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.
| 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. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Create a storyboard for a 30-second commercial for your product.
Show a wide shot, a medium shot, and a close-up, and have students spot each in a short ad.
Students split the time into the problem, the product as the answer, and an end card with a call to action.
Students draw a hook, the problem, the product, how it works, the happy ending, and the end card.
Under each shot, students write the shot type, voice-over or on-screen text, and the seconds, which must add up to 30.
If time allows, groups use the storyboard as a shot list, film with a phone or tablet, and edit in one more class.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.