Cloud storyboarding tools enable film, TV show, and video content creators, developers, and producers to collaboratively create, edit, and share visual storyboards in real-time, enhancing project planning and creativity. Cloud storyboarding tools solve key problems such as collaboration, accessibility, and version control. These tools offer features like real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to edit storyboards simultaneously, and cloud storage, which ensures secure, scalable access from anywhere. Other notable features include a drag-and-drop interface for intuitive design, integration with other production tools, and interactive timelines for visual project flow. To streamline your OTT production workflow and enhance team collaboration, learning more about these tools is essential.

Cloud Storyboarding Tools

Boords – Boords is a cloud-based storyboarding tool that allows teams to create, edit, and share storyboards collaboratively in real-time.
Canva – Canva offers an intuitive online design platform with templates for storyboarding, allowing easy collaboration and sharing.
Celtx – Celtx offers pre-production software for media planning, including scriptwriting, storyboarding, and production scheduling tools.
DrakonHub – DrakonHub provides a visual storyboarding tool that simplifies the process of creating and sharing storyboards collaboratively.
Frame.io – Frame.io provides a cloud-based video review and collaboration platform that simplifies media workflow, enabling teams to work together seamlessly from anywhere.
FrameForge – FrameForge offers a comprehensive previsualization and storyboarding tool designed for filmmakers to plan shots and scenes in detail.
Milanote – Milanote is a flexible, cloud-based tool that combines storyboarding with visual project management, allowing for creative collaboration.
PanelForge – PanelForge is a professional storyboarding and animatics tool that supports real-time collaboration for film and TV production teams.
Plot – Plot is a real-time collaborative storyboarding and visualization tool tailored for creative teams working on film, TV, and video projects.
Previs Pro – Previs Pro is a professional previsualization tool for iOS that helps filmmakers create detailed shot plans and storyboards.
Shot Designer – Shot Designer is a visual tool for creating storyboards and shot plans, focusing on camera movements and scene composition.
ShotPro – ShotPro is a cloud-based previsualization and storyboarding tool designed to help filmmakers visualize their scenes with 3D animations.
Storyboard Fountain – Storyboard Fountain is a free, open-source tool that allows filmmakers to create and share storyboards with integrated scriptwriting.
Storyboard Pro – Toon Boom Storyboard Pro is a robust tool for creating professional storyboards with drawing, camera controls, and animatics features.
StoryBoard Quick – StoryBoard Quick provides a quick and easy solution for creating and sharing storyboards with built-in libraries and customizable templates.
Storyboard That – Storyboard That is an online tool that enables users to create storyboards and visual narratives easily with a range of customizable templates.
StudioBinder – StudioBinder is a production management solution that includes screenwriting tools, offering comprehensive pre-production features.
Wonder Unit Storyboarder – Storyboarder is a free, open-source storyboarding tool that enables artists to quickly visualize and iterate on their story ideas.

Cloud Storyboarding Key Features

Annotation Tools

Annotation tools allow users to add comments, notes, and drawing annotations directly onto the storyboard. This feature is crucial for providing detailed feedback and making precise adjustments, which helps streamline the review and approval process.

API Access

API access enables custom integrations and the extension of the storyboarding tool’s functionality. This feature is essential for teams needing to tailor the tool to specific workflows or to integrate with proprietary systems.

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage provides secure, scalable storage solutions for saving and accessing storyboards from anywhere, ensuring data safety and availability. This feature is vital for remote teams and facilitates easy access to project files from multiple locations.

Collaboration Features

Collaboration features include tools like chat, comments, and notifications to facilitate communication among team members. These features are important for keeping everyone in sync and enhancing teamwork.

Customizable Workspaces

Customizable workspaces offer personalization options for workspace layout and settings to fit individual or team workflows. This adaptability is essential for enhancing productivity and user satisfaction by providing an optimized work environment.

Drag-and-Drop Interface

A drag-and-drop interface provides a user-friendly way to add and rearrange storyboard elements like images, text, and sketches. This feature simplifies the storyboarding process, making it more intuitive and efficient.

