Tips on How to Write a Storyboard

Here are some of our tips on how to write an effective storyboard. These suggestions are based on the MOOC production experience of Politecnico di Milano and on the materials generally shared with those involved in creating online courses.

What is a storyboard?

It is a tool that supports the design of a video lesson.

It is generally made up of two columns:

  • On the left, the text that will be read from the teleprompter on the day of filming;
  • On the right, notes on keywords, images, and graphics that will accompany the narration and be added to the video during post-production.

The instructor (or whoever is creating the course) writes in the left column all the text that will be read from the teleprompter, and in the right column identifies the key elements that will help the post-production team develop the graphic part (for example, keywords, images, charts, and diagrams).

To increase effectiveness, it is recommended to divide the text into conceptual blocks.

To ensure overall coherence, the instructor can write the storyboard following these three phases:

  • Initial phase – where the topic of the lesson is briefly introduced, capturing the learner’s interest.
  • Development phase – the central part, where the content is elaborated and explained.
  • Final phase – where attention is focused on the key concepts considered fundamental.

When designing a storyboard, it is useful to calibrate the video duration based on the objectives you want to achieve: usually, the longer a video is, the less likely users are to watch it in its entirety. A video longer than 7–8 minutes tends to be less effective.

For this reason, it is better to plan it carefully to ensure that all content is presented as thoroughly yet as concisely as possible. It is also helpful to consider enriching the video with animations that promote better understanding and help maintain attention.

General Points to Keep in Mind:

  • Approximately 800–1,000 characters correspond to 1 minute of audio. Therefore, the text of each lesson should not exceed 6,000–7,000 characters.
  • Highlight as many keywords as possible — these will be added to the video during post-production.
  • Specify where you want to include images, diagrams, or charts in the video and indicate which ones you intend to add.

Points to Keep in Mind About the Text:

  • Write short, direct sentences, similar to spoken language
  • Avoid repeating words or concepts
  • It is better not to include references to the number or title of other lessons (as they may change)
  • If multiple instructors are involved in the MOOC, pay attention to consistency across lessons. For example
    • Use the same term for “lesson,” “lecture,” etc.
    • Use the same units of measurement.
    • Standardize the terminology.
    • ...

Points to Keep in Mind About Images and Graphics:

  • Images to purchase: it is possible to buy images from online repositories.
  • Images from the web: check copyright and Creative Commons licenses, and provide the direct link. Here’s an example of image citation: “Milan,” by chris is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
  • Pay attention to screen readability: minimize text and numbers.
  • Complex charts must be fully explained, or the part being discussed must be highlighted (either verbally or through animation).

Large Language Models:

The structure of the storyboard is crucial to the success of an educational video. Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Bard, etc., can help outline a logical and coherent structure, suggesting an effective sequence of introduction, development, and conclusion, as well as identifying key moments for adding interactive elements or important transitions.

Let’s briefly explore the key activities in which they can be used:

  • Writing Dialogues and Texts: ChatGPT or similar tools can be used to write dialogues, explanations, and texts to include in the storyboard. Thanks to their ability to generate fluent and understandable text, they can help create educational content that is both informative and engaging.
  • Suggestions for Visualizations: For each text segment, tools like ChatGPT can also offer suggestions on how to translate concepts and ideas into effective visual elements. This may include proposals for charts, images, animations, or layouts that facilitate the understanding of key concepts.
  • Feedback and Review: Finally, LLMs such as ChatGPT can be used as a preliminary review tool, providing feedback on storyboard content. While this feedback cannot replace human review, it can offer an initial assessment of the coherence, clarity, and engagement of the proposed content.