Anime Script Template

One short anime episode written as a script: the scene heading, the picture, the lines and the sound cues, filled in with a one minute example.

Use this template

FitsAn episode of 1 to 3 minutes
IncludesFilled example and blank
CostFree to copy

Updated 14 October 2026

A white paper plane gliding over a school rooftop fence into a big blue sky

A half-open steel stairwell door on a school rooftop, a hand on the handle

From the top of a rooftop water tank, a dangling sneaker, a student walking to the fence below

Frames of the example episode, from the Ziztu anime scene library.

The template

An anime script has the same bones as any script and two additions: sound cues, written in brackets, and a clear picture on every action line. The example is the first minute of a school story.

Anime episode script

The Rooftop Club, episode 1: The paper planeYour title here

Episode card

Five lines to settle before you write a word of dialogue.

Title: The Rooftop Club, episode 1: The paper plane
Length: About 60 seconds
Look: 2D anime, summer light, bright sky, soft colors
Cast: Mio, 16, short dark hair, a school bag on one shoulder. Haru, 16, tall, headphones around his neck.
Hook and cliffhanger: Hook: a paper plane over the fence. Cliffhanger: a teacher's shadow on the roof.

Script

Scene heading, then the picture, the lines and the sound cues in brackets.

EXT. SCHOOL ROOFTOP - DAY

BGM: slow, light guitar. SFX: wind.

A white paper plane glides over the rooftop fence into a big blue sky. MIO watches it from the stairwell door, one hand on the handle.

Mio

Somebody is up here.

Behind the water tank, a sneaker dangles over the edge. HARU lies on top of the tank, folding another plane.

Haru

not looking down

This roof is taken.

Mio

It is a school roof.

She walks to the fence. He drops a plane into her hands.

Haru

Write something on it. It goes further.

Mio writes one word on the wing and throws. The plane climbs over the town. Close on her face: a surprised smile.

Mio

It actually flew.

SFX: the school bell. BGM swells.

Behind them the stairwell door creaks open. A teacher's shadow falls across the roof.

End of episode 1

Hook, turn, cliffhanger

Check these three before you storyboard the episode.

1Hook, first shotA paper plane over the fence, then someone watching it go.
2Turn, the middleThe plane flies and Mio smiles: the stranger is not a threat.
3Cliffhanger, the last shotA teacher's shadow on the roof.

Paste it into Google Docs, Word, Notion or any text editor. It is free to copy and use.

Start from this template

Write your episode from this script

The idea box opens with the episode written out. Change the people and the place, then make it.

A 2D anime episode, about 60 seconds, in bright summer light. On a school rooftop a white paper plane glides over the fence. Mio, 16, with short dark hair and a school bag, hears someone up there. Haru, 16, tall with headphones around his neck, lies on top of the water tank folding another plane and says the roof is taken. He tells her to write something on the plane and it will go further. It flies over the town, the bell rings, and a teacher's shadow falls across the roof.

Use this template Make the clip

40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.

The fastest way to use it

On your own

Copy the template into a document and fill it in.
Find an image tool, a video tool and a voice tool, and move your work between them.
Keep the same faces, places and style yourself, shot after shot.

In Ziztu

The idea box opens with the example already written. Change the names and press go.
Studio plans the shot list, makes every shot and adds the music, in one place.
Character sheets keep the cast looking the same in every shot.
40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.

Use this template

How to fill it in

01
Fill in the episode card
Write the look, the cast and the first and last shot. The hook and the cliffhanger are easier to write before the middle.
02
Write the script as pictures
Every action line should be one picture you could draw. Put sound cues in brackets so they are planned, not forgotten.
03
Keep the lines short
Under eight words fits a short shot and is easier to hear. If a line explains the plot, cut it.

What makes it work

Open on an object

A paper plane or a half-open door asks a question with no dialogue and costs one shot.

Write the sound

Anime leans on bell, wind and music cues. Marking them in the script means they are in the storyboard.

Cut on a shadow

A shape arriving at the edge of the frame is a cleaner cliffhanger than an explained plot point.

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Frequently asked questions

What does an anime script look like?

It looks like a screenplay: a scene heading, action lines that describe pictures, character names and short dialogue. Anime scripts also mark sound effects and music in brackets, because both are planned shot by shot.

How is an anime script different from a normal screenplay?

Anime scripts lean on pictures and sound cues more than long dialogue, and they are usually broken into cuts afterward on a storyboard. Each action line should be one drawable picture.

How long is a short anime episode script?

A one to three minute episode is one or two pages. The example here is about 60 seconds and fits on one.

Are the example frames from a real show?

No. They come from the Ziztu anime scene library, with invented characters and a rooftop that is not a real school.

Can I turn my script into an anime with AI?

Yes. Press Use this template to open the idea box with the episode written out, or try the first shot in the anime video generator. In Ziztu Studio you plan every shot and keep the cast the same.

Is the template free?

Yes. Copy it as text, download it as a Markdown file or print it to PDF without an account.