How do you split a storyboard grid into individual shots for AI generation?
By Alverson Layne, Founder
Founder of FXI Studio, building the AI film studio.
Published September 16, 2026 · Updated September 16, 2026
The short answer
To split a storyboard grid into individual shots for AI generation, drop the grid image into a grid splitter that detects its rows and columns and cuts each panel into a separate image. Board-Chop does this free in your browser, then lets you download the frames or hand one to an image-to-video shot to animate it.
Why split a storyboard grid before animating
AI image models often return a storyboard as a single grid: a 2x2, 3x2, or larger contact sheet with several panels packed into one file. An image-to-video model cannot animate that file directly, because it would treat the whole grid, gutters and all, as one frame and produce motion across the panels rather than within a single shot.
Splitting the grid first gives you clean, individual frames. Each panel becomes its own still, framed as the shot you actually intended, and each still can then seed its own video shot. That is the difference between animating a picture of a storyboard and animating the shots the storyboard planned.

How Board-Chop reads and cuts the grid
Board-Chop detects the grid layout automatically. It reads the rows, columns, and gutters, including dark or thin ones, and works out where each panel begins and ends, so you do not crop by hand or guess at pixel coordinates.
The whole split runs in your browser. Your grid is never uploaded to a server for the free chop, so it is fast and private, and you get back clean individual images you can download at once or pick from selectively.

From split frames to a moving shot
Splitting is only half the job for AI generation. Once you have the individual frames, the next step is turning the panel you want into motion. A chopped frame can be handed straight into an image-to-video shot, where it becomes the first frame and the model generates motion outward from the composition you already approved.
From there, frame chaining carries a sequence forward: the last frame of one shot starts the next, so the storyboard you drew becomes a continuous run of shots rather than a set of disconnected clips.
Step by step
How to split a storyboard grid into shots for AI generation
- 1Open Board-Chop
Go to the free Board-Chop grid splitter. There is no account required to split and download your frames.
- 2Drop in your storyboard grid
Drag your storyboard grid, contact sheet, or multi-panel image onto the dropzone, or tap to choose a file from your device.
- 3Let it detect the grid
Board-Chop reads the rows, columns, and gutters and finds every panel automatically, whether the layout is 2x2, 3x2, 4x2, or larger.
- 4Pick and download the frames
Select the panels you want and download them as clean individual images. The split happens on your device, so nothing is uploaded.
- 5Animate a frame
To turn a panel into a shot, hand a frame into an image-to-video generation so it becomes the first frame and the model builds motion from it.
- 6Chain the shots
Use frame chaining so the last frame of one shot starts the next, turning the split storyboard into a continuous sequence.
Frequently asked questions
How do you split a storyboard grid into individual shots for AI generation?
Drop the grid image into a grid splitter that detects its rows and columns and cuts each panel into a separate image. Board-Chop does this free in your browser, then lets you download the frames or hand one to an image-to-video shot.
How do I cut a contact sheet into separate frames?
A contact sheet is a regular grid of images in one file. Board-Chop reads that layout automatically, slices each cell into its own image, and lets you download all of them or just the ones you pick, with no account required.
How do I separate a 2x2 grid image into individual images?
Open Board-Chop and drop the 2x2 grid onto the dropzone. It detects the four quadrants and cuts each into a clean, separate image you can download. It handles 3x2, 4x2, and larger regular grids the same way.
Why can I not animate a storyboard grid directly?
An image-to-video model treats the whole grid as one frame, gutters included, so it animates across the panels instead of within a shot. Splitting the grid first gives you individual frames, and each frame can then seed its own video shot.
Is splitting a storyboard grid free?
Yes. Splitting a grid and downloading the frames on Board-Chop is free with no sign-up, and the split runs on your device. A free account and starter credits come in only when you animate a frame into a moving shot inside the studio.
Open Board-Chop
Split a storyboard grid into clean frames free, no sign-up.
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- TutorialHow to prompt Nano Banana 2 for consistent characters
- TutorialHow to prompt Z-Image Turbo for film stills
Reference documentation
Looking for a specific tool? Browse the documentation, the guides, or all tutorials.