The Video Ad Storyboard Template

AD BRIEF BLOCK

Product or offer being advertised: [PRODUCT NAME or OFFER, e.g. "AI Workflow Sprint, 15 automations in 30 days"]

Target viewer: [ONE SENTENCE, e.g. "Service business owner doing 200k to 500k/yr, spending 3+ hours a day on manual tasks"]

One job this ad must do: [SINGLE ACTION, e.g. "Get them to click through to the waitlist page" or "Make them stop scrolling and watch to the end"]

Biggest pain or desire this ad speaks to: [e.g. "They are drowning in repetitive admin and feel like the business runs them, not the other way round"]

Ad length: [15 sec / 30 sec / 45 sec / 60 sec]

Platform: [Meta Feed / Meta Reels / TikTok / YouTube Pre-roll / LinkedIn]

Aspect ratio: [9:16 vertical / 1:1 square / 16:9 horizontal]

Call to action text on end card or button: [e.g. "Book a free audit" / "Get the template" / "Join the waitlist"]

HOOK FRAME GRID (Seconds 0 to 3)

Frame number: 1
Timecode: 0:00 to 0:03

Visual description (what is literally in the shot):
[e.g. "Close-up of a laptop screen showing a spreadsheet with 400 rows. Camera pulls back to reveal a tired person staring at it. No voiceover yet."]

Text overlay (if any): [e.g. "You built this business to have freedom." / Leave blank if no text]

Voiceover or on-camera dialogue (word for word): [e.g. "If you are still doing this manually, I need to show you something." / Leave blank if silent opening]

Emotion or reaction the viewer should feel at the end of this frame: [e.g. "Recognition. That is my life." / "Curiosity. What is she about to show me?"]

Hook pattern being used (pick one):
[ ] Pattern interrupt (unexpected visual or sound)
[ ] Direct address to the pain ("If you are doing X, watch this")
[ ] Bold claim ("I saved 12 hours a week doing this one thing")
[ ] Social proof hook ("3,000 business owners are now doing this differently")
[ ] Curiosity gap ("I should not be giving this away for free")

AI video tool prompt for this frame (if using AI generation):
[e.g. "Cinematic close-up of overflowing email inbox on laptop screen, shallow depth of field, warm office lighting, no people, 3 seconds, no motion blur"]

PROBLEM FRAME GRID (Seconds 3 to 10)

Frame number: 2
Timecode: 0:03 to 0:07

Visual description: [e.g. "Quick cuts: phone buzzing with notifications, sticky note wall, person typing the same email for the fifth time"]

Text overlay: [e.g. "The tools exist. No one built the system." / Leave blank]

Voiceover or dialogue (word for word): [e.g. "Most business owners are using five different apps and still doing everything by hand."]

Emotion target: [e.g. "Validation. Mild frustration. She gets it."]

---

Frame number: 3
Timecode: 0:07 to 0:10

Visual description: [e.g. "Founder looking directly at camera, calm and direct. Natural light. Not a polished studio."]

Text overlay: [Leave blank or add a short stat, e.g. "Average founder wastes 11 hours a week on repeatable tasks."]

Voiceover or dialogue (word for word): [e.g. "I built the system so you do not have to figure it out alone."]

Emotion target: [e.g. "Trust. She knows what she is talking about."]

AI video tool prompt for these frames (if using AI generation):
[e.g. "Split screen: left side shows manual admin work, chaotic desk, sticky notes. Right side shows clean automated dashboard, same desk, same person, calm. Warm tones, natural light, 4 seconds each side, no text"]

SOLUTION AND PROOF FRAME GRID (Seconds 10 to 22)

Frame number: 4
Timecode: 0:10 to 0:14

Visual description: [e.g. "Screen recording of a Make.com automation running, tasks ticking off automatically. Founder's hand visible at the bottom of screen."]

Text overlay: [e.g. "Automated lead follow-up." / "15 workflows. 30 days."]

Voiceover or dialogue (word for word): [e.g. "We build 15 automations specific to your business in 30 days."]

Emotion target: [e.g. "Intrigue. Is this real? Could that be my business?"]

---

Frame number: 5
Timecode: 0:14 to 0:19

Visual description: [e.g. "Short testimonial clip: client on camera, 5 seconds. OR a result screenshot with name blurred. OR before and after metric graphic."]

Text overlay: [e.g. Quote from client or key metric, e.g. "Saved 9 hours every week from week one."]

