Commercial Storyboard Project for Students

Q: Which camera shots should students learn?

Three are enough: a wide shot to show the whole place, a medium shot for a person from the waist up, and a close-up for a face or the product. Ask students to use all three at least once. Close-ups of the product and the end card are where most student commercials are weakest.

Storyboard a Commercial - Marketing and Advertising Example

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Lesson Plan Overview

Every TV commercial and online video ad starts as a storyboard. Before anyone picks up a camera, an art director sketches each shot, and the copywriter adds the voice-over and on-screen text, so the whole team can see the ad and fix it while changes are still free. In this advertising project, students do exactly what professionals do: plan a 30-second commercial in six shots, then (if time allows) film it with a phone or tablet.

For more shot-by-shot layouts, such as testimonial and customer journey videos, see our Video Storyboard Templates for Marketing Class Projects.

Before You Begin

Prerequisites: Buyer Persona Poster and Brand Identity Poster; the ad should speak to the persona in the brand's voice.
Shot types to teach: wide shot (shows the whole place), medium shot (a person from the waist up), and close-up (a face or the product).
The 30-second shape: problem (about 10 seconds), product as the solution (about 15 seconds), end card with the brand and a call to action (about 5 seconds).
Time needed: one 45-minute class to storyboard, plus one or two classes to film and edit.
Assessment: each shot has a shot type, a visual, audio, and a time; the timings add up to 30 seconds; and the ad ends with a clear call to action.

The Six Shots

SHOT	WHAT STUDENTS PLAN	EXAMPLE: TAGBACK
1. The Hook (0–4 s)	A shot that makes viewers stop and watch.	Wide shot: a lost-and-found bin overflowing with hoodies. Voice-over: "Every school has one."
2. The Problem (4–9 s)	The customer feeling the problem.	Close-up: a student digging through the bin. On-screen text: "Is that mine?"
3. The Product (9–14 s)	The product appears as the answer.	Medium shot: a parent sticking TagBack labels on a hoodie and a water bottle. Voice-over: "Meet TagBack, waterproof labels with a QR code."
4. How It Works (14–20 s)	The product doing its job.	Close-up: an office helper scans a label; the phone screen says "Return to Room 12."
5. The Happy Ending (20–25 s)	Life after the product.	Medium shot: the student gets the hoodie back and smiles. Voice-over: "Lost it? Not for long."
6. End Card (25–30 s)	Logo, slogan, price, and call to action.	"Name it. Scan it. Get it back." 25 labels for $10. Order on the PTA page.

Differentiation

Grades 6–8: use four shots (hook, problem, product, end card) and skip the filming.
Grades 9–12 and DECA: write a second version for a different persona (for example, a coach instead of a parent) and add music and sound-effect notes to each shot.

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Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard for a 30-second commercial for your product.

Click "Use This Template" from the assignment.
In shot 1, show a hook that makes viewers stop and watch.
In shot 2, show your customer having the problem.
In shot 3, introduce your product as the answer.
In shot 4, show how the product works.
In shot 5, show the happy ending.
In shot 6, make an end card with your logo, slogan, price, and call to action.
Under each shot, write the shot type, the voice-over or on-screen text, and the time. Make sure the times add up to 30 seconds.
Save and submit your storyboard.

Storyboard a Commercial - Marketing and Advertising Template

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Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Diagram a Process

Copy Activity

Lesson Plan Overview

For more shot-by-shot layouts, such as testimonial and customer journey videos, see our Video Storyboard Templates for Marketing Class Projects.

Before You Begin

Prerequisites: Buyer Persona Poster and Brand Identity Poster; the ad should speak to the persona in the brand's voice.
Shot types to teach: wide shot (shows the whole place), medium shot (a person from the waist up), and close-up (a face or the product).
The 30-second shape: problem (about 10 seconds), product as the solution (about 15 seconds), end card with the brand and a call to action (about 5 seconds).
Time needed: one 45-minute class to storyboard, plus one or two classes to film and edit.
Assessment: each shot has a shot type, a visual, audio, and a time; the timings add up to 30 seconds; and the ad ends with a clear call to action.

