How do I storyboard a video if I cannot draw?

Write one row per scene with the exact narration, the visible subject and the action that changes on screen. A words-only storyboard is useful when another person can follow the sequence from those descriptions. Add a rough sketch only when it makes a particular relationship easier to explain.

What should a video storyboard include?

A video storyboard should include each scene's purpose, narration, visual action and connection to the next scene. Add essential labels and estimated timing when they help you review the explanation. Keep the audience's question and final action at the top of the document.

How many scenes does a 60-second explainer video need?

Use enough scenes to give each important idea a clear visual, then adjust the sequence after timing the narration aloud. The example on this page uses six scenes as an illustrative planning choice. The subject, delivery and pauses determine whether that sequence fits your own 60-second script.

What is the difference between a script and a storyboard?

A script contains the spoken words, while a storyboard pairs those words with a plan for what appears on screen. Review the script for a clear explanation and the storyboard for helpful visual changes. Keeping them in separate columns makes both reviews easier.

Can I use a storyboard to brief AutoScribble?

Use the storyboard to organise the narration and visual intent in a typed or pasted AutoScribble brief. Label the spoken script separately from scene directions, then review the proposed script before rendering. Choose the available length, orientation and narration voice for the place the finished video will be watched.

Storyboarding Without Being Able to Draw

Plan what the viewer hears, sees and understands using plain words and a simple scene table.

To storyboard a video, divide the script into scenes and describe what the viewer sees during each spoken idea. A words-only storyboard records narration, visual action and transitions in a table. For a whiteboard explainer video, clear nouns and simple changes on screen are enough to communicate the plan. Read the scenes in sequence before producing the film.

Give each scene one job

A storyboard connects the script to the screen. The script says what the audience hears; the storyboard says which visual helps that sentence make sense. Drawing skill is optional because a useful plan describes meaning, objects and changes clearly. A colleague should be able to imagine the sequence from your notes.

Our recommendation for a first explainer is to begin with one idea in each row. A row might introduce a problem, demonstrate one step or show a result. Split the row when the subject or action changes. Keep it together when several short sentences explain the same visual. This is a planning choice, rather than a fixed rule about how many scenes a video needs.

Build the words-only storyboard in five steps

Start with a script you have read aloud. Keep narration separate from visual directions so the spoken words are easy to recognise. Work through the table from left to right, then review the whole sequence from top to bottom.

Write the viewer's question and the action you want at the top of the document. Decide whether every scene supports that same purpose.
Divide the script at changes in idea. Copy the exact narration into each row, including the opening and closing words.
Name the visible subject and describe one action: a book moves to a new shelf, a question becomes a checklist, or a route gains a destination.
Record any essential label exactly as it should read. Keep labels short enough to understand while listening.
Describe how the next scene connects. Reuse an object when it carries the idea forward; introduce a new visual when the explanation changes direction.

Copy this storyboard template

Use a document, spreadsheet or plain text file. Timing is a working estimate until you read the narration aloud and review the produced film. Write visual intent that helps the explanation: the audience needs to understand what changes and why. Add reference material you own or have permission to use when a specific detail matters.

VIDEO QUESTION: What should the viewer understand?
AUDIENCE: Who is watching, and what do they already know?
FINAL ACTION: What should they do after watching?
PLACEMENT AND SHAPE: Where will they watch?

SCENE [number] — [purpose]
NARRATION: [exact spoken words]
VISUAL SUBJECT: [person, object, place or diagram]
VISIBLE ACTION: [one concrete change]
ESSENTIAL LABEL: [exact short wording, if useful]
CONNECTION TO NEXT SCENE: [what stays, changes or appears]
TIMING ESTIMATE: [check by reading aloud]
REVIEW QUESTION: [what must be clear before moving on?]

Completed example: a community book swap

This fictional example answers one question: how does a visitor take part in a community book swap? The final action is to choose a book to bring. The six suggested timing windows form a 60-second planning outline; they are illustrative, and the narration should be timed aloud before production. The same recognisable book connects the scenes so the audience can follow the process.

