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How to reverse-engineer a storyboard script from a finished video

For directors, editors, and commercial makers · Updated 19 Sep 2026

Reverse-engineering a storyboard means turning a finished piece into a shot list: timecodes, key frames, and notes on size, composition, and movement. CutGo splits shots, keeps stills, optionally drafts notes with AI Image Analysis, then you proofread. It studies footage that already exists. It does not generate a new film from a prompt.

Not an AI video generator, not a drawing app, not a downloader. Web originals need the extension. Local files can use Studio on the web. AI uses your own API key.

What to click

  1. Run Shot Detection or mark cuts by hand.
  2. Capture stills with timecodes.
  3. Open Storyboard Desk in CutGo Studio. Fill size, composition, movement, notes.
  4. Optional: run AI Image Analysis, then rewrite anything that does not match the frame.
  5. Export a Storyboard Page. Finish the real cut in an NLE.

Example: after a 60-second ad becomes 23 shots, do not treat AI copy as final. Check stills against timecodes, then fix size and movement language before you send the board.

PhraseCutGo
Shot list from a finished videoYes
Generate a new video from a sentenceNo
Draw a board from scratchNo — that is a storyboard app

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FAQ

Can it generate a video from a sentence?

No. It studies a video that already exists.

Do I download Storyboard Desk separately?

No. It is a view inside CutGo Studio.

Is AI required?

No. Use your own key only if you want a draft.