music matches the mood.
Strong: Sound: a slow tempo under the problem frames, rising at frame 5. Mark each cue against its frame number.
A cue tied to a frame number can be checked in review. A mood word cannot.
Quality checklist
Review the frames before anyone plans a shoot
- Every frame has one message, written as a sentence.
- Each frame records its shot type, whether its still exists, and how long it holds.
- The story runs problem, turn, result, and the order matches the frame numbers.
- On-screen words are written out exactly, and each claim in them has a source the team can check.
- Music and sound cues are placed against frame numbers, not described only by mood.
- The page holds no more than five images, and each one marks a turn in the story.
- A reviewer who has not read the brief can retell the story from the frames alone.
Share the finished page
Send each round to the people who decide it
Team link
Send the storyboard to the creative lead and the client contact through a team link. Ask them to comment on frame numbers rather than on the whole story at once.
Public link
Use a public link only when the storyboard is cleared for outside eyes, such as an agency or production partner. Remove unreleased product names and any claim that has not been approved.
HTML download
Download the generated HTML file to keep the version the team approved, with its date in the file name. Start a new file for each round rather than replacing the approved one.
Mistakes to avoid
Four ways a storyboard slows down the shoot
Treating the page as the film
This page presents the storyboard. It does not produce, edit or play a video, and it does not draw the frames. Sketches and stills come from your own tools, and film or animation is made elsewhere from the approved frames.
Frames with no purpose
A frame that does not move the story forward should go, even if it looks good. Every frame has to earn its place in the order.
Unapproved claims in the words
On-screen claims about results or prices need the same review as a written advertisement. Check each one before the frame goes to a client.
Editing one version in place
A storyboard changed in place loses the record of what was agreed. Date each approved version, and start a new version for each round of changes.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a brand storyboard template?
This page does not provide a template or draw frames for you. Use the fields in this guide (frame number, message, shot, still, words on screen, hold time and purpose) to build your own sequence, then present it on the page.
Can this page show a video storyboard?
It can show a written storyboard and up to five stills as one web page. It does not play a video or produce animation, so a film made from the storyboard lives elsewhere.
Should a brand storyboard include camera directions?
Include only what the production team needs to make each frame: the shot type, the subject and the action. Leave out technical camera settings unless your crew asks for them. The aim is agreement on the story before anyone spends time on the shoot.
How many frames should a storyboard have?
The count follows from the timing. Divide the length of the piece by how long each frame holds, then check that the story still works at that number. Add frames only where a turn needs them.
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How to build it
Follow the eight-step wizard: type, assets and description, images, branding, contact and call to action, Atty Suggestions, blueprint, and generate. Atty generates one HTML page in the background. Review it, then publish and share the page link or download the HTML file.
