10 Best Storyboard Softwares for Students in 2024
Discover the best storyboard software for student filmmakers, from Boords' robust collaboration tools to FrameForge's virtual film studio.
Whether you're a novice or a pro, these platforms offer unique features like AI generators, 3D layouts, and infinite canvases to enhance your storytelling skills. Ready to transform your scripts into captivating storyboards?
Keep reading to find the software that fits your creative vision and budget. Each program is a step towards mastering the art of visual storytelling, with a dash of innovation to keep your projects moving forward.
1. Boords
Boords is a top-tier storyboard software, primarily due to its robust storyboarding collaboration tools. These tools allow students to receive precise feedback directly on their storyboard frames, which promotes efficient revisions and a vibrant learning environment.
Additionally, they enable instructors to provide immediate guidance, which enhances students' understanding and application of concepts in their work. This is particularly important as students often collaborate on projects, requiring clear communication and efficient feedback mechanisms for successful completion.
Boords also offers an efficient storyboard review and approval process, eliminating the confusion of email threads and missed feedback. With Boords, everyone is on the same page, streamlining the process for all involved.
One of the key features of Boords is the in-frame comments. This allows for the collection of targeted feedback, where comments can be left and replied to directly on storyboard frames. This feature ensures efficient capture of specific feedback. The comments can be marked as complete, allowing for seamless tracking of revisions and approvals, and keeping projects moving forward.
Boords also offers email notifications to keep users informed. Users receive notifications for new comments, ensuring they are always up to date and can respond promptly.
Boords is not just a storyboard software, it's a comprehensive tool for creative projects. It offers an AI storyboard generator that quickly turns scripts into vibrant scenes, characters, and visuals. It also has a feature to turn storyboards into animatics automatically, perfect for communicating your creative vision.
Boords is an invaluable tool for student filmmakers. Its robust collaboration features, efficient storyboard review and approval process, in-frame comments, email notifications, and AI storyboard generator make it a top choice for storyboard software.
Specifically for students: Boords offers a 50% discount on all plans for educational users (instructors & students) and not-for-profit organisations. Simply send them an email (hello@boords.com) using your faculty/organisation email address.
2. Studiobinder
StudioBinder is a comprehensive storyboard software designed to aid novice student storyboarders in their journey of visual storytelling.
The core feature of this platform is its "Script to Storyboard" function. This tool facilitates the transformation of written scripts into visual storyboards by allowing students to import scripts from different formats or write one within the platform. Once the script is in place, the software auto-generates storyboards for each scene. This process not only simplifies the task of script translation but also enhances the understanding of the correlation between scripts and visuals.
The software's other features include shot tagging, image editing tools, and collaborative tools, all designed to streamline the storyboard creation process. The software also offers an array of shot specs, storyboard groups, and an image library. StudioBinder's storyboard software is a comprehensive, user-friendly tool that provides a visually pleasing way to view shot lists and storyboards, making it an ideal learning tool for budding filmmakers.
3. Krock.io
Krock.io's Storyboard AI feature is a game-changer for student storyboarders. It automates the storyboard creation process, allowing students to direct their creativity towards ideation and conceptualization. This automation simplifies the task of producing visually captivating storyboards, a challenge often faced by students due to time constraints and the demand for high-quality output.
It also eliminates the technical complexities of storyboarding, thereby saving time and ensuring better output. It addresses the common hurdles in storyboard creation, making Krock.io an invaluable tool in a student's creative journey.
The platform also offers structured feedback, real-time collaboration, and easy sharing options. The audio annotation tool and various integration features enhance the user experience. The storyboard AI feature eliminates manual storyboard creation, allowing users to focus on more significant tasks.
4. Storyboard That
Storyboard That’s standout feature is its collaborative suite, which facilitates teamwork and feedback exchange, essential elements in the storyboarding process. Students can share their work online, assign tasks, and incorporate comments, creating an interactive learning environment that fosters creativity and collaboration.
