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Learn the grammar.
Direct the shot.
Field guides, prompt recipes and studio walkthroughs for directing AI video and image models, from your first frame to a finished cut.
Long-form guides from the cutting room: shot grammar, prompt structures and real clips rendered inside FXI Studio.
Speed, price and success rate for the video and image models we run, measured on real production jobs. Methodology, CSV and citation included.
Realistic motion with synchronized sound in a single pass. A director’s guide to intensity modifiers, camera language, and writing the Sound line like a sound designer.
Six shot types, six prompt structures, six real clips. The working grammar that separates an AI-generated clip from one worth projecting on a wall.
Install the free extension, sign in once, and drop generated takes, stems, and vocals straight onto your tracks without leaving the session.
The best AI tool for a short film is one that carries a single vision across every shot. FXI Studio pairs an AI director with node pipelines and integrated editing, so scenes stay consistent from first frame to final cut.
Veo 3.1 is a text-to-video and image-to-video model known for physical realism, native audio, and prompt adherence. In FXI Studio you direct it per shot with a named lens, then chain shots into a scene.
Kling v3 is an AI video model strong on expressive character motion, dynamic action, and typography coherence. In FXI Studio you direct it per shot and chain shots into a continuous sequence.
LTX 2 is a fast AI video model built for quick iteration and camera-controlled shots, with first-frame and last-frame inputs for frame chaining. In FXI Studio you direct it per shot and chain shots into a scene.
Nano Banana is an AI image editor that edits a photo from a plain-language instruction and keeps the same subject across edits. In FXI Studio you use it to restyle, retouch, and prepare frames for video.
Make cinematic real-estate listing video without a crew or a drone day. In FXI Studio you turn listing photos into moving shots and chain them into a continuous tour, directed shot by shot.
Turn flat product photos into moving ecommerce shots without a studio booking. In FXI Studio you edit the frame, animate it into a clean product move, and chain shots into a short spot, directed end to end.
Produce ad creative and UGC-style video variations fast, without booking creators for every concept. In FXI Studio you direct a spot shot by shot and chain shots into a finished ad, then spin variations to test.
Frame chaining feeds the last frame of one AI video clip in as the first frame of the next, so a whole sequence reads as one continuous shot with no clip stutter or crossfades. Here is the exact first-frame / last-frame workflow, the models that support it, and how FXI Studio runs it natively.
How do you frame-chain AI video with first-frame and last-frame?Frame chaining feeds the last frame of one AI video shot in as the first frame of the next, so motion and light flow continuously with no still-image jumps. Here is the workflow and why it beats crossfades.
What is the cheapest way to iterate AI film shots?Iterate on cheap still images first, lock the frame you want, then spend on video only once. FXI Studio lets you refine an image shot for about $0.02 before committing a shot to motion, so revision does not burn your budget.
What is the AI storyboard-to-video workflow?The storyboard-to-video workflow turns planned frames into motion in order: block the scene as stills, lock each key frame, then generate and chain video from those frames. FXI Studio runs the whole path in one workspace.
How do you direct an AI video instead of prompt-and-pray?Directing an AI video means deciding the coverage, lens, and continuity up front and revising against that plan, instead of typing one prompt and hoping. FXI Studio gives you an AI director so you make the calls a director makes.
How do you make AI video with consistent characters across shots?To keep a character consistent across shots, anchor every shot to the same reference and carry frames forward instead of re-describing the character each time. FXI Studio holds a character across a directed scene so faces do not drift.
What is the Seedance Fast AI video model and when should I use it?Seedance Fast is a speed-first AI video model for quick, low-cost shots while you are still exploring a scene. Here is what it is best for, how it compares to premium models, and how to use it in FXI Studio.
What is the WAN AI video model and what is it good for?WAN is an open, versatile AI video model that handles both text-to-video and image-to-video generation. Here is what it is best for, how it fits an AI film workflow, and how to use it in FXI Studio.
