How to storyboard a music video

How to storyboard a music video

Storyboard a music video section by section, stage the performer and dancers in 3D, plan the camera moves, generate the shots and cut them to the track.

Try 3D Scene

A music video storyboard turns a song into a plan: the shots for each section, where the performer and dancers stand, and how the camera moves. In Morphic you board each section, stage it in 3D, generate the shots, then cut them to the track.

The music video storyboard workflow

Break the track into sections for the music video storyboard

Mark the structure (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro) and each section's length, which sets how many shots it holds. Give each section a job; music video ideas is a good starting list.

  • VerseStay close on the performer.
  • ChorusOpen wide on the full group.
  • BridgeDrop to a single figure in one light.

Board each section (script, references or 3D)

Board from a script, mood references or a grid of framings with the AI storyboard generator. Board choreography and camera moves in 3D, since a flat frame cannot show them.

Stage the performer and dancers in 3D

Describe the set to Copilot in 3D Scene, or add the dancers with Group action. Colour and label each figure, set their height and body width, and save the chorus arrangement as a Formation to reuse when the chorus returns.

Scene prompt for Copilot

A rooftop at night, a performer at the front, four dancers in a V behind her, city lights beyond.

Edit prompt
A finished chorus shot of a singer in a silver jacket on a neon-lit rooftop at night, four dancers in black streetwear spread out behind and beside herGenerated shot
A 3D Scene blocking frame of a rooftop at night, a red performer in front of four dancers in blue, green, yellow and purple arranged in a V under neon light3D Scene blocking

The dance formation maker goes deeper on staging a group.

Plan the music video camera moves

Add a camera per setup and set a Camera style for the feel of the rig: smooth on the verse, loose and shaky in the chorus. Light the set with a Light setup or Mood, and add fog for haze.

Export the blocking and generate the music video shots

Render the blocking video at your delivery aspect ratio, in your browser at no credit cost, and attach it to a video model that accepts a reference video. Add the performer's character sheet and name each figure by colour.

Shot prompt

The red figure is the singer in a silver jacket. The other figures are dancers in black streetwear. Keep the formation and the handheld camera from the reference.

Edit prompt

3D blocking: a handheld move through the dancers to the singer

Generated take: a push-in from the front

The blocking guides the generation, and a model can still reinterpret the move: this take ends close on the singer but comes in from the front. Generate a couple of takes and keep the closest; turning a 3D scene into AI video covers the handoff.

Assemble the music video against the track in Compose

In Compose, put the song on its own audio lane and drop a coloured marker at each section change. Trim the shots by hand so the cuts land on the beat, then grade and export.

Common music video storyboard problems

For the full route from a song to a finished video, see how to make an AI music video, the AI music video generator, and making a music video from lyrics.

ProblemFix
Every section looks the sameGive each section its own lens, light and distance.
The dancers drift between shotsPlace the saved Formation again in every section that repeats it, and name each dancer by colour.
The performer changes faceAttach the same character sheet to every generation of the singer.
A camera move fights the songKeep fast moves for loud sections and slow or locked-off ones for quiet sections.
Shots run too short or too longCheck each section's length from step one before you time the blocking.

FAQs

Do music videos need a storyboard?
Yes, for anything beyond one fixed performance shot. A music video storyboard maps each section of the song to shots, so the energy builds with the track and every setup has a reason. It also settles where the dancers stand and how the camera moves before any credits go on generation.
Can I plan choreography for dancers in a music video storyboard?
Yes. In 3D Scene, Group action adds a whole cast with ready-made dance movement, and every performer stays editable. Pose a dancer by body part, save a motion as a clip and apply it to another figure, and save an arrangement as a Formation to place again in a later section.
Can I sync music video shots to the song?
Yes, in Compose. Put the track on its own audio lane, drop coloured markers on the ruler at each section change, and trim the generated shots to those marks. The 3D blocking plans the staging and the camera moves, and the timing to the music is set in the edit.
Can I storyboard a vertical music video?
Yes. Board the vertical sections in the same way, then render the 3D blocking at 9:16 so the reference matches the frame you deliver. Stage dancers closer together and deeper in the space for a tall frame, and check the framing from each camera before you generate the shots.