FREE PRE-PRODUCTION CHECKLIST
A checklist that turns into
the plan, not just a list.
Storyflow lays out every step of pre-production on one free AI canvas, from script lock and breakdown to schedule, moodboard, and call sheet. Each item is not just a checkbox: the AI builds the actual deliverable next to it, so the checklist and the plan are the same board. No download, no credit card.
Free plan
No credit card
Nothing falls through
Used by creative professionals at:
Artlist
Pixar
Nike
Red Bull
The North Face
Porsche
Start from a ready-made template
Pick a board to see what you can build, then let AI fill it in. Every template is a real, editable starting point on the same infinite canvas.
Pre-Production
Pull the brief, script, shot list, and moodboard into one pre-production hub so the whole shoot is planned in one place.
What is on a pre-production checklist?
A pre-production checklist is the sequence of steps a production completes before it can shoot. It usually runs from locking the script, through breaking it down into elements, setting a budget, building a schedule, casting, scouting locations, storyboarding, planning shots, building a moodboard, hiring crew, sourcing gear, clearing permits and insurance, and finally issuing call sheets. Every step depends on the ones before it, which is why a missed item early tends to surface as an expensive problem on the shoot day.
The trouble with a normal checklist is that it is just a list. It tells you that you need a shot list and a schedule, but it does not contain them, so the checklist lives in one place and the actual work lives in a stack of other tools. Keeping the list honest becomes its own chore: you check a box in a document while the real deliverable sits half-finished in a different app, and the two drift apart.
Storyflow makes the checklist and the plan the same thing. It is a free AI-native infinite canvas, so each step of pre-production is an item on the board with its real deliverable right there beside it. Describe the project and the AI lays out the checklist tailored to your shoot, then builds the breakdown, schedule, storyboard, or moodboard for an item when you ask. Checking something off means the work actually exists on the canvas, not just a mark in a list.
Because the board holds the whole plan, the checklist stays honest as the shoot evolves. When a scene, a location, or a date changes, the items it touches are right there to update, and the AI keeps the context so nothing quietly falls out of sync. Share a view-only link so the producer can see exactly what is done and what is outstanding, or export the plan as a clean PDF for a production meeting.
HOW IT WORKS
From blank board to a working checklist in four steps.
No generic template to adapt. The AI builds the checklist around your specific shoot.
01
Open a free canvas
Sign up in seconds, no credit card. Your infinite canvas opens in the browser, ready for the plan.
02
Describe the shoot
Tell the AI what you are making, a short, a commercial, a documentary, or a video, and it lays out a pre-production checklist tailored to that format.
03
Build the deliverables inline
For each item, ask the AI to build the real thing: the breakdown, the schedule, the storyboard, the moodboard, or the call sheet, right next to the checkbox.
04
Track, share, and export
See what is done at a glance, share a view-only link with the producer, or export the plan as a PDF for a production meeting.
Every step, with the work attached.
The checklist and the deliverables on one canvas, so checking a box means the work actually exists.
AI lays out the checklist for your format
A checklist tailored to the shoot
Describe the project and the AI builds a checklist suited to it, so a documentary gets research and interview steps while a commercial gets a treatment and client approval. No generic template to trim.
See pre-production tools →
The deliverable lives next to the item
Not a checkbox, the real work
Ask the AI to build the breakdown, schedule, storyboard, or moodboard for a checklist item and it appears beside it. Checking it off means the work is done, not just marked.
See script breakdown software →
See what is done and what is outstanding
Track progress at a glance
Lay the steps out in order so the whole team sees where pre-production stands. Overloaded weeks and missing pieces show on the board before they become a problem on set.
See film production planning →
Share the status and export for meetings
Keep the producer in the loop
Send a view-only link so the producer sees what is done and what is outstanding, or export a clean PDF for a production meeting. Updates keep the shared status current.
See call sheet templates →A free pre-production checklist with no catch.
Plan as many shoots as you want on an unlimited canvas. The free plan needs no credit card and never expires.
Unlimited checklists and boards on an infinite canvas
Basic AI usage to build the checklist and deliverables
3 starter frameworks built in
20 file uploads for scripts, references, and research
EVERY STEP, IN ORDER
A pre-production checklist that plans the shoot as you tick it off.
