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Assemble a Scene

Goal: Arrange the shots in a scene into the right order, trim each one, and create a rough cut that tells the story the way you intended.

Assembly is where editing begins. Your generated shots arrive in script order, which is a starting point — not a final cut. Good assembly means making decisions about which shots to use, what order reveals the story best, and how each cut feels emotionally. ACT3 AI keeps the original renders intact so you can always rearrange without losing anything.

If you are new to editing: a "rough cut" is the first version where all the pieces are in order and every shot is included. You are not perfecting it yet — you are getting it watchable.

Steps​

  1. Open the Timeline. In the Editor, click the Timeline tab in the center panel.

  2. Expand the scene you want to assemble. Click the arrow or scene name on the left edge of the scene band. The band expands to show individual shot blocks in their current order.

  3. Assess the default shot order. By default, shots appear in script order — the same sequence as the action lines in your script. Read through the shots left to right and ask: does this order tell the story clearly? Is there a better way to reveal information?

  4. Drag a shot to reorder it. Click and hold a shot block, then drag it left or right to a new position. A blue insertion line shows where the shot will land when you release. The other shots shift to accommodate the move.

  5. Trim a shot's start and end points. Hover over the left edge of a shot block to trim the start, or the right edge to trim the end. Drag inward to remove frames from that end. This is useful for removing a moment before the action starts or after it finishes — common when the actor moves into or out of frame.

  6. Add a transition between two shots. Click the small gap or join line between any two adjacent shot blocks. A Transition picker appears. Choose from: Cut (instant, default), Dissolve (gradual blend), Fade (fade to black then fade in), or Smash Cut (instant cut with an audio punch). The transition is shown as a small overlap icon between the blocks.

  7. Remove a shot from the assembly. Right-click any shot block and choose Remove from Assembly. The shot disappears from the assembled sequence but is not deleted from your project — it moves to the Unused Shots tray at the bottom of the timeline panel. You can drag it back at any time.

  8. Check the scene's total runtime. The scene duration is shown in the scene band header — for example, Scene 3 — 0:42. Watch the number as you trim and reorder shots to stay aware of pacing.

  9. Preview the assembled scene. Click the Play Scene button (the play arrow in the timeline toolbar, or press Space with the scene selected) to watch the scene play through from the first shot to the last. Watch for: jarring cuts, timing that drags, or shots that feel out of place.

  10. Mark the scene as rough cut complete. When you are satisfied with the assembly, right-click the scene band and choose Mark as Rough Cut. The scene header changes color to indicate its status. This is a workflow marker — it does not lock the scene and you can continue editing.

Next steps​