Duration is the time a frame will occupy in the animatic. It is the field that connects the board to the edit. Sum of durations should equal the slot (15s, 30s, 60s) before anyone books a camera.
Commercial boards without durations are moodboards. Commercial storyboard. Timing sheet: animatic CSV.
How to estimate
- Dialogue: read it out loud, time it, then add a beat of air
- Pack shots: usually 1.5–3s if a logo must read
- Wides that establish: 2–4s, not 8s unless geography is the joke