Summary of video
This video walks through the process of generating storyboard images with ChatGPT using pencil-sketch prompts, evaluating how well the AI matches descriptions to visuals. While the AI can produce visually appealing results, the creator notes limitations in accuracy and narrative fidelity. They conclude that ChatGPT is not yet the ideal tool for precise storyboarding.
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Transcript
hi everybody can you create storyboards in chat GPT?
yes, is it perfect?
in ChatGPT use this prompt: “create storyboards in the style of pencil sketches for each shot described below.” At the end of that prompt add “shot list” and each numbered scene.
if you are not getting what you want, adjust the descriptions of each shot.
at first glance the storyboard looks really good. Overall it captures the story and even added in some shots that I did not specify.
I’m adapting my novel Lessons Learned through Forgery into a visual novel with branching narratives that will have cinematic scenes. I’ll talk more about that in another video, but that’s why I have sequences of shots called “nodes,” which all take place outside a warehouse at night on the south side of Bosari.
I asked ChatGPT: for each of the nodes, draft a description that can be used as a prompt to create a storyboard scene for that node. Include visual information that would be helpful to a Director of Photography in composing the shot for each node and the shots in those nodes.
For each node, ChatGPT created a response like this.
Keep in mind that ChatGPT did not create this from nothing — I had earlier fed into ChatGPT the first chapter of my novel.
When you click on the storyboard image in ChatGPT, it will expand and you’ll get the chat on the right side of the screen.
Note the icons to the upper right of the storyboard image: you have four icons — select, save, prompt, close.
The select tool allows you to edit images with DALL·E. This might be useful, but I’m going to skip it for now.
The information icon gives you the prompt. Note that this is the prompt ChatGPT generated — I did not enter this prompt.
The first part of the prompt: “a series of pencil sketches representing storyboard scenes for a visual novel, capturing each node described below. The sketches are minimalistic but detailed enough to convey composition, lighting, and mood. Each scene uses strong contrasts, dynamic character poses, and lighting to emphasize the tension and atmosphere of the story.”
Let’s look at how well the prompt for each shot matched the generated image and the story.
Okay — we have an industrial street and a warehouse, but no taxi, no women.
We get another shot of the taxi — this shot is totally gone from the storyboard — but we do have the taxi in front of a warehouse.
This shot appears further down the list in two variations. It did get the vibrant red dress correctly.
I guess this is here somewhere… could it be this sketch?
This is a real mess.
Okay — this works in a way. If you can draw, you might prefer just to sketch out each shot with your favorite drawing tool, or you can use the images generated by ChatGPT as a starting point.
If you don’t draw much, then ChatGPT can give you a decent set of storyboards to work with in your filmmaking project.
But in closely examining the storyboard against the prompts, you realize that the storyboard generated by ChatGPT, while it looks good at first glance, is not conveying what you are trying to accomplish.
While I love ChatGPT, it’s not the right tool for storyboarding despite giving the resemblance of a storyboard.
I’ll try MidJourney again to see how it has improved since my last experimentation with making storyboards.
MidJourney is much better at creating images.
Enjoy creating images.