Free Commercial Storyboard Template

Four-panel layout with fields for timing, voiceover, supers, and brand notes. Designed for :15, :30, and :60 spot planning. Free PDF download. Or generate the boards directly from your script.

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What This Template Is

Commercials are tightly timed — every frame on screen has a budget in seconds, and the boards exist as much for the agency and client as for the crew. This template has dedicated rows for timing (seconds per frame), VO, supers/lower-thirds, and brand notes underneath each frame.

Use it for TV spots, pre-roll ads, branded content, and any project that needs to clear an agency or brand approval round before production.

Best for
TV spots, social ads, branded content, agency pitch decks
Format
A4 Landscape PDF
Layout
4 panels per row, 8 panels per page

How Directors Actually Use This

1. Lock the timing first

A :30 spot has 30 seconds. Decide your timing breakdown before drawing: hero shot (3-5s), product (5-8s), value prop (8-10s), CTA (3-5s). Write the per-frame seconds into the timing row.

2. Mark the VO and supers under every frame

Agencies and clients read commercial boards from the words first, the images second. If the VO and on-screen text aren't on the board, they aren't real to the approval round.

3. Use product/brand colors in references

Even if the boards are sketched, indicate brand colors and packaging directions. This is how the brand team checks that you're not about to shoot something that misuses the visual identity.

4. Build alternate endings as variant boards

Most commercials get cut in multiple lengths and end-card variants. Board the :30 fully and add per-variant end frames as separate sheets. Saves a re-board round.

5. Get sign-off before pre-pro

Boards exist so the client can say 'change frame 7' instead of finding out on set. Send to agency, get notes, revise, then go into pre-production with locked boards.

Or Skip Hand-Drawing and Generate Spot Boards

A :30 spot typically needs 10-15 hand-drawn boards plus 2-4 revision rounds. StoryBirdie generates the full board set from your script in minutes — with timing, VO, and on-screen text annotated per frame. Revisions are edits to the prompt, not redraws.

Generate Commercial Boards

Free credits on signup. No credit card.

Related Templates

Music Video Storyboard

Beat-synced 3-panel template with timestamp, lyric, and section markers.

Shot List Template

Tabular shot list — what your DP and AD actually work from on set.

Standard Film Storyboard

The 3-panel landscape default. Free PDF for film, narrative, and short-film projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a commercial storyboard take to make?+
A :30 spot typically needs 8-15 frames. A working storyboard artist will draw the boards in 1-3 days; revisions add 1-2 days per round. Most commercial projects go through 2-4 approval rounds — agency, client, and any product/legal review.
Do agencies still need storyboards in 2026?+
Yes. Storyboards remain the standard artifact for commercial pre-pro — they're how the agency presents the spot to the brand for approval, how the director communicates intent to the production company, and how the client signs off on what they're paying for. AI-generated boards have started replacing hand-drawn ones at agencies that adopted them, but the format itself hasn't changed.
Can I generate a commercial storyboard from a script?+
Yes. StoryBirdie reads your spot script and generates visual boards with timing, VO, and on-screen text annotated per frame. Faster than hand-drawing, and the frames are ready to send for agency review.

One project pays for a year.

A single freelance storyboard costs $500–$2,000. StoryBirdie starts free. No credit card required.

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