STORYBOARD SAMPLE PROMPTER-

Make your own adventure!

This guide is meant to be a building block to help storyboard artists and students explore an acting
range in a single sample. Play it as dramatic, action packed, or as comedic as you’d like. Choose the
location, characters, and fill in your dialogue! Prompts are included to get your ideas flowing but are
not limited to the suggestions only.

This sample starts right in the midst of a story to get into the action quickly. You can always pad at the
top if you’d like to include more establishing information/shots.

Optional - “Find and Replace” with your characters names using the words below:
Character One = CharONE
Character Two = CharTWO

THE STORY OUTLINE

LOCATION PROMPT:
-a haunted house
-deep dark woods
-the docks at the shore
-a dungeon
-a treasure island

CharONE and CharTWO finally reach their destination and discover/stumble–on what they’ve been
searching for! They want to open…

CONTAINER TO OPEN PROMPT:

-coffin
-crate
-barrel
-treasure chest

CharONE and CharTWO both feel differently about opening it. CharTWO is scared/hesitant or didn’t
want to come anyways. CharONE is gung-ho/excited and decides to open the CONTAINER…

CharONE OPEN ACTION PROMPT:

-carefully (building anticipation)
-with a swift kick/smash
-struggles (comedic) unsuccessfully until CharTWO finally helps
-casts a spell to open it
-gingerly picks the lock

The CONTAINER opens! Inside is…

 INSIDE CONTAINER PROMPT:
-a monster/vampire/ghost
-nothing ???
-special/magical item
-treasure of any kind

CharONE and CharTWO celebrate/are disappointed about what’s inside. As they discuss the fruits of
their labor, SOMETHING sneaks up on them…

SOMETHING PROMPT:
-coffin character rises up unnoticed
-any manner of beast (scary or goofy looking)
-disturbed spirit/ghost
-an animal pack such as rats (hard mode)

CharONE and CharTWO are surprised by the SOMETHING! They…

ACTION PROMPT:
-immediately run (grabbing any loot they can)
-fight it
-get grabbed by the SOMETHING (scary: to kill OR goofy: wants hugs)
-use the contents of the CONTAINER against it (sword, wand, throw gold coins)
-tries to befriend it

Regardless, CharONE and CharTWO eventually must RUN FOR IT! (Grab any CONTAINER items
needed.) As they try to escape they must overcome obstacles…

OBSTACLES PROMPT:
-avoiding/dodging the SOMETHING’S long reach/laser-beams/attacks
-boobytraps
-the house/building/dock falling apart around them
-treacherous landscape
-their own clumsiness
*(can be more than one of the above or other additional ideas)

During the chase, CharTWO stumbles/gets-tangled/trapped! CharONE must save them before the
SOMETHING reaches them.

SAVING PROMPT:
-show off athletic prowess of characters
-feelings get confessed (“I can’t lose you!” vibes)
-unlock hidden ability of item taken from CONTAINER to aid them
-by pure brute force

By the skin of their teeth, CharONE and CharTWO, reach safety/dead end. There they…
 ENDING PROMPT:
-fight/battle to the end
-slam a door/gate shut and lock it (looney tunes vibes)
-figure out a solution to defeat the SOMETHING (using CONTAINER items?)
-realize it’s just a misunderstanding and end as friends

CharONE and CharTWO regroup and agree…

DIALOGUE PROMPT:
-never to do that again
-they need to keep searching for the next item
-that was AWESOME
-they could really go for a pizza

(Optional) END the story with some witty banter and a hint of new adventures to come.
FADE OUT. THE END?

STORY GOALS TO CONSIDER

CharONE and CharTWO’s relationship.

● At the start they are not on the same page and opposed to something the other wants to do.
Then they must come together to defeat or evade danger, bringing them closer together.
● Are they an odd couple as friends or enemies forced to work together?
● Is a hidden romance revealed when faced with death?

Story Pacing
● Dependent on your character goals, different “story prompt scenes” will be longer than others.
● Straight comedy can play fast and loose, focusing on physical gags and expressions.
● The dramatic style will need more dialogue and nuanced acting scenes. When CharONE must
save CharTWO, does the truth about their feelings come out?
● Action packed will be focused on the battles/fights. Expand them out as long as needed but
keep in mind your character arcs. At what point must they concede the first fight and run?
● All these can be mixed and matched! Action-comedy is a common one.

Staging for Story

● comedy: play it flatter for quick action/gags reading. Comedy works well when storyboarded in
a flatter style - the audience can understand/see it as quick as the joke hits. However, you can
save the flatness for the comedy - building up with suspense or setting the scene with more
interesting angles/layouts.
● spooky: think of staging shots looking through creepy things, past spiderwebs or something
slinking by in the foreground. Dark shadows and playing with camera angles can intensify the
mood. However, don’t overdo it - not every shot should be a dutch angle.
● action: go wide to get in a clear fight scene with choreography. Utilize dynamic close-ups for
“power-up” moves or adding clarity/emphasis to a motion.