From Stick Figures to Strategy: Why You Should Storyboard Your Reels

Let me tell you a story, weave you a tale, if you will. My best friend was having her first baby and I wanted to crochet a blanket. I know how to crochet very well, my mom taught me when I was eight or nine, but I'd never made anything larger than a scarf. I’m a decent videographer and thought my crochet footage might make a video I could be proud to share after I'd gifted the blanket. I bought wool. I started to crochet. I started to film. And it immediately turned into a dumpster fire. 

I had NO direction, no idea what I wanted this video to be. It wasn't until after the baby was BORN and the blanket was LONG GONE that I even looked at crochet TikTok. I went in with no plan, and it blew up in my face. 

It pissed me off. I’m great at art Reels. So why did this idea fail so spectacularly? Because I didn’t doodle out a storyboard like I usually do.

For most marketers, jumping straight into filming is pretty standard. Sometimes it works out, but more often than not you end up with a camera roll so chaotic and unhinged your phone almost gets thrown out a window. You’re not alone, and we have a very simple solution for you: Stick figure storyboards. 

You Don’t Need to be Da Vinci 

You’ll actually be better off thinking more along the lines of Picasso. Your “illustrations” don’t have to be good, they just have to make sense to YOU. A storyboard is a quick, visual outline of your video. It’s a blueprint for your narrative, scenes, and editing transitions. It DOES NOT need to be technical. You can sketch it out in 10 minutes or less, and yet these simple stick figures on post-it-notes could save you HOURS of editing time. (And if you’re contracting video work out, it could save you huge money on a lengthy discovery/ brainstorming session). 

“If you can hold a pencil, you can make a storyboard.” This might be the most iconic piece of marketing wisdom I will ever pass on.

Storyboarding helps you work smarter and be more organized. TikToks and Reels move fast. You typically have less than 60 seconds to make your point and make it pop, which means there’s not a lot of room for improvising. The post-it-note stick figures will help keep you on track with exactly what shots you need, which means less random footage ends up on the cutting room floor (or more accurately, in iCloud purgatory). 

It helps keep you focused on “what comes next” – your plan is laid out in front of you. Having a clear order for your footage reduces your editing time, because you’re essentially assembling a puzzle you already have the picture for.

Quick Doodles, Clear Narrative 

Quick storyboarding helps you create a STRONG mini-narrative. Showcasing products or sharing a behind-the-scenes look is something you want to communicate concisely. And, bonus points, if your reels are consistently to the point, it helps build up your brand recognition. 

NOW GO TO WORK: 

Simple steps for your first TikTok/Reel storyboard. 

1. Fold a sheet of paper into eighths. Each box = one shot.

2. Using stick figures, circles, even just words, outline your narrative. 

3. Add direction notes in the margins, like what the voice over will be (if any), what the on-screen text will be, or what trending song or sounds might be used. 

4. YOU’RE LITERALLY DONE, THAT WAS SO EASY, NOW GO FILM! 

A Small Step with Big Results

The goal of storyboarding isn’t to make art, it's to make your vision easier to execute and get you/your product in front of customers faster. It might feel like an extra step, but it actually saves so much time and boosts the quality of your content. It gives your Reels and TikToks added structure, clarity, and a stronger sense of storytelling. And finally, as we keep driving home, it requires 1% artistic capabilities. 

So, the next time you're about to hit record, take a few minutes to sketch out a plan. Your future self (future editor-self to be specific) will thank you.

And hey, if you do end up with some hilarious stick figure storyboards, that can be great content for your business too! Every cloud, as they say. However, if you're not confident in your stick figure capabilities, the Rogue Penguin Team is ready to help hatch your next viral marketing video, just get in touch!