What is the Hailuo MiniMax AI video model and when should I use it?Hailuo, the MiniMax video model, is known for expressive, lifelike motion and strong subject movement. Here is what it is best for, how it fits an AI film workflow, and how to use it in FXI Studio.
How do you split a storyboard grid into individual shots for AI generation?To split a storyboard grid into individual shots for AI generation, drop the grid image into a grid splitter that detects the rows and columns and cuts each panel into its own image. Board-Chop does this free in your browser, then hands a frame to an image-to-video shot.Get the perfect shot with ready-to-use camera moves. Copy a recipe, drop it into any shot.
whip pan right. Movement: rotate rapidly from the starting direction toward a new target on the right. Speed: fast snap with brief motion blur during the rotation. Framing: begin on one readable composition and land on a second readable target. End: settle into a sharp final frame.
whip pan left. Movement: rotate rapidly from the starting direction toward a new target on the left. Speed: fast snap with brief motion blur during the rotation. Framing: begin on one readable composition and land on a second readable target. End: settle into a sharp final frame.
fast zoom in. Movement: quickly increase lens focal length toward the main visual target. Speed: quick decisive zoom. Framing: keep the target centered or clearly readable during the scale change. End: finish on a stable tighter composition.
fast zoom out. Movement: quickly decrease lens focal length away from the main visual target. Speed: quick decisive zoom. Framing: keep the target readable as the surrounding space appears. End: finish on a stable wider composition.
crash zoom in. Movement: snap the lens rapidly toward the main visual target. Speed: very fast and punchy. Framing: keep the target readable through the sudden scale change. End: land on a bold tighter composition.
crash zoom out. Movement: snap the lens rapidly away from the main visual target. Speed: very fast and punchy. Framing: keep the target readable as the surrounding space appears. End: land on a bold wider composition.
dolly in. Movement: move the camera physically forward in a straight line toward the main subject. Speed: smooth controlled push. Framing: keep camera height, lens direction and subject position consistent while distance closes. End: finish in a tighter composition.
follow shot from behind. Movement: move behind the subject along their route at shoulder height. Speed: match the subject pace. Framing: keep the back, shoulder or head as the foreground guide while the route ahead stays readable. End: continue following with the subject leading the frame.
reverse tracking shot. Movement: move backward in front of the walking subject. Speed: match the subject forward pace. Framing: keep front-facing face and body framing stable as the background moves behind them. End: hold a clear front-facing moving composition.
low tracking shot. Movement: move at ground or below-waist height alongside the subject movement path. Speed: match the subject, footsteps or wheels. Framing: keep the low detail readable while the ground plane moves through frame. End: finish with the low perspective clearly maintained.
arc left. Movement: move on a shallow curved path around the main subject toward the left side. Speed: smooth measured curve. Framing: keep distance, height and subject readability consistent while the angle changes. End: finish from a new left-side angle.
arc right. Movement: move on a shallow curved path around the main subject toward the right side. Speed: smooth measured curve. Framing: keep distance, height and subject readability consistent while the angle changes. End: finish from a new right-side angle.
clockwise orbit. Movement: circle clockwise around the main subject at a consistent radius. Speed: smooth controlled orbit. Framing: keep the subject centered while the background rotates around them. End: complete the intended arc or full circle with stable framing.
counterclockwise orbit. Movement: circle counterclockwise around the main subject at a consistent radius. Speed: smooth controlled orbit. Framing: keep the subject centered while the background rotates around them. End: complete the intended arc or full circle with stable framing.
push past. Movement: move forward past a visible foreground object, edge or opening. Speed: smooth forward glide. Framing: let the foreground pass close to the lens while the space beyond becomes clearer. End: arrive inside or beyond the foreground layer.
pass-through movement. Movement: move forward toward a visible object, surface or barrier and continue into the space beyond. Speed: smooth centered glide. Framing: keep the opening or surface centered as the transition point. End: arrive inside the revealed space beyond.