Export Options

Export options allow storyboards to be exported in various formats (PDF, JPEG, PNG, etc.) for sharing and presenting offline. This flexibility is crucial for creating professional presentations and distributing storyboards in a universally accessible format.

Integration with Other Tools

Integration with other tools, such as scriptwriting, video editing, and project management platforms, enhances the overall workflow. This feature is important for creating a seamless production pipeline, reducing manual data transfer and improving efficiency.

Interactive Timelines

Interactive timelines map out the sequence of events and scenes, providing a clear visual representation of the project flow. This feature is essential for planning and tracking the progression of the storyboard, ensuring coherence and continuity.

Mobile Accessibility

Mobile accessibility ensures compatibility with mobile devices, enabling on-the-go access and editing of storyboards. This feature is crucial for users who need to work from various locations and devices, enhancing flexibility and responsiveness.

Multimedia Integration

Multimedia integration supports embedding and linking multimedia elements such as images, videos, and audio clips within storyboards. This feature enriches the storyboard with various media types, making it more dynamic and illustrative.

Offline Access

Offline access allows users to work on storyboards without an internet connection, syncing changes once back online. This feature is important for maintaining productivity in areas with unreliable internet access or while traveling.

Presentation Mode

Presentation mode provides a way to present storyboards in a professional and visually appealing manner during meetings and reviews. This feature is essential for effectively communicating ideas to stakeholders and obtaining feedback.

Real-Time Collaboration

Real-time collaboration enables multiple users to work on the same storyboard simultaneously, allowing for instant feedback and edits. This feature is crucial for improving efficiency and fostering teamwork, particularly in remote or distributed teams.

Scene Management

Scene management features organize and manage different scenes within a project, allowing for easy navigation and structure. This feature is vital for keeping large projects organized and ensuring a logical flow of scenes.

Security and Permissions

Security and permissions offer robust measures to protect intellectual property, with customizable access permissions for different team members. This feature is essential for safeguarding sensitive information and controlling who can view or edit the storyboard.

Storyboard Templates and Stencils

Storyboard templates and stencils provide predefined templates and stencils for quick creation of storyboards, supporting various visual styles and formats. This feature helps jumpstart the storyboarding process, saving time and ensuring consistency.

Template Library

A template library offers pre-built templates for various types of projects, helping to jumpstart the storyboarding process. This feature is essential for speeding up workflow and providing a professional starting point for new projects.

User Management

User management features help manage user roles and access levels, ensuring team members have appropriate access to project resources. This feature is crucial for maintaining security and organizational structure within the team.

Version Control

Version control tracks changes and maintains a history of edits, allowing users to revert to previous versions if needed. This feature is essential for managing changes over time and ensuring that previous iterations can be reviewed or restored.

Cloud Storyboarding Glossary

Application Programming Interface (API) – A set of rules and protocols for building and interacting with software applications.

Collaboration Tools – Software and technologies designed to facilitate group work and allow multiple users to contribute to a project simultaneously.

Creative Collaboration – The process where multiple people contribute to the creative aspects of a project, often using tools that support real-time sharing and feedback.

Customizable Templates – Pre-designed formats that can be adjusted and tailored to fit specific project needs.

Drawing Tools – Digital tools and features that allow users to create freehand drawings or illustrations within a software application.

Extensible Markup Language (XML) – A markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.

Integration – The process of combining or coordinating separate software applications to function together as a unified system.

Previsualization (Previs) – The process of visualizing scenes before actual production begins, often using storyboards or digital tools.

Project Management – The use of software tools to plan, organize, and manage resources and tasks for a project from start to finish.

Real-Time Editing – The ability to make changes to a project and see those changes immediately, without any delay.

Scriptwriting Tools – Software designed to assist in the creation and formatting of screenplays and scripts.

Storyboarding – The process of creating visual representations of a film, TV show, or video through a series of illustrations or images.

User Experience (UX) – The overall experience a person has when interacting with a software application or digital product, including usability, design, and performance.

User Interface (UI) – The space where interactions between humans and machines occur, often referring to the design and layout of software applications.

Visual Narratives – Stories told primarily through visual media, such as illustrations, animations, or films.

Workflow Integration – The seamless incorporation of different processes and tools into a single, streamlined workflow.