PowerPoint is known and primarily used for presentations both big and small (like middle school small) because of how easy it is to learn the basics and create awesome content fast. The simplicity, and sometimes surprising depth, of PowerPoint makes it an amazing platform. When developers create websites or when Instructional Designers develop online content, the first two steps are almost always: Brainstorm and then Storyboard. PowerPoint is versatile and is simple enough for web devs and IDs to pick it up and mock up how they want things to look. There are simple shapes and lines that can be added that will permit detailed Storyboarding. But more advanced Storyboarding options (usually in web development) could take a long time to layout; the process could become more arduous than helpful. But with a simple free download of Visual Studio, you can unlock a “secret” Storyboarding tab in PowerPoint.
Just so everyone knows what Visual Studio is, and so you don’t think I am trying to infest your computer with some sort of Malware:
“Microsoft Visual Studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop computer programs for Microsoft Windows, as well as web sites, web apps, web services and mobile apps.” –Wikipedia (Now you know it is for real.)
Toon Boom Storyboard Pro. Check Out Toon Boom. Price: $60/mo or $999 one-time fee Platforms: Mac, Windows. Looking at the complete opposite of free we’ll find Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.To my knowledge this is the most expensive storyboarding software on the market and it’s also the industry standard. A good majority of studios use Toon Boom for boarding & animating so this is something. Once the installation is complete open your PowerPoint program and you will notice a new menu added to ribbon, or if you right click on your slide you will find a storyboard option in the context menu. In our upcoming tutorials we will explore all these options inside STORYBOARDING.
Setting up Visual Studio:
- First thing to do is install the Visual Studio application. There are three choices to choose from; the simplest course of action is to install the free one (it should be the very leftmost selection).
- Once Visual Studio starts up, it will give you multiple Workload options. You want to install the Universal Windows Platform, or the Office/SharePoint Workload. After it has been installed, you can close out of Visual Studio and go straight into PowerPoint.
Using PowerPoint as a Storyboard Software:
Now when you open PowerPoint, you will see a new tab labeled Storyboarding. From here you will see a button located towards the left side of the ribbon called Storyboard Shapes. Once you click on that, a box will appear containing hundreds of assets you can simply drag and drop onto your slide, ready for intense Storyboarding. There are assets ranging from backgrounds, phone placeholders, buttons, progress bars, computer placeholders, and so much more. When I showed this to an Instructional Designer here at eLearning Brothers he said, “Wow! Where was this a month ago?!” So whether your are Storyboarding websites, course, or presentations, Storyboarding with Visual Studio will have everything you could ever need. Many of the objects that come with the Storyboarding tab have animations and transitions already added to them. Not only that, but every object can be edited as if it was built natively in PowerPoint. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can create with this amazing Storyboarding feature.
Let me know in the comments below if there is a blog on a PowerPoint tip and trick that you are dying to see! Also, check out all of our Assets, as we have thousands of cutout people and PowerPoint objects to help you in creating awesome content.
Storyboarding is a vital part of the pre-production process. Finding the best storyboard software for you will get your project off to an ideal start.
Storyboarding software comes in many shapes and sizes, and caters to varying abilities. If you’re more comfortable drawing stick figures, you likely won’t need the same features as a professional storyboard artist.
When looking at different storyboard software options, consider whether you’ll use the features you’re paying for. For example, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro or Frameforge offer very different features compared to Storyboard That. Maybe you could start with a free storyboard template, then consider storyboard software at a later date. Sometimes, less is more.
Create and share storyboards online. Trusted by 150,000+ creatives.
Buyer’s Guide
Will you be working with other people?
Will you be making storyboards with other people? If so, you might want to stay clear of Mac, Windows, or iPad storyboarding software. Instead, look for an online storyboard creator which will allow you to collaborate with other people in real-time. Making changes is much easier when you can all access the same storyboard.
How will you use your storyboard?
Storyboarding is just one part of the pre-production process. If you’re involved in animation or video production, you’ll likely make an animatic after your storyboard is completed. In that case, you’ll want to find storyboard software which integrates with the other tools in your workflow. Adobe’s After Effects is a popular choice of animation software, and caters to everything from complex transition effects to character animation.
Do you need a drawing tool?
Your storyboard will need images. There are two options; draw them yourself, or look for storyboard software with an image library. If a sophisticated drawing tool is a high priority, you should consider specialist image editing software. Adobe’s Photoshop is the gold standard for many, but new tools like Procreate for iPad offer a great image editing experience too (sadly procreate isn’t available for Android users yet). But, be warned! Software like Photoshop isn’t set up to deal with storyboarding out of the box. Simple tasks like re-arranging frames can quickly become tedious.
What’s your budget?
As a rule, storyboard software falls into two camps when it comes to price. One-time purchase desktop software for Mac & Windows, or online storyboard software, paid for with a subscription (there are also some open source options available). Traditionally, storyboard artists tend to use desktop software, although this has changed in recent years.
Storyboard Software Directory
The collaborative storyboarding app for creative teams
Desktop previs & storyboard software
Desktop storyboard generator
Interactive scene layout tool for planning photo and video shoots
Open-source screenplay visualiser
Desktop pre-production software for visual storytelling
Online digital storyboarding focussed on education
Storyboarder makes it easy to visualize a story as fast you can draw stick figures.
Examples Of Storyboards In Powerpoint
Video, photo, TV & film production management software
Desktop storyboard software which combines drawing and animation tools with camera controls
Online design tool offering some storyboard templates
Powerpoint Storyboard Replacement
Online storyboard software with commenting
Online storyboard creator with script editing
3D animation software which can produce storyboards
Powerpoint For Mac Free Download
Find Your Perfect Storyboarding Software
There are many flavors of storyboard software out there. Whether you’re a professional storyboard artist or just starting out, doing your research will help you find the best options for you.
Create and share storyboards online. Trusted by 150,000+ creatives.