The Six Shots

SHOT	WHAT STUDENTS PLAN	EXAMPLE: TAGBACK
1. The Hook (0–4 s)	A shot that makes viewers stop and watch.	Wide shot: a lost-and-found bin overflowing with hoodies. Voice-over: "Every school has one."
2. The Problem (4–9 s)	The customer feeling the problem.	Close-up: a student digging through the bin. On-screen text: "Is that mine?"
3. The Product (9–14 s)	The product appears as the answer.	Medium shot: a parent sticking TagBack labels on a hoodie and a water bottle. Voice-over: "Meet TagBack, waterproof labels with a QR code."
4. How It Works (14–20 s)	The product doing its job.	Close-up: an office helper scans a label; the phone screen says "Return to Room 12."
5. The Happy Ending (20–25 s)	Life after the product.	Medium shot: the student gets the hoodie back and smiles. Voice-over: "Lost it? Not for long."
6. End Card (25–30 s)	Logo, slogan, price, and call to action.	"Name it. Scan it. Get it back." 25 labels for $10. Order on the PTA page.

Differentiation

Grades 6–8: use four shots (hook, problem, product, end card) and skip the filming.
Grades 9–12 and DECA: write a second version for a different persona (for example, a coach instead of a parent) and add music and sound-effect notes to each shot.

Copy Activity

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard for a 30-second commercial for your product.

Click "Use This Template" from the assignment.
In shot 1, show a hook that makes viewers stop and watch.
In shot 2, show your customer having the problem.
In shot 3, introduce your product as the answer.
In shot 4, show how the product works.
In shot 5, show the happy ending.
In shot 6, make an end card with your logo, slogan, price, and call to action.
Under each shot, write the shot type, the voice-over or on-screen text, and the time. Make sure the times add up to 30 seconds.
Save and submit your storyboard.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Diagram a Process

Copy Activity

How to Storyboard a 30-Second Commercial

Teach three camera shots

Show a wide shot, a medium shot, and a close-up, and have students spot each in a short ad.

Plan the 30-second shape

Students split the time into the problem, the product as the answer, and an end card with a call to action.

Sketch six shots

Students draw a hook, the problem, the product, how it works, the happy ending, and the end card.

Add audio, text, and timing

Under each shot, students write the shot type, voice-over or on-screen text, and the seconds, which must add up to 30.

Film and edit

If time allows, groups use the storyboard as a shot list, film with a phone or tablet, and edit in one more class.

Frequently Asked Questions about Storyboarding a Commercial

How do you storyboard a commercial?

Break the ad into shots and sketch one per cell. Under each, note the shot type (wide, medium, or close-up), what the viewer sees, the voice-over or on-screen text, and the timing. A 30-second ad usually has six to eight shots: a hook, the problem, the product, how it works, the happy ending, and an end card with a call to action.

What is a good advertising project for high school?

Storyboarding and filming a 30-second commercial for an invented product is one of the strongest, because it is exactly what professionals do. It combines target audience, brand, persuasion, and video skills, and it leaves a real artifact students can show. Phones or tablets are enough for filming, and the storyboard keeps the shoot short and focused.

Do students have to film the commercial?

No. The storyboard is a complete assignment on its own, and many teachers grade it before deciding whether to film. If you do film, the storyboard becomes the shot list: groups can shoot in one class period because every shot, line, and prop is already planned. Editing in a free video app takes one more class.

Which camera shots should students learn?

Three are enough: a wide shot to show the whole place, a medium shot for a person from the waist up, and a close-up for a face or the product. Ask students to use all three at least once. Close-ups of the product and the end card are where most student commercials are weakest.

How should I grade a commercial storyboard?

Give up to 2 points per shot: 1 for a clear visual with a named shot type and 1 for matching audio or text with a time. Add points for timings that add up to 30 seconds, a hook in the first shot, and an end card with a call to action. Then grade the filmed version separately if you film it.