For filmmakers, motion designers, pre-production

Script page to animatic, in a day

Block out scenes before you commit to shot lists. Show the director what the climax could look like. Iterate at the speed of conversation, not the speed of pre-production meetings.

Open workflow

When to use this recipe

Built for working filmmakers and motion designers in pre-production for a real project.

20A repeatable workflow for film and video productions: takes a script or...

6 to 8 hoursFrom script approval to director-review-ready in about

15 to 30Per scene, decompose into shots (typically shots per scene)

Script or treatment locked

Pre-viz against a moving script wastes generation. Lock the script first or pre-viz a specific scene that is locked. Otherwise you re-iterate every revision.

Director or production review imminent

Pre-viz exists to support a decision meeting. If the meeting is not scheduled, you may be over-investing in pre-viz. Make sure the artifact has an audience.

Multiple scenes or a complex scene

Single-shot pre-viz is faster done as static concept frames (see the Concept Frame Moodboard recipe). This workflow shines on multi-shot scenes that need timing blocked.

Production decisions ride on the pre-viz

Camera operator commitment, location lock, casting calls. The pre-viz informs decisions that cost real money to revise. Worth the investment time.

The workflow

Seven steps from script page to a director-review-ready animatic with placeholder timing.

Break the script into shots (60 minutes)

Per scene, decompose into shots (typically 15 to 30 shots per scene). Per shot: what it shows, mood, camera move, lens implication, reference image. The break-down drives the workflow.

Generate the establishing shots (30 minutes)

Run the easier shots first: location establishers, atmospheric pieces, master shots. About 6 to 10 generations per shot to land. Build momentum on shots where AI handles best.

Generate character shots (90 minutes)

Per main character, train a quick LoRA for consistency. Generate character-driven shots. Character work is the hard part of pre-viz; budget about 3 to 5 times the iteration of establishers.

Generate action and movement shots (60 minutes)

Camera moves, character action, dramatic beats. Use Kling for multi-character or action-heavy shots. Generate movement-implied stills for the animatic (full motion comes in execution).

Assemble the animatic in your edit tool (60 minutes)

Drop the concept frames into your edit timeline (Premiere, Resolve, FCP). Block the timing per shot. Layer in temp audio or scratch dialogue. The animatic shows pacing, not just composition.

Add transitions and pacing (30 minutes)

Cuts, dissolves, holds. The animatic editing decisions inform the production approach. Faster cuts vs longer holds is a creative choice; pre-viz exposes it.

Annotate for director review (15 minutes)

Per scene: production implications, casting needs, location requirements, budget implications. Director uses the pre-viz to make decisions; annotations make decisions explicit.

Tips and failure modes

Six patterns separating useful pre-viz from over-engineered animatics.

Reference anchor images per shot

Pull a reference still from existing cinema for each shot. Anchors compress iteration; the prompt language has a target. Without reference, the model interprets loosely.

LoRA train your hero character first

Character consistency is the hardest pre-viz problem. Train a hero-character LoRA from 15 to 20 reference images before generating character shots. Pays back across every shot featuring the character.

Time-block in the edit tool

Pre-viz stills without timing are concept frames, not animatics. The timing decision (how long each shot holds) is the value-add of the animatic. Block timing in Premiere/Resolve/FCP.

Curate generation output ruthlessly

Per shot you may generate 10 to 20 candidates; the animatic uses 1. The cut-down ratio matters more than the generation. Pick the strongest, not the latest.

Audio drives perceived pacing

Scratch dialogue, temp music, or even silence with cues impacts how the animatic reads. A silent animatic feels slower than a temp-scored animatic. Layer in audio before director review.

Annotate production cost per scene

Pre-viz informs budget decisions. Per scene: location cost, casting cost, special effects, day count. Director plus producer use the annotated pre-viz to lock the production plan.

Frequently asked questions

What working filmmakers ask about AI pre-viz workflows.

How long does the full pre-viz take?

About 6 to 8 hours of focused work for a 5 to 10 minute scene. Script breakdown 1 hour, generation 3 to 5 hours, animatic assembly 1 to 2 hours, annotation 30 minutes.

Can pre-viz frames become final production assets?

Sometimes. Strong pre-viz frames can become reference for final shots; some establishers can ship as-is. Most need re-generation at higher fidelity for delivery. Plan as concept, surface as opportunity.

Do I need to train character LoRAs for pre-viz?

For hero characters that appear in many shots, yes. For one-off background characters, no. The LoRA training pays back across the volume; it does not pay back for one-shot wonders.

What models work best for pre-viz?

Flux Pro or GPT Image for character work and product/scene fidelity. Veo for cinematic atmospheric establishers when you need motion. Mix models per shot; do not commit to one for the whole pre-viz.

Can I show the pre-viz to clients (not just internal)?

Yes, with framing. Pre-viz is direction, not final. Brief clients that pre-viz visualizes intent, not final output. Clients who understand this engage productively; clients who do not should not see pre-viz.

How does this compare to traditional storyboarding?

Traditional storyboards: sketches, fast to iterate, low fidelity. AI pre-viz: photorealistic stills, slower to iterate per frame but with timing layer included. They are complementary; many directors use both.

What about pre-viz for commercials vs film?

Same workflow shape. Commercials typically have tighter scene count (10 to 20 shots), so pre-viz wraps in 2 to 3 hours. Film is longer (50+ shots per scene), so plan accordingly.

Can I deliver the animatic to the editor for picture lock?

Yes. Edit timeline file (Premiere XML, Resolve project) exports clean. Editor uses the pre-viz cut as a structural reference for the actual edit. Pre-viz informs the cut without locking it.

Ship a director-review-ready animatic this week

Pre-Viz to Animatic workflow takes a script breakdown and produces concept frames plus a timing-blocked edit ready for director review. About 6 to 8 hours per scene.

Open workflow