Storyboarding is a crucial part of moviemaking. It is part and parcel of every film, animation, and even a marketing campaign. If you enjoy watching movies or are interested in dabbling in it, here are ten of the best AI storyboarding tools you can check out now:
1. Storyboarder
A free and open-source AI tool for storyboarding, Storyboarder, is not only ideal for beginners or those with small budgets but also incredibly user-friendly. It’s a testament that free doesn’t necessarily mean low quality. With all the necessary tools to create boards, draw your scenes, and add timing and dialogue, it’s a tool that will make your storyboard creation journey a breeze.
Storyboarder is designed to make storyboard creation intuitive, efficient, and quick. You can edit your creations in Photoshop, which will be automatically saved in Storyboarder. It also allows you to draw your boards on paper by simply printing the worksheets, photographing them, and then uploading them to the software.
2. Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 22
An all-in-one solution for storyboarding, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 22 is not just powerful but also incredibly versatile. It’s a favorite among many directors, storytellers, and creatives worldwide, and for good reason. It combines drawing, scripting, animatic creation, camera controls, and sound capabilities in one platform. It empowers you to bring your creative vision to life in the most comprehensive way possible.
Toon Boom Storyboard 22 has a monthly subscription fee of $74.50 or $585 annually. You can pay a one-time fee of $1,220.50 for its Perpetual plan. It has a student bundle courtesy of XP-Pen that costs $434.99, including hardware and software.
3. ShotPro HQ
From indie movie producers to industry bigwigs, ShotPro HQ is an excellent tool for making your stories come to life. You can create compelling pre-visualizations, design shots, and build exportable animations. It lets you sketch directly over the viewfinder window for those quick bursts of ideas. You can mix 3D characters and objects with real-world backgrounds, thanks to its augmented reality feature. Overall, it’s a powerful tool praised by industry pros and filmmakers alike.
ShotPro HQ has a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 per month. You can save if you pay for six months or get an annual subscription.
4. FrameForge
Not just for storyboarding, FrameForge operates like a virtual film studio. You can use it to create shots, sets, and scenes accurately. It has a comprehensive library of camera presets for different film and video cameras, a room builder, world-ready objects, a control room interface, and many other advanced features.
FrameForge is an excellent option, being awarded a Technical Achievement Emmy® and a Lumiere® Statuette for Technological Innovation. You can buy the software with a one-time fee of $799 or a monthly subscription for $24.99.
5. Krock.io
Eliminating the need for manual storyboarding, Krockio will generate a visually stunning board in any style you want and fast. Its AI capabilities allow for the creation of visual stories with just a few clicks. It has intuitive tools that will generate a professional-grade storyboard from start to finish.
Krockio will export your board to PDF for easy collaboration and sharing on its platform. You and your team can leave comments and annotations on videos, images, and other media files. It offers free and two premium plans with pricing starting at $15 per user per month.
6. Adobe Firefly
Carrying the Adobe name, you’re sure to get only the best quality with Adobe Firefly to craft amazing storyboards. It uses generative AI to create unique boards in various styles in a matter of minutes. It has a text-to-image feature that will generate an image from a detailed text description. Best of all, it’s easy to use and integrates with Adobe Express and Creative Cloud applications.
Adobe Firefly is an excellent option, but note that AI is still in development and this storyboard tool has limited functionality. It can generate inaccurate images and may exhibit difficulties in creating complex and abstract concepts. Pricing starts at $89.99 per month.
7. Canva
Who would have thought the trusted and ever-popular Canva could be used as an AI for storyboards? From planning to final product this software has everything you need to execute your storyboarding. Its Magic Design feature lets you upload an image, and the AI will generate a template based on it. It integrates with a wide array of tools, making it a versatile option for storyboarding.
Canva is an excellent tool for beginner storyboard artists as it is easy to use and, of course, it’s free. However, it has paid plans if you want to scale up and enjoy more of its features.
8. Elai.io
Offering more than just storyboarding features, Elai.io is a text-to-video platform that is easy to use and affordable. Its AI capabilities allow you to generate videos from prompts that you can easily review, enhance, and convert into video slides. It has over 80 avatars, 450 voices, and video templates you can customize to fit your brand.
Elai can also help you create videos and storyboards in over 75 languages. Its voice cloning feature can mimic your voice by typing a speech text. Its plan pricing ranges from $29 to $125 per month, plus a custom pricing plan.
9. StudioBinder
An intuitive AI storyboarding tool, StudioBinder simplifies the storyboard creation process. All you need to do is upload images and it will generate a storyboard for you. You can then customize the details, such as layouts, aspect ratios, and more.
StudioBinder has a storyboard builder that helps with scriptwriting, shot listing, call sheets, and many others. Its Shot Tagger feature lets you choose a line of dialogue and the software will generate its panel instantly. Pricing starts at $29 per month.
10. Voxxio
If you’re looking to put your ideas onto a storyboard, Voxxio is a powerful and versatile option. You can easily create stunning storyboards from spoken words. It will analyze the narrative and generate an illustrated storyboard automatically. You can then improve on it or add your customizations. This allows non-designers to create films and videos in just a few minutes.
You can start using Voxxio for free and if you find it useful, you can choose from its two premium plans. Pricing starts at $15 per month.
Why Penji?
While storyboarding is a crucial part of the creative process, it’s just one among the many aspects of design and art. Once you get your storyboards and ideas in one place with these AI for storyboard tools, you’ll need Penji to translate these into polished, professional designs.
Whether you need logo and branding designs, digital or print ads, or social media graphics, Penji has a designer for you. Watch our demo video here or get our designers (100% humans, not AI) working by clicking this link.
