# AI Animation Ad Storyboard Template > Fill this template before you generate any frames. Five minutes of planning saves an hour of regenerating mismatched clips. > > Target ad length: 10-12 seconds (3-4 shots, 2.5-4 seconds each). --- ## Project Setup **Ad concept name:** [Use brand-kit naming convention: `[brand]_[objective]_[hook]_[persona]_[style]_[version]_[date]`] **Style:** [Claymation / Pixar 3D / Anime / Wes Anderson Miniature / Retro Cartoon / Watercolor] **Total length:** [10-12 seconds recommended] **Aspect ratio:** [1:1 (1080x1080) for feed / 4:5 (1080x1350) for max feed real estate / 9:16 (1080x1920) for stories/reels] **Estimated cost:** - 9 frames via Nano Banana 2 (1K): ~$0.60 - 3-4 animated clips via Kling 3.0 (5 sec each): ~$0.90-$1.20 - Voiceover via ElevenLabs (10 sec, optional): Free tier or ~$0.10 - **Total per video: ~$1.60-$2.00** --- ## Character Definition > The character must be described identically every time you reference them. Inconsistency between frames is the #1 reason animation ads look amateur. **Character name (internal):** [e.g., "Sarah" or "Hero"] **Physical description (use this exact text in every frame prompt):** [Example: "A friendly claymation woman in her 30s with shoulder-length brown hair and a cozy oatmeal-colored sweater. Soft round features, warm complexion, slightly oversized clay hands typical of stop-motion characters."] **Wardrobe and props (consistent across all shots):** - [Outfit details] - [Any props the character carries throughout] **Reference image (if using Kling Omni Reference):** [File path to character reference image, e.g., `./assets/character-ref.png`] --- ## Style Lock Declaration > This declaration goes into EVERY frame's generation prompt. Copy-paste it identically. > > See `style-lock-prompts.md` in the Vault for tested style declarations for six different aesthetics. **Style declaration for this project:** ``` [Paste the full style declaration here. For claymation, this would be: "Claymation stop-motion style, handmade clay figures with visible fingerprint textures on surfaces, slightly imperfect proportions, warm soft lighting from above, shallow depth of field, miniature set with real-world materials (felt, wood, paper), muted pastel color palette"] ``` --- ## Storyboard ### Shot 1: THE HOOK (0-3 seconds) **Purpose:** Stop the scroll. The most visually interesting frame in the ad. **Scene description:** [One sentence describing what's happening visually. Example: "The character sits at a kitchen table at dawn, hands wrapped around a mug, looking at the camera with a slight smile."] **Frame 1 (start of shot):** - Camera angle: [Wide / Medium / Close-up] - Character pose: [What they're doing] - Lighting: [Direction, quality] - Background: [What's visible behind them] **Nano Banana 2 prompt for Frame 1:** ``` [Style declaration from above] [Character description from above] Scene: [Specific scene details] Camera: [Angle and framing] Lighting: [Description] Mood: [Emotion to convey] Composition: [Where character/product is placed in frame, e.g., "left third of frame, looking right toward camera"] ``` **Frame 2 (end of shot):** - Same as Frame 1 but with subtle movement difference (slight head tilt, eyes shifted, hand moved) **Kling motion prompt:** ``` [Brief description of the movement between Frame 1 and Frame 2. For claymation: "Subtle hand-crafted stop-motion movement. Slight wobble in character's body. Camera stays fixed."] ``` **Kling negative prompt (style preservation):** ``` [For claymation: "Smooth CGI motion, fluid animation, photorealistic rendering, plastic texture, digital perfection, fast movement"] [For Pixar: "Photorealistic, live action, stop-motion jitter, clay texture, flat lighting, 2D illustration"] [For Anime: "Photorealistic, 3D rendered, clay texture, stop-motion, western cartoon style, muted colors"] ``` --- ### Shot 2: THE PRODUCT (3-6 seconds) **Purpose:** Show the product being used or interacted with. **Scene description:** [Example: "The character reaches for the product on the counter, picks it up, examines it."] **Frame 3 (start of shot):** - Camera angle: [Closer than Shot 1, focus on hands and product] - Character pose: [Reaching toward product] - Product placement: [Where in frame, what surface it's on] - Lighting: [Same direction as Shot 1 for continuity] **Nano Banana 2 prompt for Frame 3:** ``` [Style declaration] [Character description] Scene: Character reaches toward [product name] on the [surface]. Product is rendered in same handcrafted aesthetic as character. Camera: Medium close-up, focused on hands and product. Lighting: [Match Shot 1] Product details: [Specific colors, label, shape from brand-kit.md] ``` **Frame 4 (mid-shot):** - Character holding the product, examining it **Frame 5 (end of shot):** - Character beginning to use the product (e.g., scooping, opening, applying) **Kling motion prompts (two clips for this shot):** *Frame 3 → Frame 4:* ``` [Description of the reach-and-pick-up motion] ``` *Frame 4 → Frame 5:* ``` [Description of the examination-to-use motion] ``` --- ### Shot 3: THE RESULT (6-9 seconds) **Purpose:** Show the outcome or benefit. The "after" of the before/after. **Scene description:** [Example: "The character has used the product. Their expression changes — eyes light up, slight smile, body language shifts to confident."] **Frame 6 (start of shot):** - Camera angle: [Back to medium shot] - Character pose: [Mid-reaction] **Frame 7 (end of shot):** - Character pose: [Full reaction — slightly exaggerated for animation aesthetic] **Nano Banana 2 prompt for Frame 6:** ``` [Style declaration] [Character description] Scene: Character with subtle but visible positive reaction to the product. [Specific emotional cue — e.g., "eyes wider, slight smile, shoulders relaxed."] Camera: Medium shot, focused on character's upper body. Lighting: [Match previous shots] ``` **Kling motion prompt:** ``` [Description of the reaction transition] ``` --- ### Shot 4: THE CTA (9-12 seconds) **Purpose:** End card with offer and brand. The clearest "this is an ad" moment. **Scene description:** [Example: "Product centered on a clean surface. Brand name appears. 