chase shot. Movement: follow a moving subject quickly along the action route. Speed: fast, reactive and physically close. Framing: keep the subject visible while allowing energetic reframing. End: stay connected to the subject in motion.
body-mounted Snorricam. Movement: keep the camera fixed relative to the subject torso or face while the subject moves. Speed: match the subject body motion. Framing: keep the subject close, centered and facing the camera as the background moves around them. End: finish with the subject still locked in frame.
crane up. Movement: travel smoothly upward through open space. Speed: slow controlled vertical lift. Framing: keep the subject or location readable as the camera rises. End: finish with the higher scale clearly visible.
crane down. Movement: travel smoothly downward through open space. Speed: slow controlled vertical descent. Framing: keep the subject or location readable as the camera descends. End: finish with the lower subject or destination clearly visible.
drone push in. Movement: fly smoothly forward through open space toward the subject or destination. Speed: controlled aerial glide. Framing: keep the route and destination readable as the camera approaches. End: arrive at a closer aerial composition.
drone pull back. Movement: fly smoothly backward away from the subject or destination. Speed: controlled aerial retreat. Framing: keep the subject readable as more landscape appears. End: finish on a wider aerial composition.
helicopter-style aerial shot. Movement: move from high altitude along a broad gradual flight path. Speed: steady controlled aerial motion. Framing: keep the landscape or distant moving subject readable at wide scale. End: finish on a stable high-altitude composition.
first-person view. Movement: move forward at human eye height from the character perspective. Speed: natural walking or reaching pace. Framing: use visible hands, arms or body edges as the viewer physical reference. End: arrive at the next point of action from the same point of view.
infinite zoom. Movement: zoom continuously inward toward the exact center target. Speed: smooth accelerating zoom. Framing: keep the circular target centered as it expands. End: finish when the next visual world fills the frame.
earth zoom out. Movement: pull upward from the starting point through street, city, landscape and planet scale. Speed: rapid expanding zoom out. Framing: keep the original location centered as scale grows. End: finish on a planet-scale view with the starting point still implied at center.
locked-off static shot. Movement: hold one fixed camera position for the full clip. Speed: still and steady. Framing: keep the same angle, height, lens distance and composition. End: finish with the same framing and camera position.
pan right. Movement: rotate the camera horizontally from left to right from one fixed point. Speed: smooth constant rotation. Framing: keep the horizon level while new space enters from the right side of the frame. End: settle on a clear final composition.
pan left. Movement: rotate the camera horizontally from right to left from one fixed point. Speed: smooth constant rotation. Framing: keep the horizon level while new space enters from the left side of the frame. End: settle on a clear final composition.
tilt up. Movement: rotate the camera upward from one fixed point. Speed: smooth constant tilt. Framing: keep the vertical subject or architecture centered as the frame travels upward. End: land on the upper target.
tilt down. Movement: rotate the camera downward from one fixed point. Speed: smooth constant tilt. Framing: keep the vertical subject or architecture centered as the frame travels downward. End: land on the lower target.
slow zoom in. Movement: slowly increase lens focal length toward a tighter frame. Speed: gradual and even. Framing: keep the main visual target readable as it becomes larger in frame. End: finish on a stable tighter composition.
slow zoom out. Movement: slowly decrease lens focal length toward a wider frame. Speed: gradual and even. Framing: keep the main visual target readable as more surrounding space appears. End: finish on a stable wider composition.
dolly out. Movement: move the camera physically backward in a straight line away from the main subject. Speed: smooth controlled retreat. Framing: keep lens direction and camera height consistent while more environment enters frame. End: finish in a wider composition.
tracking shot. Movement: move through the scene with the main subject. Speed: match the subject pace. Framing: keep the subject consistently readable while the environment moves around them. End: maintain a clear moving composition.
side tracking shot. Movement: move parallel beside the subject along their direction of travel. Speed: match the subject motion. Framing: keep the subject in side profile or three-quarter profile at a stable distance. End: continue the parallel movement with clear horizontal motion.
