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Agency Dictionary

Storyboard

noun

In Portuguese: Storyboard

What does “Storyboard” mean?

A sequence of illustrated panels and captions used to pre-visualize a motion picture, animation, or commercial narrative. It outlines camera angles, character movements, and scene timings before filming or animation begins.

Etymology

A compound of story and board. The word comes from American animation studios of the 1930s, where sequences of drawings were pinned to large boards to plan the order, framing and timing of scenes before production began. From animation the practice and the word spread to film, advertising and other visual media.

Usage note

Used both as a noun and as a verb (to storyboard a scene). In design and user experience the word also names the planning of interface flows.

Word family

  • story

Rhymes with

  • cord
  • lord
  • sword
  • ford

Usage examples

  • They create storyboards and animatics, which serve as visual roadmaps for the motion design, outlining the sequence of events, timing, and overall pacing of the animation.

    Design.3 - The Disciplines of Design
  • They create storyboards and animatics, which serve as visual roadmaps for the motion design, outlining the sequence of events, timing, and overall pacing of the animation.

Concept

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

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Cite this entry

“Storyboard”. Agency Wiki, Agency Brasil. Published on November 11, 2026. https://www.agencybrasil.com/en/wiki/dictionary/storyboard