Flux ArtFor a 4-15 second AI video ad, storyboarding isn't about slicing the seconds into equal chunks -- it's about pacing the shots as "grab attention in the first 3 seconds, land one selling point in the middle, show the brand and a call to action at the end." With Seedance 2.0, aggregated on Flux Art (https://flux-art.ai), generating shot by shot and carrying the same reference images and reference video across multiple shots turns this pacing into a finished short-video ad that's ready to run.
How Should You Actually Cut the Storyboard for a 4-15 Second Ad?
Let's clear up a common misconception first: when people see a "4 to 15 seconds" duration range, their first instinct is to split it into equal-length shots -- say, cutting 12 seconds into three 4-second segments. That approach basically doesn't work for ads, because viewer attention isn't distributed evenly: the first 3 seconds decide whether they keep watching, the middle decides whether the selling point sticks, and the last 2-3 seconds decide whether they tap the CTA button.
Breaking the 4 to 15 seconds into three segments is a more reliable way to plan:
- Opening (roughly the first 3 seconds): you need to deliver a striking visual or a hook within this window -- common approaches include a dynamic product close-up or a counter-intuitive shot. This is where viewers are most likely to scroll away, so this shot needs to be polished on its own.
- Middle (takes up most of the runtime): stick to one selling point per ad -- don't try to cram in more. The middle usually breaks into 1-3 shots, each covering a different facet of the point -- a material close-up, a use-case scene, a before/after comparison. The shot count should track the total length: cut one fewer shot if the ad runs short, or add one more use-case shot if it runs long, rather than splitting the same selling point into more fragmented shots.
- Closing (roughly the last 2-3 seconds): the end card -- show brand information and a call to action (like "Shop Now"), keep the frame as clean as possible, and don't introduce any new information.
On the technical side, generating a piece of footage looks different depending on your starting point: if you have no real footage at all and just want to generate a shot from a prompt, that's text-to-video; if you already have a real product photo and want the still image to "move" -- with camera motion and effects -- that's image-to-video, using the product photo as the first frame; and if you have both an opening frame and a closing frame and want the model to fill in the camera movement and transition between them, that's first-last-frame control. Seedance 2.0 natively supports text-to-video, image-to-video, first-last-frame control, video extension, and video editing, so when you're storyboarding you can pick a different route for each shot based on what material you're starting from, instead of using just one generation method for the whole ad.
As for duration, Seedance 2.0 lets you set any length within the 4 to 15 second range; the exact duration options and resolution choices available in the console are subject to whatever the console currently shows, and output specs cover 480p and 720p.
Which Capability Should You Use for Each Storyboard Stage?
Different stages of turning a script into a finished ad call for different capabilities. The table below breaks it down by stage so you can plan your storyboard against it.
| Storyboard Stage | Capability to Use | What It Can Do |
|---|---|---|
| Opening hook shot (0-3s) | Text-to-video | Generates a striking opening shot straight from a prompt, no real footage needed |
| Turning a product photo into a dynamic shot | Image-to-video (product photo as first frame) | Adds camera motion, lighting changes, and effects while keeping the product's appearance |
| Transitions between shots | First-last-frame control | Uses the first and last frames to bound the transition, for smoother cuts and fewer jarring jumps |
| Keeping product and style consistent across shots | Seedance 2.0's native multimodal reference (up to 9 images + 3 videos + 3 audio) | Feed the model the same set of reference images and video so multiple shots are generated from the same reference, reducing drift |
| Local fixes to the finished cut (a shot with a glitch, wrong text) | Video editing, video extension | No need to regenerate the whole ad -- adjust or extend just the problem segment |
| Closing end card / CTA | Image-to-video or text-to-video + a fixed-layout prompt | Reliably produces a consistent end-card style paired with brand information |
Which Situation Are You In? Find Your Match
Different teams get stuck at different points in storyboard planning -- check the table below and find the row that matches your biggest headache.