Storyflow is an AI-native canvas, so the checklist and the real deliverables live on one board instead of a list in one app and the work in another.
The steps most shoots share
From script lock to call sheet
Story and script steps: Lock the script, break it into elements, and build the storyboard and shot list, so the creative foundation is set before logistics begin.
Logistics and scheduling steps: Set the schedule, cast the roles, scout locations, hire the crew, and source gear, each laid out in the order a shoot needs it.
The final pre-shoot steps: Clear permits and insurance, build the moodboard departments work from, and issue call sheets, so the last week is a checklist, not a scramble.
The AI builds the item, not just the reminder
Turn a checkbox into a deliverable
Generate the real thing: Ask the AI to build the breakdown, schedule, storyboard, or call sheet for an item and it lands beside the checkbox, so the checklist contains the work rather than pointing at it.
Tailored to your format: The checklist adapts to what you are making, so you never trim film steps from a video shoot or add them back to a generic list.
Canvas-aware updates: When something changes upstream, the AI helps update the items it affects, keeping the plan consistent instead of leaving stale checkboxes behind.
The whole team sees the same status
Nothing falls through the cracks
Progress visible on the board: Lay the steps in order so anyone opening the board sees what is done and what is outstanding, without a status meeting.
View-only links for stakeholders: Share a read-only link so the producer or client follows the status without editing, always seeing the current plan.
Export for the production meeting: Export the checklist and plan as a clean PDF when you need a fixed snapshot for a meeting or hand-off.
Fits the production you are running
One checklist, any shoot
Features and shorts: Run the full pre-production sequence for a narrative project, scaling each step to the size of the shoot.
Commercials and music videos: Track a tight timeline from brief to shoot day, with client approval built in as a step.
Documentary and content: Follow a checklist built around research, access, interviews, and shoot days, with the plan and notes on one board.
Explore templates for your project
Every template opens as a real, editable board on the infinite canvas. Pick the closest fit and make it your own.
Pre-Production
Pull the brief, script, shot list, and moodboard into one pre-production hub so the whole shoot is planned in one place.
HOW WE COMPARE
Storyflow vs StudioBinder, Trello, and Asana.
A fair look at where each tool fits. Storyflow is the only one where the checklist and the actual deliverables live on one canvas.
Storyflow
Recommended
Free plan with unlimited checklists
AI builds the checklist from your project
Checklist and the deliverables on one canvas
Infinite visual canvas
View-only share link, no sign-up
200+ built-in frameworks
StudioBinder
Free plan with unlimited checklists
AI builds the checklist from your project
Checklist and the deliverables on one canvas
Infinite visual canvas
View-only share link, no sign-up
200+ built-in frameworks
Trello
Free plan with unlimited checklists
AI builds the checklist from your project
Checklist and the deliverables on one canvas
Infinite visual canvas
View-only share link, no sign-up
200+ built-in frameworks
Asana
Free plan with unlimited checklists
AI builds the checklist from your project
Checklist and the deliverables on one canvas
Infinite visual canvas
View-only share link, no sign-up
200+ built-in frameworks
What creators are saying
Join early creators getting structured workspaces and AI that remembers their projects
“Storyflow has sped up my workflow by at least 3x, which means more flow state and more projects I can actually ship. It truly changed the way me and my team create.”
Reilin Joey
Director & YouTuber
“One prompt gets me a structured board. But the tactics are my favorite. I run my YouTube scripts through them and my intros and retention got better. It's amazing.”
Justkay
YouTuber & Freelance Filmmaker
“I used to juggle five apps to plan a project. Now I describe what I am making and get boards, lists, and a schedule. All in one place.”
George
@fernwehchronicles
Pre-production checklists, answered.
What producers and directors ask about planning a shoot in Storyflow.
A thorough pre-production checklist runs from locking the script, breaking it down into elements, and setting a budget, through building the schedule, casting, scouting locations, storyboarding, planning shots, building a moodboard, hiring crew, sourcing gear, clearing permits and insurance, and issuing call sheets. In Storyflow the AI lays these steps out for your specific format and builds the real deliverable beside each item.
Tick every box, and mean it.
Open a free canvas, let the AI lay out your pre-production checklist, and build the plan as you work through it. Free plan, no credit card.