1. Describe the constraints
Include duration, audience, location, available props, must-keep moments, and the date you can shoot.
shooting board / take 01 · free workflow
Turn a Messy Video Idea Into a Shootable Storyboard
Give a free chat tool the messy version of your video idea, then make it earn a shot order, visual beat, audio cue, and handoff note for every scene.
sequence has shots, not slogansinstant, inspectable source path
continuity notes stay attachednumbers do work in the object
duration total is visiblesample data is labeled
What this replaces
makes continuity and handoff information load-bearing in the visual board instead of stopping at a three-act synopsis. The result is a small object you can inspect: it carries a count, a context row, and a next action instead of asking you to trust a paragraph.
Tool note. This workflow uses Google Gemini. Google’s Gemini entry point and official help pages were checked on September 12, 2026; access and limits can vary by account and region. Runners-up were a generic script writer (no shot continuity) and a template storyboard download (no transformation from the reader’s idea). Use sample data first, then decide what information you are comfortable sending to an external AI tool.
The handoff
2. Request a strict storyboard
Ask Gemini for JSON with beat, shot_size, action, audio, duration_seconds, props, continuity, and edit_question. Ask it to total the duration and flag missing coverage.
3. Walk the board
Read the frames aloud in order. If a shot cannot be filmed with your actual location or gear, change it before the shoot.
Prompt shape for the external tool: return only JSON in this form — {"heading":"…","metric":"…","rows":[{"label":"…","detail":"…","value":"…"}],"next":"…"}. The companion app below uses the same visible result shape locally and makes no AI request.
Try the storyboard board
Load a sample, replace it with your own notes, and inspect the generated object. Sample values are illustrative, not verified facts.
Loading the sample object…
What breaks first
The board is all camera jargon
Name the visible action first; keep shot size as a helper, not the output.
The total is longer than the video
Require a duration sum and allow the reader to edit one frame at a time.
A beautiful frame cannot be handed off
Keep props, audio, and continuity beside each frame.
Boundary. Creative planning aid only: it does not secure permissions, confirm a location, or replace a producer’s safety judgment. Obtain consent and follow location, copyright, and workplace rules before filming.
Go deeper without losing the free path
The free board is complete on purpose. The companion app adds a tangible file, history, or handoff only after the result is useful: a print-ready shoot board and local version history; 8 frames × about 2 minutes of handoff formatting = roughly 16 minutes avoided per revision
open the storyboard companion