'Shop Now' text. URL or QR code if applicable."] **Frame 8 (start of shot):** - Composition: [Product centered or in clear hero position] - Background: [Clean, ideally brand colors] **Frame 9 (end of shot — final frame):** - Same as Frame 8 with text overlays - Brand logo placement - CTA text placement - Optional: Discount code or offer detail **Nano Banana 2 prompt for Frame 8:** ``` [Style declaration] Scene: Hero product shot of [product name], centered on clean [color] background matching brand aesthetic. No character in this frame. Composition: Product in center, generous negative space around it, brand colors dominant. Lighting: Slightly more pronounced to highlight the product as hero. ``` **Kling motion prompt:** ``` Subtle camera push-in toward the product over 3 seconds. Optional: Light particle or shimmer effect if appropriate to brand. Avoid aggressive zoom or fast movement. ``` --- ## Voiceover Script (optional, ~20-30 words for 10-12 second ad) > Many high-performing animation ads use only music + burned-in captions, no voiceover. Add a voiceover only if your ad has a specific narrative or message that benefits from a human voice. **Script:** ``` [Example: "She tried everything. Then she found [product name]. And mornings got a little easier."] ``` **Voice direction:** - Tone: [Warm / Calm / Energetic / Knowing] - Gender: [Match your persona] - Age: [Match your persona] - Pace: [Slow and deliberate is usually right for animation] **ElevenLabs voice ID:** [Save the voice ID once you find one that works for your brand] --- ## Captions (burned into video in CapCut) > Even with voiceover, add burned-in captions. 85% of Meta video plays are muted. **Caption text (matches voiceover):** ``` [Same as script, segmented for timing] ``` **Caption styling:** - Font: [Match brand-kit.md headline font, or use a clean condensed sans-serif] - Size: [Large — readable at thumbnail] - Color: [White with subtle drop shadow, OR brand primary color with white background panel] - Position: [Lower third or upper third, NOT center] --- ## Background Music **Style:** [Warm acoustic / Playful piano / Gentle electronic / etc.] **Source:** [CapCut royalty-free library / Artlist / Epidemic Sound / Custom] **Track name:** [Once selected] **Volume:** [Soft enough to not compete with voiceover, loud enough to fill silence] --- ## Sound Design (the secret weapon) > Subtle foley sounds are what make animation ads feel like they were made by a real studio. For claymation: - Soft "thunk" when character picks up product - Gentle "squish" or "tap" sounds for any handling - Ambient room tone (kitchen sounds, soft wind, etc.) For Pixar/3D: - Slightly more polished sound effects - Subtle "whoosh" for camera movements - Ambient music can be slightly louder --- ## Final Export Settings **Format:** MP4 **Codec:** H.264 **Resolution:** 1080p **Frame rate:** 30 fps (24 fps for cinematic feel, but 30 is the Meta standard) **Bitrate:** 8-10 Mbps (good quality without massive file size) **Audio:** AAC 192kbps --- ## Post-Production Checklist Before uploading to Meta: - [ ] All frames are style-consistent (run a contact sheet to verify) - [ ] Character looks identical across all clips (face, body, wardrobe) - [ ] Product is clearly visible in Shots 2 and 4 - [ ] Captions are readable on a phone screen - [ ] First 3 seconds work without sound (this is when most viewers decide to keep watching) - [ ] CTA frame is clear and unambiguous - [ ] Total length is under 15 seconds (Meta favors short video for cold traffic) - [ ] File size is under 4GB (Meta's upload limit) - [ ] Aspect ratio matches the placement you're targeting --- ## Naming and Saving Save the final video using brand-kit naming convention: ``` ./output/animation-ads/[brand]_[objective]_[hook]_[persona]_[style]_v[N]_[date].mp4 ``` Example: ``` ./output/animation-ads/vitapure_sales_problem_sarah_claymation_v1_20260801.mp4 ``` Save the project files (frames, Kling clips, audio, CapCut project) in a sibling folder for future variations: ``` ./output/animation-ads/source/[brand]_[..]_v[N]_[date]/ ├── frames/ ├── clips/ ├── audio/ └── capcut-project.zip ``` --- ## Notes - The first storyboard you build will take an hour. The fifth will take fifteen minutes. The structure is the time-saver, not the speed of any individual step. - Most failed animation ads fail at the storyboard stage, not the generation stage. Mediocre planning produces mediocre output. Spend the planning time. - Reuse winning storyboards. If a claymation ad works for one product, the same storyboard structure (different character/product) often works for adjacent products. Don't reinvent the structure for every project.