How to Storyboard a Music Video: A Director's Complete Guide

Why Storyboarding Matters

A storyboard is a visual script. It translates your creative ideas — which exist as abstract concepts, mood references, and written notes — into a sequence of panels showing what the camera will actually see. For music videos, where a 3–4 minute runtime demands dozens of distinct shots across multiple setups, a storyboard is the difference between a focused, efficient production and a day of improvised guesswork.

At 171 Entertainment, we storyboard every production that involves narrative elements, complex camera movement, multiple locations, or a new director-DP collaboration. The storyboard serves three essential functions:

• Creative alignment: Everyone on the creative team — director, DP, art director, artist — sees the same visual plan before the shoot. Misunderstandings that would cost hours on set get resolved in a meeting room.
• Technical planning: The DP and gaffer use storyboard panels to plan lighting setups, camera movement equipment, and lens choices in advance.
• Schedule efficiency: The first assistant director (1st AD) uses the storyboard to sequence setups and build the day's schedule. More panels = more informed schedule = less overtime.

What a Music Video Storyboard Includes

A professional music video storyboard consists of sequential panels — simple sketches or images — each representing one distinct shot in the video. Each panel includes:

• A rough drawing or image showing the camera's point of view (the frame)
• The subject(s) in the frame and their position
• Shot type label (wide, medium, close-up, etc.)
• Camera movement arrow or notation (pan, tilt, push in, pull out, static)
• Brief description of the action or performance in that shot
• Corresponding timestamp or lyric from the song (so the panel maps to the audio)

You do not need to be an artist to create a useful storyboard. Stick figures that clearly show framing, camera angle, and subject position communicate everything the crew needs. The quality of the drawing is irrelevant — the clarity of the visual information is everything.

Step 1: Break Down the Song

Before drawing a single panel, map the song's structure. Work through the track and identify every distinct section:

• Intro
• Verse 1
• Pre-chorus (if applicable)
• Chorus 1
• Verse 2
• Chorus 2
• Bridge or middle eight
• Final chorus / outro
• Any instrumental sections, breakdowns, or key moments

For each section, note the timestamp (e.g., "Chorus 1: 0:42–1:05"), the approximate duration, and the emotional tone of the section. The energy of the music should drive the visual energy of your storyboard — a quiet verse calls for different camera choices than an explosive chorus.

Step 2: Define Your Shot Types

Professional music video storyboards use a consistent vocabulary of shot types. Know these before you draw your first panel:

• Extreme Wide Shot (EWS): Shows the subject very small in a large environment. Used for dramatic location establishment.
• Wide Shot (WS): Shows the full body and significant background context. Used for establishing setups and full-body performance shots.
• Medium Shot (MS): Frames the subject from approximately the waist up. The workhorse of music video coverage.
• Medium Close-Up (MCU): Frames from the chest up. Common for intimate performance shots and emotional moments.
• Close-Up (CU): Face or specific feature fills the frame. High emotional impact — use sparingly and purposefully.
• Extreme Close-Up (ECU): Eyes, lips, hands, instrument details. Most impactful when used at key musical moments.
• Over-the-Shoulder (OTS): Camera positioned behind one subject looking toward another. Common in narrative sequences.
• Insert/Detail Shot: Tight shot of a specific object, prop, or detail. Used for cutaways and visual storytelling elements.

Camera movement adds a second dimension to each shot type. Common movements in music videos include push in (camera moves toward subject), pull out (camera moves away), tracking/dolly (camera moves laterally), gimbal walk (handheld with stabilisation), crane/jib sweep (elevated move), and static (no movement).

Step 3: Draw or Build Your Panels

With your song breakdown and shot vocabulary in hand, begin creating panels. Work through the song section by section:

1. Start with the chorus. The chorus is typically your hero visual moment — the most memorable, most repeated section. Designing the chorus visuals first anchors the visual language of the entire video.
2. Establish location setups. Group shots by location/lighting setup so the 1st AD can build an efficient shooting schedule (you never move between setups more than necessary).
3. Vary the shot type and movement. A sequence of identical medium shots is visually monotonous. Alternate between wide, medium, and close, and vary between static and moving shots to create visual rhythm.
4. Match visual energy to musical energy. Use tighter framing and faster movement cuts in high-energy sections. Use wider, more static shots in quieter, more introspective moments.
5. Create coverage. For each setup, plan at least three different shot types so the editor has options. Wide → medium → close-up is the standard coverage structure.

