A 15-second TikTok ad storyboard is four panels: a hook, the problem or the product in use, the proof, and the offer with a call to action. On 8frame you draw the four panels as frames on a board, make the key images with one ShotGrid contact sheet or four image nodes, and then choose between one 15-second video take or four short clips cut on the Video Editor timeline. The limit people do not expect is that panel lengths and model lengths do not always match: Kling v3 renders any whole second from 3 to 15, billed per second, so it can make a 3-second hook exactly, but Kling 2.6 Pro, 2.5 Turbo Pro and 2.1 Pro come in 5 or 10 seconds and Hailuo H3 in 5, 10 or 15, so panels built on those are generated long and trimmed on the timeline.
TL;DR
| Step | Node or model on 8frame | Fixed price in credits | Input it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beats and timings | Sticky notes and frames on the board | 0 | Your brief |
| Key frames, all at once | ShotGrid (beta) | 42 per 3x3 contact sheet at 4K | Prompt up to 5,000 characters, 1 to 10 reference images, 9:16 |
| Key frames, one per panel | Nano Banana 2 | 11 per image at 1K | Prompt, up to 10 references |
| One 15 s take | Seedance 2.0 | 15 s: 144 at 480p, 324 at 720p | Panel 1 as the start image |
| One 15 s take, 2K | Hailuo H3 | 264 for 15 s | Panel 1 as the start image |
| Four clips | Kling v3 Standard | Billed per second, 3 to 15 s; 86 for 5 s with sound, 57 silent | A start image per panel |
| Four clips, by the second | Grok Imagine | 9.45 per second at 720p, 1 to 15 s | Prompt or image; audio always on |
| Cut, captions, music | Video Editor mode | Not a priced tool | Clips, pasted script, audio |
The four panels
Fifteen seconds is enough for one claim, not three. Write each panel as a sticky note inside a frame, with its seconds on it:
| Panel | Seconds | Job | What the viewer sees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hook | 0 to 3 | Stop the scroll | The product or the problem in close-up, moving from the first frame |
| 2. Use | 3 to 8 | Show it working | Hands, product, the one action |
| 3. Proof | 8 to 12 | Make it believable | A result you can substantiate, a detail, a real review quoted with permission |
| 4. Offer | 12 to 15 | Tell them what to do | Product plus offer text and the call to action |
The proof panel is where AI ads get into trouble. TikTok's ads policy does not allow before-and-after product effect comparisons that may mislead. Show the product being used, not an invented outcome.
For a 30-second structure with eight to twelve shots, see how to storyboard a 30-second ad; a creator-led version is in how to storyboard a UGC ad. This page is the 15-second cut, where four panels is the ceiling.
The board, node by node
Start from the 8frame canvas. The STORYBOARD to RELIGHT to DETAIL template on /workflows is a useful starting layout if you want panels that are relit and refined before animation.
1. Frames for the panels
Draw four frames left to right, one per panel, and put the sticky note with seconds and job inside each. Arrows from frame to frame stay attached when you move them. The board has sticky notes in five colours, frames, shapes, text and arrows; it has no table, so keep timings in the notes.
2. Key frames
Two routes:
- ShotGrid makes a 3x3 contact sheet, nine frames in one image, at 4K for 42 credits, from a prompt of up to 5,000 characters and 1 to 10 reference images, in 1:1, 9:16 or 16:9. Write all four panels into one prompt and you get nine candidates; pick the best four and crop them out. Nine frames for four panels gives you two alternatives for the hook, which is the panel worth testing.
- Four image nodes with Nano Banana 2 (11 at 1K, 17 at 2K) give you one frame per panel with more control over each. Use the same product reference image in all four.
Make every frame at 9:16 from the start. TikTok's In-Feed specs list vertical 9:16 as recommended, at 540x960 px or more.
3. Video: one take or four clips
This is the decision that shapes the board.
One 15-second take. Connect panel 1's frame as the start image of a model that makes 15 seconds in one generation, and describe all four beats in the prompt in order. Seedance 2.0 runs 4 to 15 seconds and bills 144 at 480p or 324 at 720p for 15 s; Seedance 2.5 bills 209 or 469 for 15 s; Hailuo H3 bills 264 for 15 s at 2K. One take keeps the light and the product consistent, but you cannot redo panel 3 alone.
Four clips. Connect each panel's frame to its own video node. Kling v3 Standard needs a start image and renders any whole second from 3 to 15, billed per second (86 for 5 s with sound, 57 silent), so set each node to its panel length: 3, 5, 4 and 3 seconds. Grok Imagine bills per second (9.45 at 720p, 6.75 at 480p), runs 1 to 15 seconds and always generates audio. Four clips let you regenerate one panel, at the cost of four chances for the product to drift.
