# Storyboards

> Plan scenes and shots, organize reference frames, edit their order and duration, and send an intended sequence to Timeline or back to Lab.

Source: https://kaitoi.io/docs/studio/storyboards/
Section: Kaitoi Studio / Media tools
Written for: Anyone planning a film, advertisement, or sequence of shots.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-24

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A storyboard organizes the shots you intend to make. Use the strip while
working elsewhere in Studio, or open **Story** from the dock for the fuller view.

## See which shots can travel


In this fictional two-shot scene, shot 01 has a plant portrait and a planned four-second duration. Shot 02 has a three-second plan but no media. Only the media-backed shot supplies a transferable picture. Adding example media makes both shots available. A planned duration does not generate motion, and later storyboard changes do not automatically update an earlier transfer.

The two authored plant compositions keep shot IDs 01 and 02 and planned durations 4 and 3 seconds. The timeline strip includes only media-backed shots; it gains the matching shot 02 thumbnail when example media is attached.

*Figure: Distinguish a written shot from media that can transfer to Timeline.*

## Build a scene

Create a scene and add shot frames from the available media actions. Graph
outputs, Lab items, and browsed media can provide source material. Give each shot
a description and duration; add dialogue, voiceover, camera movement, or
transition notes where they help explain the intended sequence.

Set the storyboard aspect ratio and default frame duration for the work you are
planning. A duration is a planning value; it does not make a referenced source
video longer or generate missing motion.

## Arrange and review

Drag frames to reorder them and use scenes to separate parts of the story.
Select several frames when an action should apply to a group. Open a frame to
inspect the underlying media and confirm the intended shot before replacing it.

Keep one frame per meaningful shot rather than putting every exploratory image
into the final sequence. References and alternatives can stay together in Lab.

## Move into another view

Use **Send Scene to Timeline** for a scene, or **Send [N] Shots to Timeline**
for the selected shots, to assemble media into an editable sequence. Inspect
timing and track placement there. Use **Send Scene to Lab** to continue
discussing or transforming a scene's frames on a canvas.

Sending work to another surface is an explicit action. Check the destination
after edits to a storyboard rather than assuming an earlier transfer has been
updated automatically.

## Keep the project

Storyboard work belongs with the project. Save the project at a useful milestone
before major restructuring. If a thumbnail fails to load, check the actual media
and connection before replacing a frame that may still reference a valid file.

## Distinguish planning from transferring media

**Plan:** scene and shot descriptions plus planned durations capture intent.
**Attach media:** inspect each source frame or clip. **Transfer:** Send to
Timeline uses supported shots with media; check the destination sequence.
Notes alone do not generate footage or become every clip through a send
action.

## Checks and next steps

Use **Add shot** to create a shot record. A written shot, planned duration,
and source image or video serve different purposes: notes describe intent;
media supplies material another view can use. **Send to Timeline** and the
scene send-to-Lab action transfer shots with supported media, not every empty
planning record. Inspect what arrived and complete missing shots deliberately.

When reordering a sequence, check scene membership, shot descriptions, and
durations together. A storyboard image does not itself create motion, record
voiceover, or render a finished film. Generate or provide those assets through
the appropriate tools, then assess timing and sound in Timeline.