Step 4: Add Technical Notes

Once your panels are drafted, add technical annotation to each one. These notes are specifically for the DP and 1st AD:

• Camera: "Gimbal, walk-in from wide to MCU"
• Lens: "85mm prime, wide open (f/1.8)"
• Lighting note: "Backlit, rim light only, haze in frame"
• Setup name: "Setup 3 — Warehouse B"
• Estimated time: "15 min" (setup time, not shot duration)

These notes allow the DP to plan their equipment package in advance, and the 1st AD to build an accurate schedule. A storyboard without technical notes is a visual mood board; with them, it becomes a production tool.

Step 5: Review with Your DP

Present your completed storyboard to the DP in a dedicated creative session — not a brief conversation in passing. Walk through every panel together:

• Is each shot achievable with the available equipment and budget?
• Are any shots technically problematic (power requirements, rigging complexity, safety)?
• Does the DP have suggestions to improve or substitute shots?
• Are all the setups sequenced efficiently for the day?
• What is the lighting strategy for each major setup?

After the DP review, update the storyboard with any changes and distribute it to all department heads as part of the pre-production pack.

Digital Tools for Storyboarding

You have a range of good tools for creating professional storyboards:

• Storyboarder (free): Purpose-built storyboard software with simple drawing tools, panel sequencing, and export options. Available for Mac and Windows.
• Procreate (iPad, $13 AUD): The most popular tool among professional directors for hand-drawn digital storyboards. Powerful brushes, layer system, and export options.
• ShotPro (iOS/Android): Storyboard and shot list tool with 3D scene planning. Useful for visualising complex camera movements before arriving on location.
• FrameForge: Professional pre-visualisation software used in film and television production. More powerful and complex — best for large-scale productions.
• Canva or PowerPoint: Quick and accessible for non-illustrators. Use stock images or photographs as panel references with text annotations for shot direction.
• Paper storyboard templates: Print a grid of blank panels and draw by hand. The fastest option and still used regularly by working professionals.

Storyboard vs. Shot List

A storyboard and a shot list serve different but complementary purposes. Many productions use both:

• A storyboard shows what each shot looks like visually — framing, composition, camera angle, and subject position. It communicates visual intent to the entire creative team quickly.
• A shot list is a text-based document detailing every shot in order — shot number, setup, camera movement, lens, shot type, estimated time. It is the working document of the 1st AD and camera department on the day.

For simple performance videos, a detailed shot list may be sufficient. For narrative videos or any production with complex visual requirements, both are essential. Read our music video shoot planning guide for the full shot list template we use on every production.

Common Storyboarding Mistakes

• Drawing before listening: Listen to the complete song at least 10 times before drawing a single panel. The music is the storyboard's brief.
• No coverage: Storyboarding only one angle per setup leaves the editor with no options. Plan at least three shot types per setup.
• Ignoring logistics: A beautifully designed storyboard is useless if it requires equipment or time you don't have. Review every panel with the DP before the shoot.
• Perfect drawings over useful communication: Spent hours making panels look polished while the actual visual information remains unclear? The storyboard has failed its purpose. A clear stick figure is worth more than a beautiful illustration that doesn't communicate shot intent.
• Static panels only: If every panel in your storyboard is a static shot, your video will feel flat. Music video editing rhythm depends on a mix of movements. Vary the energy.

A well-executed storyboard is one of the most powerful tools in a music video director's toolkit. It turns a vague creative vision into a concrete, shared production plan. (Source: Screen Australia — Production Resource Library.)

Ready to start planning? Download our complete pre-production checklist for the full 6-week timeline, or contact our team for expert production support on your next music video.