truck left. Movement: move the camera physically to the left on a straight horizontal path. Speed: smooth constant lateral travel. Framing: keep the lens facing the same direction while the scene slides across frame. End: finish on a clean lateral composition.
truck right. Movement: move the camera physically to the right on a straight horizontal path. Speed: smooth constant lateral travel. Framing: keep the lens facing the same direction while the scene slides across frame. End: finish on a clean lateral composition.
pedestal up. Movement: move the entire camera vertically upward in a straight line. Speed: smooth constant lift. Framing: keep the lens level and pointed in the same direction during the vertical move. End: finish with the higher framing clearly readable.
pedestal down. Movement: move the entire camera vertically downward in a straight line. Speed: smooth constant descent. Framing: keep the lens level and pointed in the same direction during the vertical move. End: finish with the lower framing clearly readable.
handheld shot. Movement: hold the camera at human operator height with natural body movement. Speed: responsive and organic. Framing: keep the subject readable while the frame has subtle sway and micro-adjustments. End: finish with a natural handheld composition.
tilt-shift miniature view. Movement: hold or glide from a high angled view over the scene. Speed: small precise movement. Framing: keep a narrow band of sharp focus across the key subject area with soft blur above and below. End: finish with the miniature-scale view intact.
locked-camera time-lapse. Movement: hold one fixed camera position while time moves rapidly forward. Speed: fast time compression with a stable camera. Framing: keep the same composition and horizon as motion passes through the frame. End: finish from the same camera angle with visible passage of time.
Every written tutorial in one place. Filter by what you are making: a model to learn, a pipeline to run, or a finished piece.
Showing 41 tutorials
Original Study
Speed, price and success rate for the video and image models we run, measured on real production jobs. Methodology, CSV and citation included.
Model Guide
Realistic motion with synchronized sound in a single pass. A director’s guide to intensity modifiers, camera language, and writing the Sound line like a sound designer.
Field Guide
Six shot types, six prompt structures, six real clips. The working grammar that separates an AI-generated clip from one worth projecting on a wall.
Workflow
Install the free extension, sign in once, and drop generated takes, stems, and vocals straight onto your tracks without leaving the session.
Pipeline
Frame chaining is the workflow of feeding each AI clip’s last frame into the next clip’s first frame, so a series of separate shots becomes one continuous, flowing sequence with no hard cuts. It is how you turn a storyboard of stills into a single cinematic move — and it is a built-in FXI Studio capability.
Pipeline
AI character consistency means holding one character’s face, wardrobe, and identity stable across many shots. You achieve it by building a reference sheet once, attaching it to every generation, and describing the character with identical words each time — or by tagging a reusable character so the studio carries the identity for you.
Pipeline
You build an AI storyboard by rapidly generating one still per shot with a fast image model, keeping your character consistent across every frame, then ordering the stills as a shot list. In FXI Studio a creator can go from an idea to a multi-shot storyboard in well under a minute, then animate it.
Model Guide
Veo 3.1 Fast is a text-to-video model that renders short cinematic clips with synchronized audio in one pass. Prompt it with one camera move, a named light source, a mood, and a sound line — then chain each clip’s last frame into the next for a continuous shot.
Model Guide
Kling v3 is a text-to-video model with unusually strong on-screen text rendering and steady, native multi-shot framing. Prompt it with the exact words you want on screen in quotes, one camera grammar, and a clear subject — it holds legible typography where most models smear it.
Model Guide
Nano Banana 2 is an image model that excels at fast, clean, well-composed stills and at holding a character consistent across many frames when you feed it reference images. Attach one or more references, describe the same subject in the same words each time, and it keeps the identity locked across a whole storyboard.
Model Guide
Z-Image Turbo is a fast image model built for ideation — it turns a written idea into a filmic still in seconds, so you can explore a look before committing credits to video. Prompt it like a cinematographer: name the film stock, the light, and the frame, then iterate quickly toward your storyboard.
