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Your First Project

This guide walks you through creating a new project and generating your first AI video clip, from a blank slate to rendered output.

Step 1: Create a New Project​

From your Dashboard, click New Project. Choose how you want to start:

Starting PointBest For
Empty ProjectWriting from scratch; full manual control
Import ScriptExisting screenplay in Final Draft, PDF, or text
Plot WizardStarting from an idea; AI-assisted story structure

Fill in the project details:

  • Project name — give it a clear, descriptive title
  • Description (optional) — a one-sentence summary of your concept
  • Format — choose from short film, series episode, marketing ad, TikTok/social, or concept test
  • Aspect ratio — 16:9 for cinema/YouTube, 9:16 for TikTok/Instagram, 1:1 for square

Click Create Project to enter the editor workspace.

Step 2: Write or Import Your Script​

You have three options for getting a script into ACT3 AI:

Option A — Write in the script editor

Type directly in the built-in script editor. It auto-formats scene headings (INT./EXT.), character names, and dialogue blocks as you type.

Option B — Import an existing script

Go to File → Import → Script. Supported formats are Final Draft (FDX), plain text (TXT), and Markdown. The importer maps scene headings to scenes and character names to dialogue tracks automatically. See Import a Script for the full walkthrough.

Option C — Generate with the Plot Wizard

Click Plot Wizard in the sidebar. Enter a concept, choose a story structure model and genre, and the wizard generates a complete story architecture with acts, scenes, character arcs, and dramatic beats. See Plot Wizard for the full walkthrough.

Step 3: Define Your Story Structure​

With your script in place, set up the story hierarchy:

  1. Acts — The AI Wizard creates these automatically, or add them manually. Most projects use a 3-act structure: Setup, Confrontation, Resolution.
  2. Scenes — Each scene heading in your script becomes a scene card. Scenes group related shots together.
  3. Beats — The key dramatic moments within each scene. Mark them in the script editor or let the AI suggest them.

Step 4: Set Up Your Digital Actors​

Before generating video, assign digital actors to your characters:

  1. Navigate to the Actor Library tab
  2. Browse available actor presets or click New Actor to create one
  3. Customize appearance, age, wardrobe, and voice
  4. Assign each actor to a character name in your script

Digital actors carry their visual identity consistently across every scene and shot.

Step 5: Design Your Sets​

ACT3 AI can generate sets from text descriptions or let you choose from templates:

  1. Open the Top-Down View from the editor toolbar
  2. Select or create a set for each scene (for example: "Modern office with city view, daytime")
  3. Place your actors and cameras in the 2D layout
  4. Switch to 3D view to preview depth and lighting

For simple projects, you can skip manual set design and rely on the AI to interpret set descriptions from your script.

Step 6: Create Your First Shot​

Shots are the atomic unit of video generation. To add a shot:

  1. Open a scene card and click + Add Shot
  2. Set the shot type (close-up, wide shot, over-the-shoulder, etc.)
  3. Add camera movement if needed (dolly in, tracking, handheld, etc.)
  4. Write a short prompt describing the action and visual mood
  5. Choose your AI rendering engine (Veo 3.1 for realism, Grok Video for creative style)
  6. Set duration (2–8 seconds works best for AI generation)

Example shot prompt: "Low-angle medium shot of detective approaching the door, handheld camera, dramatic shadow lighting, tense atmosphere."

Step 7: Generate Video​

Click Generate on the shot card. ACT3 AI sends your prompt to the rendering engine and returns a video clip in the preview pane. Generation takes 15–60 seconds depending on the engine and quality setting.

To save credits during the creative phase:

  • Use Draft quality for initial previews (lowest credit cost)
  • Switch to 1080p or 4K only for final-quality output
  • Use Wan 2.1 for fast collaborative iteration before committing to a full render

Review the clip. If it doesn't match your vision, refine the prompt and regenerate. Your changes are tracked in version history.

Step 8: Assemble and Export​

Once you have all your shots:

  1. Open the Timeline view
  2. Drag scenes and shots into order
  3. Add background music from the audio panel
  4. Apply a color grading preset for visual consistency
  5. Preview the full sequence
  6. Click Export to render the final video

Export formats include MP4 (web-ready), MOV/ProRes (professional editing), and platform-specific presets for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

Example Workflow at a Glance​

StepActionOutput
1Create projectEmpty project with format settings
2Import or write scriptFormatted script with scene structure
3Generate story structure with AI WizardActs, scenes, beats
4Assign digital actorsConsistent characters across all scenes
5Set up 2D/3D setsEnvironments for each scene
6Add shots with camera instructionsShot prompts ready to render
7Generate videoAI-rendered clips in preview
8Assemble on timeline and exportFinal video ready to publish

Starting from an Idea Instead of a Script​

If you do not have a finished screenplay, choose Start from Idea when creating a new project. Enter a logline, a paragraph, or a rough concept in plain language. The AI Writer expands it into a complete beat sheet, scene outline, and draft screenplay. You review and refine everything before moving to shot generation.

Organizing a Large Feature Film​

For projects with hundreds of shots, these tools keep production manageable:

  1. Use the Outline View to navigate your Act → Scene → Shot hierarchy without scrolling the timeline
  2. Tag shots by status: Approved, Needs Work, Not Started. Use Tag Filter to view only what you need
  3. Use Generate All in the render queue to batch-render entire scenes at once
  4. Lock approved scenes to prevent accidental edits as later scenes are still in progress
  5. Work in Draft quality for all shots until the cut is locked, then promote to final quality

Creating a Series or Multi-Episode Project​

When creating a new project, select Series as the project type. Add a Season, then add Episodes within that season. Each episode has its own script, scenes, and shots but shares actors, sets, and style presets with the whole series. See Story Structure Overview for details on the full Show → Season → Episode → Scene → Shot hierarchy.

Duplicating a Scene for Variations​

Right-click any scene in the outline and select Duplicate. ACT3 AI creates an exact copy of the scene including all shots, settings, and prompts. Use the duplicate to explore an alternate version of a scene without losing the original. Both versions live in the project and you choose which one to use in the final assembly.

Next Steps​