storyboard-creation

name

storyboard-creation

description

Turn a script into a shot-by-shot storyboard: shot-type vocabulary (ECU→EWS), camera angles, movement notation, continuity rules (180-degree line, match-on-action, eyeline match, screen direction), panel layout and annotation format, and a shot-list workflow — with panels generated by Nano Banana (nano-banana-2) using locked reference sheets for consistency instead of per-generation text descriptions. Use this skill whenever the user wants to storyboard a video or ad, write a shot list, plan coverage, board a sequence, break a script into shots, or move from script to visual pre-production. Triggers: storyboard, shot list, boards, pre-production, board the ad, plan the shots, coverage plan, shot breakdown, previs. Composes with consistent-characters, consistent-scenes, and consistent-products: lock the subject, scene, and props with those skills first, then board them here — every panel is a staging call that attaches the locked sheets so characters, locations, and props do not drift between frames.

Storyboard Creation

Turn a script into a shot-by-shot visual board. This skill supplies the film-language and pre-production discipline; panels are generated with Nano Banana (nano-banana-2 MCP), and consistency comes from locked reference sheets, not from re-describing subjects in words (which drifts) or from LoRA training.

Works best downstream of consistent-characters, consistent-scenes, and consistent-products. Lock the subject, the location (with its light contract), and the props there; board them here.

The core move: consistency by reference, not by words

Every panel is a staging call. Instead of describing the character and location in the panel prompt (which reinterprets them each time), you attach the locked reference sheets and let them carry identity:

Attach as referenceImages on each panel generation:

1. Character — its reference-image (front) or character-sheet (for a non-front angle).
2. Scene — the set-reference (establishing) or the specific tile from the coverage-sheet (reverse / overhead / profile) that matches the shot.
3. Props — the character's props flat-lay.

Then the prompt states only the action, framing, and light. Obey the scene's light contract from consistent-scenes (key-light direction, height, colour temperature, shadow direction) — a subject lit from the wrong side against a locked plate reads as a fake composite instantly.

If no locked kit exists, you can still storyboard with pure-text panels — just expect drift, and lock a kit first for anything that needs to cut together.

Nano Banana quick reference

• New establishing plate / prop still / pure-text panel → generate_image (text only).
• Stage a locked character into a locked scene, or build a multi-view sheet → edit_image with imagePath = the primary reference, referenceImages = the others.
• Tweak the last panel (expression, framing) → continue_editing.
• Aspect ratio: 9:16 for vertical delivery (TikTok/Reels/Shorts), 16:9 for landscape. Keep it identical across every panel.
• No native stitcher. Assemble a board via (a) a prompted N-panel collage, (b) magick montage panel_*.png -tile 3x3 -geometry +8+8 board.png if ImageMagick is present, or (c) a markdown/HTML contact sheet referencing the panel files with their annotations.

Shot types

Abbr	Name	Framing	Use
ECU	Extreme Close-Up	Eyes / a detail	Intense emotion, revealing a detail
CU	Close-Up	Face fills frame	Emotion, reaction, dialogue
MCU	Medium Close-Up	Head & shoulders	Interviews, talking to camera
MS	Medium Shot	Waist up	General dialogue, action
MLS	Medium Long Shot	Knees up	Walking, casual interaction
LS	Long Shot	Full body	Character in environment
WS	Wide Shot	Environment dominant	Establishing location, scale
EWS	Extreme Wide Shot	Vast landscape	Epic scope, isolation, transitions

Camera angles

Eye Level (neutral default) · High (subject small/vulnerable) · Low (powerful/dominant) · Bird's Eye (overview/geography) · Worm's Eye (awe) · Dutch (unease, action) · Over-the-Shoulder (conversation/POV).

Camera movement (annotate on the panel; hand to a video model for motion)

Pan · Tilt · Dolly (in = intimacy, out = distance) · Truck (lateral follow) · Crane/Jib · Zoom · Steadicam/Gimbal (smooth follow) · Handheld (urgency, chaos) · Static (stability, tension). Indicate with arrows on the panel.

Continuity rules (the whole reason to board first)

• 180° rule — keep the camera on one side of the axis between two subjects; cross only with a neutral shot or a visible move. Flag any deliberate axis break so it doesn't happen by accident.
• Match on action — cut between angles mid-action so motion continues seamlessly.
• Eyeline match — a look is followed by what's looked at, from that POV (e.g. a glance down → ECU of the thing).
• Screen direction — consistent left/right travel between shots; reversing implies the subject turned around.

Panel layout & annotation

Formats: 2×2 (key moments), 2×3 (dialogue), 3×3 (action/montage), single (hero shot). Annotate every panel:

SCENE / BEAT — SHOT n
Shot: MS, eye level
Movement: slow dolly in
Duration: 2.5s
Action: <what happens>
Dialogue: "<line>"
SFX / Music: <cue>
Refs used: <character-sheet> + <scene angle> + <props>

Workflow

Step 1 — Shot list (text first). Break each beat into shots. Vary shot type for rhythm, open scenes on a WS/EWS establisher, keep 5–8 shots per scene, and note the continuity requirement on every cut.

Step 2 — Generate panels (staging). One edit_image per panel: attach the locked character + matching scene angle + props, write only the action and framing, obey the light contract, set the aspect ratio. Do not re-describe the character or location in words.

Step 3 — Assemble the board. Collage via Nano Banana, magick montage, or a markdown contact sheet with the annotations above.

Consistency tips

• Reference sheets over words — never re-describe a locked subject in a panel prompt.
• Pull the matching tile from the coverage-sheet when a panel isn't the front/master view.
• Keep aspect ratio and the light contract identical across all panels.
• If a panel drifts, regenerate with the correct reference attached — don't accept-and-continue.

Common mistakes

Crossing the 180° line by accident · all-same-shot-type (no rhythm) · no establishing shot · too many shots per beat · re-describing locked subjects in words (reintroduces drift) · wrong key-light side against a locked plate (reads as a composite) · inconsistent aspect ratio between panels.

Worked example (generic)

SCENE 1 — CAFÉ, DAY   (vertical 9:16, light contract: window key from frame-left)

1.1  WS   eye level, static      — establish café interior            [scene set-reference]
1.2  MS   eye level, slow dolly  — Ana sits, opens laptop             [Ana character-sheet + scene + props]
1.3  CU   eye level              — Ana reacts to the screen           [Ana reference-image]
1.4  ECU  insert                 — the screen detail she sees         [prop still]  (eyeline match from 1.3)
1.5  OTS  over Ana               — barista approaches, says a line    [both sheets; stay on one side of the axis]

Each panel = one edit_image staging call attaching the bracketed references; the prompt carries only framing, action, and light.

Related skills

consistent-characters · consistent-scenes · consistent-products (lock subjects/sets/props first) · ai-image-prompts (panel prompt craft) · performance-creative / static-ads (ad creative context).