An AI contact sheet is nine frames of the same scene or story generated together in one image, laid out as a 3x3 grid, so you can compare shots side by side before you spend anything on video. On 8frame that node is ShotGrid: 42 credits per 3x3 sheet at 4K, a prompt of up to 5,000 characters, 1 to 10 reference images, and a square sheet. The step people do not expect comes after: each frame is one ninth of the image, so a frame cropped from the sheet is a fraction of 4K, and the chosen frames are usually rebuilt at full size from the crop before they become the start frame of a video.
A contact sheet is a decision tool, like a photographer's proof sheet: you are choosing, not finishing. For a frame-by-frame storyboard, see how to storyboard a 30-second ad; for turning a written shot list into shots, shot list to generated shots.
TL;DR
| Step | Node or model on 8frame | Fixed price in credits | Input it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nine frames at once | ShotGrid (beta) | 42 per 3x3 sheet at 4K | prompt up to 5,000 characters, 1 to 10 references |
| Rebuild a chosen frame | Nano Banana Pro / Nano Banana 2 | 21 at 1K or 2K, 42 at 4K / 8 to 22 by size | the cropped frame plus references |
| Enlarge a crop instead | BRIA Increase Resolution | 6, 2x or 4x | one image |
| Animate a frame | Kling v3 Standard | 86 for 5 s with sound, 57 silent | one start image |
| Animate a frame, 10 s with sound | Kling v3 Standard | 171 for 10 s | one start image |
| Join | Montage, then Video Editor for sound | 10 per run | 2 to 10 clips |
The board, node by node
The STORYBOARD → RELIGHT → DETAIL template on /workflows/storyboard-relight-detail opens as a board you can duplicate if you want relight and detail steps after the contact sheet. The steps below are the contact sheet part.
1. Write the sheet as nine numbered beats
ShotGrid takes up to 5,000 characters, which is room to describe nine frames one by one. Write them as numbered beats, in reading order (left to right, top to bottom):
- "Wide: a small bakery at dawn, the street empty, warm light in the window."
- "Medium: the baker pulls a tray of bread from the oven."
- "Close-up: steam rising from a loaf."
...and so on to 9. Above the list, one paragraph for what every frame shares: the characters, the place, the light, the colour, the lens feel. That shared paragraph is what makes nine frames look like one film.
Two ways to use the grid:
- Story sheet: nine different beats of one sequence, to test the order and the coverage.
- Option sheet: nine versions of one shot (different angles, lenses or moments), to pick the best framing before animating it.
2. Attach the references
ShotGrid takes 1 to 10 reference images: the character sheet, the location, a product, a mood frame. It runs on Nano Banana internally, so the same rules apply as for Nano Banana with references: say in the prompt what each reference is for ("reference 1 is the baker, reference 2 is the bakery interior").
3. Choose the sheet's shape
The sheet is square (1:1) in the current node, so each panel is roughly square too. Plan for that: a panel is a framing study, and the chosen frame is rebuilt in the shape of your film (16:9, 9:16) in step 5. Generated grids are not always perfectly even, so measure the gutters and panel edges in your own editor before you crop, rather than assuming a size.
4. Pick on the board
Download the sheet and look at it at full size. On the board, put a sticky note under it with the numbers of the frames you keep, and for each kept frame, one line on what to change. An arrow from the sheet to each rebuild node keeps the chain readable for the next person.
Typical reasons to reject a frame: the character's face differs from the others, the hands are wrong, the light breaks the sequence, the framing repeats the previous frame.
5. Crop, then rebuild or enlarge
Crop the chosen panels in your own editor, exactly on the panel edges you measured, and upload them. Each crop is about a third of the sheet's width. Two options:
- Rebuild at full size. Attach the crop plus the original references to an image node and ask for "this exact frame, same composition, same characters, at full resolution." Nano Banana Pro is 21 at 1K or 2K and 42 at 4K; Nano Banana 2 costs 8 to 22 by size. This usually gives a cleaner start frame, but the model may change details, so compare it with the crop.
- Enlarge the crop. BRIA (6 credits, 2x or 4x, keeps the content) enlarges what is there; Clarity (13, always 2x) is diffusion-based and adds detail. Enlarging keeps the exact frame you chose, softness included.
