---
title: 'Free motion graphics storyboard generator from any video'
description: 'Turn a motion graphics video into a storyboard that an AI can recreate. The tool finds each shot, picks the key poses, and measures the timing, motion, and colours. Free, in your browser.'
url: 'https://videocontextapi.com/tools/motion-storyboard/'
---

# Motion storyboard

> A motion storyboard shows each shot of an animation as a row of key frames, with the timing of each move and each hold. This free tool makes one from your video in the browser, and writes a prompt so that Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini can recreate the animation in Remotion, GSAP, After Effects, or Lottie.

- **Use it:** https://videocontextapi.com/tools/motion-storyboard/ (free, runs in the browser, no upload, no sign-up)
- **At scale:** The Video Context API breaks every video in your library into shots, motion, on-screen text, and objects, in one JSON schema that your agents can read through MCP. Book beta access: https://calendly.com/sam-reactvideoeditor/30min

## How to use it

1. Drop a video, or paste a direct link to a video file.
2. The tool finds each shot, then picks the frames that show each pose and each move.
3. Move the frame detail slider to keep only the key poses, or every change.
4. Download the storyboard pack, then give the images and storyboard.md to your AI model.

## Why a storyboard and not a frame grid

A frame grid takes frames at equal steps. For motion graphics, that is not enough. A 300 ms move can fall between two frames, and a long hold can fill half the grid with the same picture.

This tool picks frames from the motion itself:

- **Hold**: the animation stops on a pose. The tool keeps one frame from the middle of the hold. This frame shows the end state of the move before it.
- **Move**: the animation is in motion. The tool keeps a frame each time the picture is different enough from the last kept frame.
- **Start** and **End**: the first and the last frame of each shot.

## What the tool measures

| Value | What it tells the AI |
|---|---|
| Scene start, end, and length | The exact cut points, to the frame |
| Transition in | A hard cut, a gradual change, or a change through black or white |
| Timing | Each move and each hold, in seconds from the scene start |
| Change area | Where in the frame each move happens, and how much of the frame it uses |
| Motion | Static, subtle, moderate, or high |
| Colours | The main hex colours of each scene and of the full video |

The tool decodes small frames, up to 15 each second, and keeps them in memory. A change to a slider updates the storyboard at once, and the tool decodes only the new frames.

## What is in the storyboard pack

- `storyboard-1.png` and more: one row for each scene, with the frames, the times, the motion curve, and the colours.
- `storyboard.md`: the prompt. It lists each scene with its timing, then asks the model to recreate the sequence in the tool that you choose.
- `storyboard.json`: the same data, for scripts and agents.
- `frames/`: each frame as a JPEG file, named by scene, time, and reason.

## Tips for a better recreation

1. Paste the images **before** `storyboard.md`.
2. Use one sequence at a time. A clip of 5 to 30 seconds gives the best result.
3. Move the frame detail slider up for fast, complex moves. Move it down for slow, simple moves.
4. Ask the model to describe each scene first, then to build it. The prompt already asks for this order.
5. For an answer about the content of a long video, use [Video to AI](/tools/video-to-ai/) instead.

## FAQ

### How does the tool choose the frames?

The tool measures how much each frame changes from the frame before it. When the animation stops on a pose, the tool keeps one frame of that hold. During a move, the tool keeps a new frame each time the picture is different enough from the last kept frame. The first and the last frame of each shot are always kept.

### What does the frame detail slider do?

The slider sets how much the picture must change before the tool keeps a new frame. At the left, you get only the key poses. At the right, you get a frame for each small change, which shows the path and the easing of each move.

### Can I paste a YouTube, Instagram, or Dribbble link?

Not directly. These sites do not let other web pages read their video files. Download the video first, then drop the file into the tool. A direct link to an MP4 or WebM file works if the server allows it.

### Can an AI recreate an animation from a storyboard?

Yes, with good context. A model can read the layout, the text, and the colours from the frames. The tool adds what a still frame cannot show, the exact timing of each move and each hold, so the model can match the rhythm and the easing.

### Which tools can the prompt target?

The prompt can ask for Remotion (React), one HTML file with CSS and GSAP, an After Effects build plan with an ExtendScript file, or a Lottie JSON file. Choose "Any tool" to get a keyframe table for each scene.

### Is my video uploaded?

No. The tool reads and decodes the video in your browser with WebCodecs. The video never leaves your computer.