Creating storyboards

Start planning your video by importing an existing script or creating a blank storyboard, then use Agent if you want help drafting the frames.

Opening the new storyboard dialog

To create a storyboard, open a project, click New and choose Storyboard. You can also use the New tile in Grid view. In an empty project, click the New storyboard card.

The dialog has two tabs:

Import Script

Import Script uses AI to convert your screenplay or script into a structured storyboard. This is ideal when you have existing production documents and want to quickly visualise them.

Import Script vs Scripts. Import Script takes a script you already have as a file or pasted text and builds a storyboard from it in one go. If you want to write and review the script inside Boords first, use Scripts: a script document that lives in your project with versions, anchored client comments, and a review link. When that script is approved, the Storyboard button in the script header runs the same kind of conversion. See Turning a script into a storyboard.

Choose Import Script, then paste your script or use Upload Script to add a file.

Supported file formats

You can upload scripts in the following formats:

• PDF (.pdf)
• Plain text (.txt)
• Markdown (.md)
• CSV (.csv)
• HTML (.html, .htm)

Files must not exceed 2 MB, 250 pages, or 60,000 words.

Alternatively, paste your script text directly into the text area.

Configuring your import

Before importing, configure these settings:

Language: Select the language of your script content. The AI will generate frame text in this language.

Aspect Ratio: Choose the frame dimensions for your storyboard. This cannot be changed after creation, so choose carefully.

Cast Images: Use the Auto-generate toggle to control whether Boords automatically detects characters from your script and creates reference images for them.

When enabled, you'll be guided through creating consistent character designs after the import processes. When disabled, the import skips straight to creating your storyboard.

Starting the import

Click Import Script to begin processing. The AI will analyse your script and extract:

• Scene breakdowns
• Dialogue and voiceover
• Action descriptions
• Shot suggestions
• Image prompts for AI generation

Importing long scripts

For scripts with 100 or more scenes, Boords automatically breaks the script into smaller, manageable groups so you can import a section at a time.

How it works

After you paste or upload a long script, Boords analyses the structure and divides it into contiguous scene groups of up to 80 scenes each. Each group is given a label and a short summary so you can identify the section you want.

1. Paste or upload your script as normal
2. Boords detects the scene count and automatically triggers the breakdown
3. A picker appears showing the available scene groups with labels and summaries
4. Select the group you want to import
5. The scene count is automatically set to match your selected group
6. Click Import Script to process just that section

You can repeat this process to import additional sections of the same script into separate storyboards.

Creating a cast for character consistency

If you enabled Cast Images, Boords will identify the main characters from your script and guide you through creating reference images for each one. This ensures your characters look consistent across all frames when you generate AI images.

How cast detection works

The AI analyses your script and identifies characters who appear in multiple scenes. For each character, it creates:

• A character name/identifier
• A visual description based on context clues in your script
• A list of which frames the character appears in

Generating character reference images

For each detected character, click the generate button to create a reference image based on their description.

The AI creates a full-body reference image that will be used to maintain consistency when generating frame images later.

Refining character images

If you're not happy with a generated character image, you can:

• Regenerate: Click generate again to create a new variation
• Edit the description: Modify the character description to guide the AI differently

Completing cast setup

Once all characters have reference images, click Continue with Cast to finalise the import.

If you'd prefer to skip cast creation and add character references manually later, click Skip to proceed without cast integration.

If you want to use your own images, you can disable cast generation by turning off the "auto-generate" toggle when you import your script.

Using your imported storyboard

After the import completes, you'll be taken to your new storyboard with:

• Frames created for each scene in your script
• Text fields populated with dialogue, action, and descriptions
• Image prompts ready for AI generation
• Character references automatically linked to relevant frames (if you created a cast)

When you generate images for frames that include characters from your cast, those reference images are automatically used to maintain visual consistency throughout your storyboard.

For more details on generating images, see Generating images.

Draft frames with Agent

To build a storyboard from a brief, create a blank storyboard, then open Agent in the editor sidebar. Describe the video and ask Agent to add frames and fill in their fields. For example: "Create three frames for a 15-second coffee commercial: a wide kitchen shot, a close-up of the pour, and a hand lifting the cup. Add an action line to each frame."

Review the frame text, then ask Agent to generate images when you are ready. Image generation uses your normal image credits. See Boords Agent for how to enable Agent, attach references, and refine the results.

If you want to draft and review the script before creating frames, start with Scripts, then turn the approved script into a storyboard.

Blank storyboard

Creating a blank storyboard gives you complete manual control. This is ideal when you have a clear vision and want to build your storyboard frame by frame.

Setting up your storyboard

Storyboard Name: Enter a name for your storyboard. This helps you identify it in your project.

Aspect Ratio: Choose your frame dimensions. This cannot be changed after creation. If your project has an assigned template, the aspect ratio may be pre-selected.

Using templates

If your team has templates set up, you can apply one to your new storyboard. Templates pre-configure:

• Aspect ratio
• Default frame count
• Frame fields, including their types and dropdown options
• Sharing settings

To use a different template or create one without a template, click the template selector.

Templates are available on the Team and Agency plans. Learn more about Templates.

Frame fields

In addition to templates, you can customise the fields that appear on each frame. A field can hold text notes, a date, a choice from a dropdown, or a checkbox. Use them to add context for your team or clients, such as a shoot date, a shot type or whether a shot needs VFX.

Default fields

By default, every frame has:

• Label - use it to identify or name the frame (e.g. "Scene 1")
• Sound - for voiceover or dialogue notes
• Action - for describing what's happening in the scene

These fields can be enabled or disabled depending on the information you need to include.

Adding and editing fields

To change the fields that appear:

Open the sidebar and go to Settings → Storyboard.

Select + Add field, then choose a type:

• Text for notes, dialogue and directions
• Date for a single day, like a shoot date
• Dropdown to pick from coloured options
• Checkbox for a yes or no

Click a field to open its settings. From there you can rename it, change its icon and change its type. The icon picker suggests icons from the field's name, and you can search or browse more than 200 icons grouped by subject. For a dropdown, choose Single or Multiple selection, then add, rename, recolour or reorder its options. Built-in fields such as Sound and Action always stay as text.

Drag a field by its handle to reorder it. To remove a field, open its ... menu, choose Delete field, then confirm. This deletes the field on every version of the storyboard.

Adding notes

Once your fields are set up, you can add and edit notes:

• Storyboard edit view - type directly into the fields under each frame. Use Tab to move between fields quickly
• Script view - the storyboard's script-style text view, for adding or editing text across multiple frames. Changes sync automatically with the frame fields. This is a view of the storyboard, not a Script document
• Sidebar - notes can also be viewed and edited while using the Editor or Animatic Tool
• Date, dropdown and checkbox fields - instead of typing, pick a date, choose one or more options, or tick the box. You can set these on the frame cards in the Storyboard edit view, in the Sidebar, in the Script view and in the Shot list

Creating your storyboard

Click Create Storyboard to create your blank storyboard. You'll be taken to the editor where you can:

• Add frames manually
• Upload images or generate them with AI
• Fill in the fields for each frame