| Your Scenario | The Painful Part | How to Do It on Flux Art | Recommended Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| A sales-event feed ad needs to land one selling point within 15 seconds | The middle feels rushed -- too many points crammed in for viewers to remember | Break the script down by seconds first, keep only 1-2 selling-point shots in the middle, and generate shot by shot to spread out the pacing | Seedance 2.0 |
| You only have static product photos, no video footage | How to turn a still photo into a shot with camera motion | Use the product photo as the first frame with image-to-video to add camera motion and effects while keeping the product's appearance | Seedance 2.0 |
| A batch of ads needs to keep the same product and the same style | Product appearance and color tone tend to drift between shots | Lock in one set of product reference images and a reference video, and generate every shot from that same reference set | Seedance 2.0 |
| One shot in the finished cut has a glitch and you don't want to start over | Only one shot is broken, but regenerating the whole ad feels wasteful | Use video editing to fix the problem segment, or video extension to add a transition | Seedance 2.0 |
| You need to quickly test multiple opening versions to find the one that converts better | Hard to tell which opening shot grabs attention more | Batch-generate multiple opening versions with text-to-video, swapping prompts to test different visual hooks | Seedance 2.0 |
From Script to Finished Cut: 5 Practical Steps
Step 1: Sign up and get 500 credits as a starting cushion. You can register and log into the same account through https://flux-art.ai. New sign-ups get 500 free credits (subject to whatever the site currently offers), enough to test the opening shots for several ads before spending anything.
Step 2: Break the script down into three timed segments. First nail down the one core selling point the ad needs to communicate, then allocate seconds across the opening, middle, and closing segments. Keep the total length within the 4 to 15 second range, and let the number of middle shots scale with the total length instead of fixing it.
Step 3: Choose a generation route for each shot. Use text-to-video for an opening shot with no source material, image-to-video with the product photo as the first frame if you have one, and first-last-frame control when you need to pin down where a transition starts and ends. Generate shot by shot rather than the whole ad at once, so you can adjust any shot you're not happy with on its own.
Step 4: Use the same set of reference images and reference video across shots to stay consistent. Lock in the product's reference images and reference video, and generate every shot from that same reference set with similar prompt wording, so the product's appearance, material, and color tone don't drift between shots.
Step 5: Review the finished cut and fix local issues with editing or extension instead of starting over. Check the transitions and product details in every shot; if one shot has a glitch or the on-screen text renders wrong, use video editing to fix that segment or video extension to add a transition, then finish with an end card carrying the brand information and CTA.
Storyboard Planning Checklist
- Is the opening shot kept to around 3 seconds, with a clear visual hook or a sense of suspense?
- Does the middle stick to one selling point, without splitting it into too many fragmented shots?
- Does the number of middle shots scale with the total length, rather than being fixed?
- Does the closing end card show brand information and a clear call to action?
- Does the generation route chosen for each shot (text-to-video / image-to-video / first-last-frame) match the material you're starting from?
- Do multiple shots use the same fixed set of product reference images and reference video, to avoid color and style drift?
- When reviewing the finished cut, do you check the transitions first for jarring jumps or glitches?
- Are problem shots fixed individually with editing or extension, rather than regenerating the whole ad?
- Does the total length fall within the 4 to 15 second range? The exact selectable range is subject to whatever the console currently offers.
The Limits of AI Storyboarding: When You Still Need a Human
AI generation can boost how efficiently you execute a storyboard, but there are a few things it can't replace. A platform's ad-creative review rules -- like feed-ad compliance requirements or brand-exposure ratios -- aren't something a generation model can judge; the actual rules should follow whatever the respective ad platform's backend currently states. AI also won't decide which selling point to lead with for you -- which point the script highlights and what phrasing will move the target audience is still a call the operator has to make. Whether uploaded material gets used for training isn't something the available information covers, so it's best to check the site's current terms rather than assume anything on the platform's behalf. And however sound the storyboard plan is, it can't guarantee a conversion-rate lift to any specific number -- that kind of performance data only comes from actual ad delivery, not something the generation step can promise in advance.