Why the Storyboard’s Labels Become Pills When You Edit, and What You Can Do With Them

Quick answer: A storyboard has two kinds of text: the words that describe the picture and the lines, and a fixed structure around them — shot numbers, header fields, voice tags, the opening-state line, the cut that starts each shot. The structure is stored in one fixed form so that every later step (checks, clip generation, translation) recognises it; on a non-Chinese interface it is shown in your language. When you edit, those labels become pills: you cannot type inside one, but you can delete it or move it, and the site guarantees that what you save is the exact fixed form. Text pasted from outside is handled too: common English spellings of the labels in the blocks you changed are recognised on save; copy-paste inside the editor keeps everything exact.

Still from “The Glass Floor”, an AI short drama generated end-to-end by SceneMixer (5 characters, 1 episode) — Sample: “The Glass Floor” — Realistic HD, 1 episode, produced end-to-end by SceneMixer from the script · watch the episodes

Open a segment in edit mode: the shot markers and header labels are pills; click between two pills and type; the pills stay put.

What the pills are

Shot markers ([Shot 3]), header fields (Location:, Time:, Set dressing:, Props:, Opening:), the in-frame line, the voice tag after a spoken line, off-screen markers, and the cut that starts a shot (Cut to close-up). Each is one pill. What the fields mean: The Segment Header Fields.

A storyboard segment: location, time and weather fields, then numbered shots with durations, asset chips and spoken lines — Structural labels show in your language and become pills in edit mode; the words between them are yours to type.

Why they are not plain text

The labels are read by the steps after you: the checks that count seconds, the clip generation that attaches sheets by name, the translation that keeps lines intact. If a label were typed slightly differently, those steps would not recognise it and the segment would quietly lose that structure. A pill cannot be misspelt. On a Chinese interface the labels are already in their stored form and are edited as text.

What you can do with a pill

Delete it (select and backspace), move it (cut and paste, or drag), put text before or after it. The @ menu inserts character, scene, prop and voice references, not header labels. What you cannot do is type inside it or partially delete it. Two pills next to each other, or a pill at the very start of a line, leave a spot you can click into. Editing the Storyboard.

Pasting text from elsewhere

If you paste a segment written elsewhere with English labels — from a document, from the phone app — the common spellings ([Shot 2], Location:, In frame only) are recognised when you save, in the blocks you changed. Unusual spellings are kept as plain text and lose their meaning; check the result. Copying from the editor and pasting back into it restores everything exactly.

Voice tags and off-screen markers

The voice tag after a line ((voice: Mei)) binds the line to that character’s voice; it is a pill and should stay at the end of the line. Off-screen markers (voice-over, off-screen, narrator) in the delivery note are shown in your language and stored in fixed form as well. Dialogue Lines.

Element	In reading mode	In edit mode
Shot marker	[Shot 3]	Pill; delete, move, insert
Header field	Props: …	Pill label, free text after it
Voice tag	(voice: Mei)	Pill at the end of the line
Off-screen marker	(voice-over)	Pill inside the delivery note
Everything else	Your words	Type freely

FAQ

Can I remove a pill by mistake?

Yes; the segment then lacks that structure. Undo, or type the label in English at the start of its line (Location:, [Shot 3]); common spellings are restored on save.

Why does the Chinese interface show plain text?

The stored form is Chinese; no display change is needed there.

I pasted from my phone and a label became plain text.

An unusual spelling; retype it in a common form (Location:, [Shot 3]) at the start of the line, or undo the paste.

Do pills affect the clip?

They are how the clip generation knows the structure; keep them.

Can I rename a label?

No. Labels are fixed; what follows them is yours.

Type between the pills

The structure stays exact; the words are yours.

Open the editor

Updated October 2, 2026