This software is not just a tool for creating storyboards, but a digital workshop that nurtures effective team communication and enhances the learning experience. It has been used in various educational and professional settings, proving its adaptability and effectiveness. The software's drag-and-drop functionality and extensive library of scenes, characters, and shapes make it user-friendly and intuitive.
Teachers have found Storyboard That beneficial in teaching vocabulary, comparing characters, and organizing students' thoughts through interactive graphic organizers. Beyond the classroom, Storyboard That has proven useful in creating customer journey stories and educational comic strips.
Storyboard That is more than just a software; it's a platform that cultivates a culture of collaboration and creativity, vital in creating a compelling visual narrative. Whether used in school classrooms or professional filmmaking, Storyboard That consistently meets users' needs while maintaining affordability. Its quick mockup creation allows for efficient communication of shot composition and actions with collaborators.
5. Wonder Unit
Storyboarding is an essential skill for student filmmakers, and choosing the right software can significantly impact their learning process. Wonder Unit's Storyboarder, a free and open-source tool, presents an affordable and customizable solution for students. Its open-source nature allows for individual modifications, enhancing the learning experience by catering to specific needs.
Compared to other storyboard softwares, it misses a lot of table stake features, most notably an AI storyboarding feature. An AI storyboard feature could eliminate a student’s need for drawing skills and while also facilitating quick script generation.
Nonetheless, Wonder Unit's Storyboarder is an excellent choice for individuals or small teams seeking a straightforward, cost-effective solution for creating storyboards. It offers a range of drawing and editing tools and easy exporting to other programs.
Wonder Unit's Storyboarder is ideal for students or individuals seeking a free, customizable tool for learning storyboard creation.
6. Frameforge
FrameForge's Virtual Film Studio is an innovative tool that provides a realistic learning environment for students learning to storyboard. It offers optically-accurate virtual cameras, enabling students to previsualize their projects and gain a deep understanding of shot planning. This tool replicates real-world filming conditions, providing students with practical experience for their future roles in film, TV, or commercial projects.
It also allows users to be on set during pre-production, figuring out shots using cameras rather than relying on forced perspective or drawing tricks. With its user-friendly design, non-technical filmmakers can quickly get started and focus on their project's creative and technical challenges.
The software also offers data-rich printed storyboards, including full camera information such as height, focal length, angle of view, and optional depth of field. These storyboards can help a student detail the intricacies of their storyboard with the level of detail that helps them articulate what they’re trying to capture to their instructor.
FrameForge offers an educational annual subscription at $8.99 per month, making it an affordable, practical tool for students learning to storyboard.
7. Panelforge
PanelForge is an essential tool for students learning storyboarding, offering a unique blend of 2D drawing and 3D layout capabilities. This integrated approach aids in visualizing storyboards in both traditional flat sketches and immersive 3D perspectives, fostering a nuanced understanding of space, perspective, and character orientation.
The software's 2D and 3D integration further enables students to experiment with a variety of storytelling techniques, stimulating creativity and innovation. By manipulating storyboards within a 3D environment, students can explore different camera angles, character placements, and scene compositions, thereby deepening their grasp of visual storytelling.
PanelForge's user-friendly interface and advanced features not only enhance students' technical skills but also expand their creative potential. This prepares them for tackling complex filmmaking challenges in the future. As a result, PanelForge becomes an invaluable addition to their creative toolkit.
8. Miro
Miro is a versatile tool that can serve as an effective platform for students learning to storyboard. Its standout feature is the ""infinite canvas"", providing an unrestricted space for ideation, sketching, and visualization of the customer journey. This feature removes spatial limitations, empowering students to freely express their ideas, develop characters, and structure narratives.
The "infinite canvas" is particularly useful for students tasked with creating detailed, visually engaging storyboards. It allows them to effectively communicate their story or concept without constraints, enhancing their creativity and learning experience.
While Miro is not specifically designed for storyboarding, it can be effectively utilized for this purpose. It functions as an online whiteboard, providing a platform for students to create storyboards. However, it may not be as effective as tools specifically designed for storyboarding.