Voiceover or dialogue (word for word): [e.g. Client quote verbatim. Or if founder VO: "Here is what one client said after 30 days."]

Emotion target: [e.g. "Social proof. If it worked for her, it can work for me."]

---

Frame number: 6
Timecode: 0:19 to 0:22

Visual description: [e.g. "Founder back on camera, one short punchy line to camera, then cut to product mockup or dashboard screenshot"]

Text overlay: [e.g. "This is not a course. This is done with you."]

Voiceover or dialogue (word for word): [e.g. "This is not something you figure out on your own. We do it together."]

Emotion target: [e.g. "Relief. This is not more homework."]

AI video tool prompt for these frames (if using AI generation):
[e.g. "Screen recording style footage of automation workflow dashboard, tasks completing in real time, no face visible, warm office backdrop, 8 seconds, clean UI visible"]

CTA FRAME GRID (Seconds 22 to 30)

Frame number: 7
Timecode: 0:22 to 0:27

Visual description: [e.g. "Founder on camera, direct address. Or product landing page mockup on screen. Or graphic showing the offer clearly."]

Text overlay: [e.g. "Free audit. No pitch call." / "Click below to get the template." / "Spots limited this month."]

Voiceover or dialogue (word for word): [e.g. "If you want to see exactly which 15 tasks we would automate in your business, click the link below and book a free audit."]

Emotion target: [e.g. "Low friction. Easy yes. I can just click."]

---

Frame number: 8 (End card)
Timecode: 0:27 to 0:30

Visual description: [e.g. "Static end card. Logo top left. Headline in centre. CTA button or URL bottom centre. Brand colours."]

Text overlay:
Headline: [e.g. "15 automations. 30 days."]
Sub-line: [e.g. "Free audit call to see if you qualify."]
URL or button text: [e.g. "lilachbullock.com/audit" or "Link in bio"]

Voiceover or dialogue: [Leave blank for end cards unless adding a music swell]

Brand elements to include on end card:
[ ] Logo
[ ] Brand colour background ([YOUR HEX CODE])
[ ] Founder headshot (optional)
[ ] Website URL
[ ] Social handle

AI video tool prompt for CTA frame (if using AI generation):
[e.g. "Clean end card, white background, brand logo top left, bold serif headline centre, minimal design, no stock images, 3 seconds static hold"]

EDITOR AND AI TOOL HANDOFF NOTES

Overall pacing: [e.g. "Fast cuts in problem section, slower in proof section, static hold on end card"]

Music style and energy: [e.g. "Low, slightly tense instrumental for hook. Builds slightly through middle. Neutral on CTA. No lyrics." / Or: "No music, voice only"]

Colour grade or filter: [e.g. "Warm tones throughout. No cold blue grade. Natural skin tones."]

Font for all text overlays: [e.g. "[YOUR BRAND FONT], bold weight, white with black drop shadow OR black on light background"]

Text overlay style: [e.g. "Left-aligned, lower third position for VO captions. Centred for emphasis overlays."]

Caption style: [e.g. "Auto-captions on, white text, large enough to read on mobile without sound"]

Do not include:
[ ] Stock footage of people shaking hands
[ ] Generic "busy city" or "typing on keyboard" B-roll
[ ] Any music with lyrics
[ ] Any watermarks or draft overlays in the final export
[ ] [ADD ANY OTHER DO NOT INCLUDE NOTES]

Export specifications:
[ ] Format: MP4
[ ] Resolution: [1080x1920 for vertical / 1080x1080 for square / 1920x1080 for horizontal]
[ ] Frame rate: 25fps or 30fps
[ ] File size target: Under [50MB / 100MB] for [platform name]
[ ] Captions: [Burned in / SRT file attached / Platform auto-captions]

AI video tool being used (if applicable): [e.g. Runway / Pika / Sora / Kling / HeyGen]

Specific prompt style notes for this tool: [e.g. "HeyGen: upload founder headshot, use Script mode, paste frame-by-frame notes as the script with [PAUSE] markers between frames" / "Runway: use Image to Video for product frames, use Text to Video for abstract B-roll"]

Deadline for first cut: [DATE]

Who reviews first cut: [NAME]

Turnaround time for revision feedback: [e.g. "24 hours"]

Number of revision rounds included: [e.g. "2 rounds, then re-brief if still off"]