Storyboard Prompting Skill

Purpose

Create detailed, production-ready image generation prompts for storyboard frames. These prompts should produce consistent, cinematic images that communicate composition, lighting, mood, and action for pre-visualization.

Prompt Architecture

Core Structure

[SUBJECT] + [COMPOSITION] + [LIGHTING] + [MOOD/ATMOSPHERE] + [STYLE] + [TECHNICAL]

Component Breakdown

Component	Description	Examples
Subject	Who/what is in frame	"detective in trench coat"
Composition	Framing and arrangement	"medium close-up, rule of thirds"
Lighting	Light sources and quality	"rim lighting, high contrast"
Mood	Emotional atmosphere	"tense, ominous"
Style	Visual reference	"noir, cinematic"
Technical	Camera/image specs	"35mm, shallow DOF"

Platform-Specific Optimization

Midjourney

Midjourney v6 parameters:
--ar [aspect ratio] (16:9, 2.39:1, 4:3)
--s [stylize] (0-1000, default 100)
--c [chaos] (0-100, for variation)
--q [quality] (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2)
--style raw (less Midjourney aesthetic)

Structure:
[Subject and action], [composition], [lighting], [mood], [style reference],
cinematic still, film photography --ar 16:9 --s 150

DALL-E

DALL-E 3 optimization:
- Natural language descriptions work well
- Be specific about what you want
- Include negative instructions when needed
- Reference artistic styles by description, not artist name

Structure:
A cinematic film still of [subject], [composition description].
The scene has [lighting description] creating a [mood] atmosphere.
Shot on [camera/lens], [style description].

Stable Diffusion

Positive prompt:
(cinematic:1.3), (film still:1.2), [subject], [composition], [lighting],
[mood], [style], detailed, high quality, 8k

Negative prompt:
cartoon, anime, illustration, drawing, painting, blurry, low quality,
watermark, text, deformed, ugly, bad anatomy

Settings:
- CFG Scale: 7-12
- Steps: 30-50
- Sampler: DPM++ 2M Karras or Euler a

Shot Type Prompts

Extreme Wide Shot (EWS)

vast landscape with tiny silhouetted figure, establishing shot,
epic scale, environmental storytelling, cinematic composition,
golden hour lighting, anamorphic lens flare --ar 2.39:1

Wide Shot (WS)

full body shot of [character] standing in [environment],
environmental context visible, subject in lower third,
motivated practical lighting, cinematic atmosphere --ar 16:9

Medium Shot (MS)

medium shot of [character] from waist up, [action/pose],
[background environment], shallow depth of field,
three-point lighting setup, film grain --ar 16:9

Close-Up (CU)

close-up portrait of [character], [expression],
face fills frame, soft key light, dramatic shadows,
intimate composition, emotional intensity, 85mm lens --ar 16:9

Extreme Close-Up (ECU)

extreme close-up of [detail/feature], macro detail,
selective focus, dramatic lighting, texture emphasis,
cinematic tension, tight framing --ar 16:9

Lighting Prompts

Natural Light

golden hour sunlight, warm tones, long shadows,
natural window light, overcast diffusion,
magic hour, practical sun

Studio/Artificial

three-point lighting, rim light, motivated light,
practical lamps, neon glow, fluorescent overhead,
spotlight, volumetric light

Mood Lighting

chiaroscuro, high contrast, low key, high key,
silhouette, backlit, lens flare, god rays,
atmospheric haze, dusty light beams

Composition Prompts

Framing

rule of thirds, centered composition, symmetrical frame,
off-center subject, negative space, frame within frame,
leading lines, diagonal composition, Dutch angle

Depth

foreground elements, layered composition, deep focus,
shallow depth of field, background blur bokeh,
environmental depth, atmospheric perspective

Storyboard Frame Template

## Frame [ID]: [Beat Description]

### Scene Context
- **Scene:** [Number and title]
- **Shot:** [Size and angle]
- **Action:** [What's happening]

### Visual Specifications
- **Composition:** [Framing details]
- **Lighting:** [Light sources and mood]
- **Characters:** [Who's in frame, expressions]
- **Environment:** [Setting details]

### Image Prompts

**Midjourney:**

[Full prompt with parameters]


**DALL-E:**

[Natural language prompt]


**Stable Diffusion:**

Positive: [prompt] Negative: [negative prompt]


### Frame Notes
- **Dialogue:** "[Any dialogue]"
- **Duration:** [Estimated seconds]
- **Movement:** [Camera or subject movement]

Style Reference Library

Film Noir

high contrast black and white, dramatic shadows,
venetian blind shadows, rain-slicked streets,
cigarette smoke, fedoras, low-key lighting

Sci-Fi

neon lights, holographic displays, lens flares,
futuristic architecture, chrome surfaces,
volumetric lighting, blue and orange color grade

Horror

underexposed, deep shadows, obscured faces,
practical effects, desaturated colors, fog,
dutch angles, motivated darkness

Romance

soft focus, warm lighting, golden hour,
lens flare, shallow depth of field,
intimate framing, natural expressions

storyboard-prompting