A useful mix: four clips for the draft, so you can fix panels one by one, then one take of the approved version if the joins feel jumpy.
4. Cut in the Video Editor
The canvas has no timeline. The Video Editor mode has video, text, caption and sound layers. Lay the clips in order, trim them to the panel seconds, add the offer as a text layer and the call to action in the last three seconds. "Generate captions" builds a caption layer from the pasted script; there is no audio transcription, so paste exactly what the voice says.
Do not use the Montage node for the final cut if any clip has sound you want to keep: it drops sound (details).
Which model for which step
| Need | Model | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| All 15 s in one take, cheapest | Seedance 2.0 at 480p | 144 for 15 s; tops out at 720p |
| All 15 s in one take, 2K | Hailuo H3 | 264 for 15 s; files carry an audio track |
| A panel at exactly 3 or 4 seconds | Grok Imagine | Billed per second, 1 to 15 s, audio always on |
| One panel at a time with sound | Kling v3 Standard | Any whole second 3 to 15 s, per second; 86 for 5 s; image-to-video only, 720p |
| Silent panels you score yourself | Kling v3 Standard silent | 57 for 5 s |
| Nine key-frame candidates | ShotGrid | 42 per sheet at 4K, 9:16 supported |
TikTok specs for the export
From TikTok's video ads specifications (last updated June 2026), for non-Spark In-Feed ads:
- Ratio and size: vertical 9:16 recommended, at least 540x960 px; 16:9 and 1:1 also accepted.
- Length: up to 10 minutes; the page lists no minimum.
- File: 500 MB or less, bitrate at least 516 kbps, in .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi.
- Safe zone: TikTok provides downloadable safe zone files, a standard one for all regions except Arabic, which has its own right-to-left files.
Fifteen seconds is your creative choice, not a TikTok rule. Keep the offer text and the call to action inside the safe zone file's area, not in the bottom strip where the caption and buttons sit. The full spec list is in TikTok ad video specs.
The AI label
TikTok's ads policy (last updated April 2026) allows significantly edited media and AI-generated content when you apply the AIGC label or add "a clear disclaimer, caption, watermark, or sticker of your own", and says that "if we identify AI-generated content that has not been disclosed, your ad will be rejected or restricted". A storyboard built entirely from generated frames and clips is AI-generated content; plan the label from the first panel.
Where it breaks
- Fixed lengths on older models. Kling 2.6 Pro, 2.5 Turbo Pro and 2.1 Pro come in 5 or 10 seconds and Hailuo H3 in 5, 10 or 15; panels shorter than that are trimmed on the timeline. Kling v3 sets any whole second from 3 to 15.
- Seedance resolution. Seedance tops out at 720p. That clears TikTok's 540x960 minimum, but if you need more, use Hailuo H3 at 2K.
- Kling v3 needs an image. It is image-to-video only on 8frame; a text-only prompt needs Kling 2.6 Pro (95 for 5 s with sound, 47 silent).
- No video upscaler. Generate at the resolution you deliver.
- One take, one fix. A 15-second single take cannot be repaired panel by panel. Draft in four clips.
FAQ
How many shots fit in a 15-second TikTok ad?
Four panels is a practical ceiling: hook, use, proof, offer, at about 3, 5, 4 and 3 seconds. Kling v3 can generate each at exactly that length. More shots in 15 seconds leave each one too short to read.
Can AI make the whole 15 seconds in one generation?
Yes, on models that run to 15 seconds: Seedance 2.0 (144 at 480p, 324 at 720p for 15 s), Seedance 2.5 (209 or 469) and Hailuo H3 (264 at 2K). Describe the four beats in order in the prompt.
What size should a TikTok ad storyboard be?
Make every frame 9:16. TikTok's In-Feed specs recommend vertical 9:16 at 540x960 px or more. ShotGrid and the image models on 8frame can generate at 9:16 directly.
Do I have to label an AI TikTok ad?
TikTok's ads policy requires the AIGC label or your own clear disclaimer for AI-generated content, and rejects or restricts undisclosed AI content.
Can I show before-and-after results in the proof panel?
TikTok's ads policy does not allow before-and-after product effect comparisons that may give a false or distorted impression of a product's results. Show the product in use instead.
Sources
- TikTok Ads Manager Help, video ads specifications (ratios, 540x960 minimum, up to 10 minutes, 500 MB, 516 kbps, safe zone files; last updated June 2026): ads.tiktok.com/help/article/video-ads-specifications, checked 2026-11-09
- TikTok Ads Policy, Misleading and false content (before-and-after comparisons, AIGC label; last updated April 2026): ads.tiktok.com/help/article/tiktok-ads-policy-misleading-and-false-content, checked 2026-11-09
- 8frame prices, defaults and limits: the 8frame app, checked 2026-11-09
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