Correction, 2026-10-02: this page presented its four-beat, 8-to-12-shot structure and its beat timings as the standard for a 30-second ad. They are a working template we suggest, not an industry standard, and the page now says so; Google's guidance for YouTube ads is added as a first-party source, and it goes further than our template on one point (show the brand or product from the start). The page described ShotGrid's output as "nine frames at 4K": ShotGrid returns one 4K image holding nine frames in a 3x3 grid. It said attaching moodboard references makes the frames match each other, which we have not measured; it now tells you to check them side by side. Two pacing lines stated as rules (a beat with more than five shots must be split; a 12-second overrun means cutting a beat) are now advice. The animation step now says that Kling v3 on 8frame needs a start image, that Veo from a start image always runs 8 seconds in 16:9 or 9:16, that the Veo tool opens on Veo 3.1 Fast (168 credits) rather than Lite, that a ShotGrid panel should be regenerated as a single still before you animate it, and how to cut the animated shots together. It also did not say that the Montage node's output has no sound.
Correction, 2026-10-01: the first version of this page said a video clip on 8frame costs 54 to 448 credits and that resolving composition on stills is "roughly ten times cheaper". 54 to 448 is the Veo 3.1 range for 8 seconds with audio (Lite to Standard); other video models start lower, and the ratio depends on which models you compare, so the exact prices are now given instead. It also stated two pacing rules as fact (motion or a face "in the first 8 frames", a brand hold of at least a second and a half because shorter "does not register"), which we cannot source; they are now framed as advice. ShotGrid, 8frame's storyboard contact-sheet tool, has been added to the cost math.
A workable starting plan for a 30-second ad is 8 to 12 shots across four beats: hook (0-3s), problem or context (3-10s), product in use (10-22s), and resolution with the call to action (22-30s). Write the beats first, assign shots to beats second, and generate frames only once the beat structure survives being read aloud against a timer. Storyboarding shot-first is a common way to end up with a beautiful opening and no room for the product.
Setup
You need the creative brief (specifically the single message), the approved moodboard or style frame, and a timer. The timer is not a joke: read your beat structure aloud at the intended pace before drawing anything, because 30 seconds often turns out shorter than it reads on paper.
The structure
This is a template to start from, not an industry standard. Move the boundaries when the script needs it.
| Beat | Time | Shots | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0-3s | 1-2 | Stop the scroll. Open on motion or a face |
| Context | 3-10s | 2-3 | Establish the problem or the world |
| Product | 10-22s | 3-5 | The mechanism. This is the ad |
| Resolution | 22-30s | 2 | Outcome plus the call to action, brand visible |
Two rules worth keeping across formats. Show the product before the halfway mark, so viewers who leave at 15 seconds have still seen it. And give the last shot a brand hold long enough to read on a muted feed; board it at a second and a half or more rather than a flash.
If the ad runs on YouTube, Google's own guidance for video ads goes further than this template: it says to "jump in" to the heart of the story, to introduce your brand or product "from the start and maintain that presence", to feature people, and to include a call to action. In that case put a glimpse of the product or brand into the hook as well.
Step by step
1. Write the beats as sentences. Four sentences, one per beat. If you cannot write them, the brief is not settled and storyboarding will not settle it.
2. Assign shot counts to beats. Product gets the most shots. Hook gets one, occasionally two. If a beat needs more than five shots, it usually wants to be two beats, or to carry fewer ideas.
3. Specify each shot as a row. Framing, subject, camera move, duration, and a note tying it to the moodboard. This is a shot list, and building it before the frames keeps you honest about the total runtime.
4. Generate the frames. One still per row, in the approved look, with the moodboard images attached as references; then check the frames side by side and regenerate any that drift from the rest. Stills first, motion second: a still costs 6 credits on Seedream 5 Lite or 21 on Nano Banana Pro, while an 8-second Veo 3.1 clip with audio costs 54 on Lite and 448 on Standard, so resolving composition on stills costs a fraction of resolving it in motion. Alternatively, ShotGrid (beta), 8frame's storyboard tool, returns one 4K image holding nine frames in a 3x3 grid, for 42 credits, from a prompt and 1 to 10 reference images, in 1:1, 9:16 or 16:9.
