Claude Fable 5.2 Storyboard Prompts: Keep Actions and Continuity Explicit

Quick answer

Provide the approved script, a source image and a short continuity list. Request one action per shot, add durations, and review the last state of each shot against the next first state before generating pictures.

1. Lock the object and its starting state

Use a fictional folding desk lamp with three approved source poses: closed, halfway open and fully open. State which hand operates it and where the cable exits. These details are inputs, not opportunities for visual improvisation.

Write down which views are missing. A single closed photograph does not establish the hinge mechanism inside the product. Use a simple sketch or obtain another reference rather than asking the model to imply a proven mechanical motion.

2. Request beats with entry and exit states

For each shot ask for duration, camera framing, visible action, first state, last state and continuity risk. A three-second opening can show the closed lamp; the next four seconds can show a hand beginning the lift.

Add up all holds and transitions. An illustrative 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 sequence lasts 15 seconds, but a written total does not prove the action can be understood at that speed. Reserve enough time for the end card and review the sequence aloud.

3. Build a manual storyboard and timing preview

Copy the approved shot descriptions into the existing Ciyo Commercial Storyboard Maker and add your reference images. Then manually enter images and hold durations in the Animatic Maker to inspect pacing. These are separate steps, not an automatic import from Claude.

If a shot changes, update the written list and the visual board together. Keep the original camera direction unless a deliberate transition explains the change. Do not represent a still-image animatic as the final generated product video.

Copy and adapt this request

Replace the bracketed fields with your own approved information. The requested output is a draft for review; the example has not been run as a model benchmark.

Plan [DURATION] for [PRODUCT] using [SCRIPT] and [REFERENCE POSES]. Return shot ID, duration, framing, one visible action, first state, last state and continuity risk. Preserve [HAND SIDE], [PRODUCT DETAILS] and [SCREEN DIRECTION]. Flag motions unsupported by the references. Do not invent internal mechanisms. Include an end-card hold in the duration total.

Illustrative 15-second sequence

These example checks describe acceptance criteria, not observed model results.

Common mistakes and how to recover

Do not solve a continuity error by adding an unexplained camera cut. Check the entry and exit states first.

If the preview is too fast, simplify the action or revise the shot timing. Adding detail to the prompt does not create more screen time.

Choose a working method and make the handoff

For a solo shop, start with one item and keep the source facts beside the draft. A team should name one approver and keep a dated version so an old comment cannot silently override the current decision. If the input is incomplete, return to the owner of that fact before polishing the artwork.

Use Ciyo for the visual work described here with the controls and models currently offered in your account. Keep the approved copy separately and add exact wording with editable canvas text where needed. A generated picture is a visual draft; inspect its exported file before using it.

• Commercial Storyboard Maker
• Animatic Maker

Sources and further reading

Primary documentation and related guides used for this article. Availability and controls can vary by account; verify them before beginning your own run.

• Anthropic model overview