6. Animate the chosen frames
Each rebuilt frame becomes a start image:
- Kling v3 Standard (the Kling tool's default) is image-to-video only: 86 for 5 s with sound, 57 silent, 720p.
- Hailuo H3 at 2K: 88 for 5 s, 176 for 10 s; its files come with an audio track.
- Seedance 2.5 157 for 5 s at 720p, up to 30 s per take.
If two neighbouring frames of the story sheet should flow into each other, use them as start and end frames with a model that takes an end frame on the canvas; see AI video from a first and last frame.
7. Join and add sound
Montage joins 2 to 10 clips for 10 credits per run, using at most 15 s of each; the merged file has no sound. Put music, dialogue and effects on the Video Editor timeline.
Which model for which step
| Need | Tool | Why | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compare nine frames before any video | ShotGrid | one 4K image, 42 | panels are a fraction of 4K |
| A single frame you already know | Nano Banana 2 / Pro | full resolution per frame | priced per image |
| Keep the exact chosen frame | BRIA on the crop | content-preserving | softness stays |
| Short motion from a frame | Kling v3 Standard | image-to-video, 720p | needs a start image |
| 10 s with sound | Kling v3 Standard / Hailuo H3 | 171 / 176 for 10 s | needs a start image |
Where it breaks
- Consistency across nine panels. Nine faces in one image are nine small faces; the character can differ from panel to panel. Rebuilding the chosen frame with the character references fixes most of it.
- Uneven grids. Gutters and panel sizes vary. Measure before cropping.
- Resolution per panel. A crop is about a third of the sheet's width. Rebuild or enlarge before using it as a start frame.
- Text in frames. Signs and labels in small panels are unreliable. Add text on the Video Editor timeline instead.
- Beta. ShotGrid is marked beta on 8frame.
- No tables. 8frame boards have sticky notes, frames, shapes, text and arrows, but no table element, so keep beat lists on stickies or in the prompt.
Story sheet or option sheet: which first
For a new sequence, start with a story sheet: nine beats in order, to see whether the sequence reads and whether the coverage repeats itself (three medium shots in a row show up immediately on a grid). Mark the beats that work and the ones that do not, rewrite the weak beats in the prompt, and run a second sheet if needed.
Then switch to option sheets for the shots that matter most: the opening, the product reveal, the last shot. One option sheet per key shot, nine framings of the same moment (different lenses described in words, different heights, different distances), and pick one. This order spends sheets where decisions are made: the story sheet settles the structure, the option sheets settle the frames that carry it. Keep every sheet on the board in a row, numbered, so the team can see why a shot looks the way it does; a picked panel with a sticky saying "chosen over panels 2 and 7 because the light reads better" saves the next discussion.
Reading a sheet with a client
A contact sheet is also a good approval format: one image, nine choices, easy to comment on. Put the sheet on the board, invite the client as a commenter (or send a commenter share link), and ask for comments by panel number. Commenters are free for the client, who needs their own 8frame account to join; only editors need a seat on a Creator or Agency plan. Clients who will not open a board can get the downloaded sheet by email.
FAQ
What is an AI contact sheet? Nine frames generated together as a 3x3 grid in one image, to compare shots or story beats before animating. On 8frame, ShotGrid makes one at 4K for 42 credits.
How many references can ShotGrid use? 1 to 10 reference images, with a prompt of up to 5,000 characters. The sheet is square (1:1) in the current node.
Can I animate a frame straight from the sheet? Yes, but each panel is only about a third of the sheet's width. Crop it in your own editor, then rebuild it at full size with Nano Banana Pro or enlarge it with BRIA before animating.
Is ShotGrid a separate model? It runs on Nano Banana internally; on 8frame it is the ShotGrid node, in beta.
Which video model should animate the chosen frames? Kling v3 Standard for any whole second from 3 to 15 s (86 for 5 s or 171 for 10 s with sound), Hailuo H3 at 2K (88 for 5 s, 176 for 10 s), or Seedance 2.5 for longer takes at 720p.
Sources
- 8frame prices, defaults and limits: the 8frame app, checked 2026-11-09
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.