5. Time the board. Lay the frames in sequence with their durations and check the sum. We suggest letting the board run a few seconds long, 3 to 5, because the edit will want trim room. If it is over by something closer to a whole beat, cut a beat rather than trimming every shot.
6. Animate only what needs motion to be judged. Usually the hook and one product shot. The rest can stay stills through client approval. Each animated shot starts from its approved frame: Kling v3 on 8frame needs a start image, and Veo from a start image always runs 8 seconds, in 16:9 or 9:16, so board in one of those two shapes if Veo is the plan and trim the clip to the shot's length in the edit. A frame from a ShotGrid sheet is one panel inside a larger image, so regenerate that shot as a single still before animating it. To see the animated shots in sequence, the Montage node on the canvas joins 2 to 10 clips for 10 credits a run, picture only (the merged file has no sound); for timing against temp voiceover and music, 8frame's separate Video Editor mode has a timeline with video, text, caption and sound layers.
The cost math
For a 10-shot board using 8frame credit prices (a credit is $0.01 at pack rate):
- 10 still frames on Seedream 5 Lite at 6 credits each: 60 credits, about $0.60
- The same 10 on Nano Banana Pro at 21 each (1K or 2K): 210 credits, about $2.10
- Or two ShotGrid contact sheets (18 frames to choose 10 from): 84 credits, about $0.84
- Animating 2 key shots on Veo 3.1 Lite (8s with audio, 720p, 54 each): 108 credits
- Animating those 2 on Kling v3 Standard (5s with audio, 720p, 86 each): 172 credits
A full storyboard with two animated shots lands between about 170 and 380 credits, inside a $19 Starter month's 1,000 credits, with room for five more takes of the hook on Kling v3 Standard (5 x 86 = 430 credits). The Veo tool opens on Veo 3.1 Fast (168 credits for 8 seconds with audio), so switch it to Lite for these drafts. Delivering the finished ad on premium models is the separate, larger number: Veo 3.1 Standard is 448 credits for 8 seconds with audio, so reserve it for the shots that carry the ad.
When to use this vs skipping the board
Skip the storyboard for single-shot social posts and organic content where the format is the message. Build it whenever there is a client, a media budget, or more than three shots, because the board is where disagreements cost minutes instead of generations.
FAQ
How many shots should a 30-second ad have? We suggest 8 to 12 as a starting range. Fewer than 8 can make the pacing drag; more than 12 in 30 seconds means average shot lengths under 2.5 seconds, which suits a fast-cut style and is hard to sustain otherwise.
Do I need a storyboard if the ad is AI-generated? More than before, not less. Generation makes producing shots cheap, which makes producing the wrong shots cheap too. The board is what keeps a low unit cost from turning into high total spend.
How much does it cost to storyboard a 30-second ad with AI? On 8frame, about 170 to 380 credits ($1.70 to $3.80 at pack rate) for 10 stills plus two animated key shots, depending on the models. Two ShotGrid contact sheets cover the stills for 84.
Stills or animatics for client approval? Stills plus two animated key shots. A full animatic is worth it when timing is the thing in dispute; the AI animatics workflow covers how to build one.
Can I put the animated shots together inside 8frame? Yes. The Montage node on the canvas joins 2 to 10 clips for 10 credits a run, but the merged file has no sound, so it suits a silent look at the order. For timing with voiceover, music or the clips' own sound, use the Video Editor mode, which has a timeline with video, text, caption and sound layers.
Sources
- Google Ads Help, "About the ABCDs of effective video ads" (Attention: "Jump in"; Branding: introduce your brand or product "from the start and maintain that presence"; Connection: "Feature people"; Direction: "Include a call to action"): support.google.com/google-ads/answer/14783551, checked 2026-10-02
- 8frame credit prices and settings (Seedream 5 Lite, Nano Banana Pro, ShotGrid, Veo 3.1 Lite, Fast and Standard, Kling v3 Standard, Montage) and plans: the 8frame tool registry and content fact sheet, checked 2026-10-02
- Kling v3 needs a start image, Veo from a start image runs 8 seconds in 16:9 or 9:16, the Veo tool opens on Veo 3.1 Fast, and the Video Editor mode's layers: 8frame front-end and video generation code, checked 2026-10-02
The board is easiest to keep honest when the frames and the generations live on one surface: give each shot its own node on the canvas, with its shot-list row in the prompt.
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.