Look at the drawing below. It looks a bit like a comic strip, but it is really a plan for a film. Why do you think film makers draw their film before they shoot a single second of it?
Image source: File:Storyboard – Iván López Fuente.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)
In this post:
- The steps in making a video
- Planning with a storyboard, and three types of shot
- Filming your clips (source files) on a phone or camera
- Getting the files onto a computer and into a video editor
- Two activities, a group project and a quiz
How a video is made
- Plan: decide on the topic, who will watch it and the main message.
- Storyboard: sketch each shot in order.
- Capture: film the clips and record any sound. These recordings are your source files.
- Import: copy the files onto the computer and bring them into a video editor.
- Edit: arrange, cut and join the clips; add sound, transitions, titles and credits (see the next post).
- Export: save the finished video as one file, such as an MP4, to share.
Planning with a storyboard
A storyboard is a set of boxes, one for each shot. In each box you draw a quick sketch (stick figures are fine!) and write notes underneath:
- What happens in the shot
- What kind of shot it is (see below)
- Any words, sound or music
- About how many seconds it lasts
| Shot type | What you see | Use it to… |
|---|---|---|
| Wide shot (long shot) | The whole scene and the people in it | Show where the action takes place |
| Medium shot | A person from the waist up | Show someone talking or doing something |
| Close-up | Just a face, or a small object filling the screen | Show feelings or important details |
Capturing your clips
Most phones and tablets record good video. Some tips:
- Hold the phone sideways (landscape), so the video fills a computer screen.
- Keep it steady: use both hands, lean on something or use a stand.
- Film where there is good light, with the light behind the camera, not behind the person.
- Find a quiet place, and get close to the person speaking so the microphone picks up their voice.
- Start recording a second or two before the action and stop a second after. This gives you room to trim.
- Film short clips, one for each storyboard box, rather than one long recording.
- Always ask permission before you film someone.
Image source: File:ViVi’s smartphone recording video at Yuanshan Park 20231125.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)
From phone to computer
- Connect the phone with a USB cable and copy the files across, or take out the memory card and use a card reader.
- Or upload the clips to a cloud service such as Google Photos, OneDrive or Google Drive, then download them on the computer.
- Put all your clips, photos and music for one project in one folder with a clear name. Videos are usually .mp4 or .mov files.
Video editing programs
Windows Movie Maker was the free editor that many schools used, but Microsoft stopped offering it in 2017. Today you can use Clipchamp (included with Windows 11 and also in a web browser), iMovie on Apple devices, or free programs such as Shotcut and OpenShot. They all work in a similar way:
- Import: click Import media (or drag your files in). They appear in your media library.
- Add clips: drag each clip down onto the timeline, the strip along the bottom where your video is built, in storyboard order. (Movie Maker called this the storyboard.)
- Delete a clip: click it on the timeline and press Delete. It is removed from the video, but the original file is still safe in your folder.
- Move a clip: drag it to a new place on the timeline.
Watch: what is a storyboard?
This short video from ACMI, a museum of film and screen culture, explains what a storyboard is.
Video: What is a storyboard? – ACMI – Australia’s museum of screen culture – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aTnEanIXBk
Activity: put the steps in order
Try it: making a video
Use the arrows to put the steps in the right order, then click Check.
▲ First
- Choose a topic and the main message
- Draw the storyboard
- Film the clips on a phone or camera
- Copy the clips onto the computer
- Import the clips into the video editor
- Arrange the clips on the timeline
- Export the finished video as an MP4
▼ Last
Activity: which shot?
Try it: choose the shot type
Which type of shot would you use?
| Show the whole school field before sports day starts | |
| Show a runner’s face as she crosses the finish line | |
| Show the principal giving a speech at the podium | |
| Show the medal in someone’s hand | |
| Show all the classes lined up for the march past |
Group project: storyboard and film
In groups of three or four, plan a 1-minute video on a topic such as How to wash your hands properly or A tour of our school garden. Copy this storyboard into your book (make four boxes), fill it in, then film one clip for each box. Keep your clips safe: you will edit them in the next post.
| Shot | Sketch | What happens | Shot type | Sound / words | Seconds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 4 |
Self-check quiz
Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.
1. A storyboard is…
2. The video clips, photos and sounds you record for a project are called…
3. Which shot shows a person’s face filling the screen?
4. Why should you hold the phone sideways when filming?
5. Which program comes with Windows 11 for editing videos?
6. You delete a clip from the timeline. What happens to the original file?
Related posts on islandclass.org
- Video Creation using Source files – Tutorial
- Storyboards – Professional Video Creation (Part 1)
- Project – Create a Video Using a Storyboard.
- The Video Brief – Professional Video Creation (Part 2)
- The Video Rationale Document – Professional Video Creation (Part 3)
- The Video Script – Professional Video Creation (Part 4)
Next: Editing Your Video: Cuts, Sound, Transitions and Titles
Syllabus link: Forms 1–3 ICT curriculum, Module 3, Objective 3.14 – develop a video production.
Attributions to media used in this post:
- Storyboard – Iván López Fuente.jpg – Iván López Fuente – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- ViVi’s smartphone recording video at Yuanshan Park 20231125.jpg – Solomon203 – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Video: What is a storyboard? – ACMI – Australia’s museum of screen culture (YouTube)
Updates
2026/10/21
– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.
© 2026 Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.