Scene and purpose	Narration	Words-only visual direction	Connection
1 · Invite · 0–8 seconds	Got a book you enjoyed and are ready to pass on? Bring it to our community book swap and give another reader a chance to enjoy it.	Show one book on a shelf, then a hand choosing it. Label: Bring a book.	Follow the same book into the visitor's bag.
2 · Prepare · 8–17 seconds	Choose a book in a condition you would be happy to receive. Check the event details before you leave, then bring your book with you.	Show the visitor checking the book and looking at a simple event information card. Use approved event details in the real version.	Keep the bag as the visitor arrives.
3 · Arrive · 17–27 seconds	When you arrive, give the book to a volunteer. The volunteer places it with the other books so everyone can browse the shared collection.	Show the book passing from visitor to volunteer, then joining a shelf. Label: Hand it in.	Widen the view to reveal books available to browse.
4 · Choose · 27–39 seconds	Take a look along the shelves. You might find a familiar favourite or something completely new. Choose a book that you would like to read.	Show the visitor looking across clearly separated books and choosing one. Label: Choose a book.	Keep the chosen book visible.
5 · Explain the result · 39–51 seconds	Take your choice home and enjoy it. A book that was waiting on one person's shelf can begin a new chapter with someone else.	Show the visitor reading at home. Connect the original shelf to the new reader with a simple line.	Return to the first book on its shelf.
6 · Ask · 51–60 seconds	Ready to join in? Choose a book you are happy to pass on, and check the details for the next community book swap.	Show a book being set aside beside the event information card. Label: Choose your book.	Finish with the single action visible.

Original illustrative storyboard. Confirm the real organiser's process and event details before adapting the example. Timing windows are planning estimates, not measured delivery times.

Review the sequence before producing it

Read only the narration column first. The explanation should make sense by ear. Then read only the visual directions: the progression should still be clear. Finally, read both together and check whether each image helps the sentence being spoken. Our recommendation is to ask a colleague to describe the process back to you and revise the first point where they hesitate.

A row contains three competing actions: split it into smaller beats or keep only the action the viewer needs to understand.
The visual repeats every spoken word as text: choose a concrete object or change that demonstrates the idea, and keep only essential labels.
An object changes meaning between scenes: give it a consistent name and appearance in your directions so the sequence remains easy to follow.

Turn the plan into an AutoScribble brief

AutoScribble turns a typed idea or pasted script into a narrated animated whiteboard explainer video. Paste the narration and describe the visual intent in your brief, keeping the two clearly labelled. Review the proposed script and direction before rendering. For this example, choose 60 seconds and the orientation that suits the event page or sharing placement.

Treat the storyboard as your explanation plan, then review the finished film against it. Check whether the key actions are understandable, the spoken details are accurate and the ending gives one clear next step. Scripts can be edited before rendering. After rendering, an edit-and-remake creates a new version with the credit cost shown before confirmation. Download the MP4 or use a private share link when the film is ready.

Next step: storyboard one explanation

Choose a familiar process with a clear beginning and end. Fill in the template for its opening, main steps and final action, then read the narration aloud. Use the completed plan as the brief for your whiteboard explainer video and review the proposed script before generating.

Product details in this guide were checked against AutoScribble's creation flow and rendering code on 2026-09-12.

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Common questions

How do I storyboard a video if I cannot draw?: Write one row per scene with the exact narration, the visible subject and the action that changes on screen. A words-only storyboard is useful when another person can follow the sequence from those descriptions. Add a rough sketch only when it makes a particular relationship easier to explain.
What should a video storyboard include?: A video storyboard should include each scene's purpose, narration, visual action and connection to the next scene. Add essential labels and estimated timing when they help you review the explanation. Keep the audience's question and final action at the top of the document.
How many scenes does a 60-second explainer video need?: Use enough scenes to give each important idea a clear visual, then adjust the sequence after timing the narration aloud. The example on this page uses six scenes as an illustrative planning choice. The subject, delivery and pauses determine whether that sequence fits your own 60-second script.
What is the difference between a script and a storyboard?: A script contains the spoken words, while a storyboard pairs those words with a plan for what appears on screen. Review the script for a clear explanation and the storyboard for helpful visual changes. Keeping them in separate columns makes both reviews easier.
Can I use a storyboard to brief AutoScribble?: Use the storyboard to organise the narration and visual intent in a typed or pasted AutoScribble brief. Label the spoken script separately from scene directions, then review the proposed script before rendering. Choose the available length, orientation and narration voice for the place the finished video will be watched.