Model Guide
LTX 2.5 is a fast video model built for draft previews and frame-chained motion. Use it to preview a shot cheaply before committing credits to a premium final: it accepts a first frame and a last frame, so it is the natural engine for turning two stills into one continuous move.
Model Guide
P-Video is a transition model: give it a first frame and a last frame and it generates the continuous motion between them, handing one shot to the next with no visible cut. It is the engine behind frame chaining — the workflow that turns a stack of separate stills into one flowing sequence.
Use Case
You make a cat-and-mouse comedy short by ideating the gag as stills, storyboarding the chase with a fast image model, locking both characters as consistent references, animating each beat, and frame-chaining the clips into one continuous film. A whole 7-shot chase can come together in a single session.
Use Case
You make an AI product ad by rendering a clean hero still, generating macro detail shots that keep the product identical, adding a legible on-screen callout, and frame-chaining the shots into one polished sequence with synced sound. The whole spot can be built and finished in a single session.
Use Case
You make an AI character sheet by rendering one character in consistent front, three-quarter, and profile views on a neutral background, then saving it as a reusable reference. That sheet becomes the identity anchor you attach to every still and shot so the character stays the same across your whole film.
Use Case
You make an AI movie trailer by ideating the film’s look as stills, generating a handful of striking hero shots with synced sound, cutting in legible text stings, scoring it to a rising beat, and frame-chaining the montage into one escalating sequence. The whole trailer can be assembled in a single session.
Workflow guide
The best AI tool to make a short film is one that carries a single vision across every shot instead of generating clips in isolation. FXI Studio does this with an AI director, node-based pipelines, and integrated editing, so a scene stays consistent from opening frame to final cut in one workspace.
Workflow guide
Frame chaining feeds the last frame of one AI video shot in as the first frame of the next shot. The model then generates continuous motion between them, so shots flow into each other with no still-image jumps or crossfades. Repeat the handoff shot to shot to build a seamless sequence.
Workflow guide
The cheapest way to iterate AI film shots is to refine on still images first, lock the exact frame you want, then generate video from it only once. An image iteration costs about $0.02, while video costs far more, so getting the frame right before you commit to motion is where the savings live.
Workflow guide
The AI storyboard-to-video workflow turns planned frames into motion in order: block the scene as still key frames, lock each one, then generate video from those frames and chain them together. FXI Studio runs the whole path in a single workspace, so the storyboard you approved is the sequence you shoot.
Workflow guide
Directing an AI video means deciding the coverage, the lens, and the continuity up front, then revising each shot against that plan, instead of typing one prompt and hoping. FXI Studio gives you an AI director who proposes shots and flags problems, so you make the calls a director makes rather than gambling on a single generation.
Workflow guide
To keep a character consistent across AI video shots, anchor every shot to the same character reference and carry frames forward instead of re-describing the character each time. FXI Studio holds a character across a directed scene, so a face, a wardrobe, and a look stay the same from the first shot to the last.
Model guide
Seedance Fast is a speed-first AI video model built for quick, low-cost shots while you are still exploring a scene. It trades some polish for turnaround, so you can iterate coverage cheaply and only reach for a premium model once the shot is settled. In FXI Studio it is the sensible default for early passes.
Model guide
WAN is a versatile AI video model that generates motion from either a text prompt or a starting image, which makes it a flexible general-purpose choice for shots that begin from a still or from a description. In FXI Studio it sits alongside the other video models so you can pick it per shot rather than being locked to one engine.
Model guide
Hailuo, the MiniMax video model, is known for expressive, lifelike motion and strong subject movement, which makes it a good fit for character-driven shots where performance and natural movement matter more than a static hold. In FXI Studio it is one of the video models you can pick per shot from the composer.
Workflow guide
To split a storyboard grid into individual shots for AI generation, drop the grid image into a grid splitter that detects its rows and columns and cuts each panel into a separate image. Board-Chop does this free in your browser, then lets you download the frames or hand one to an image-to-video shot to animate it.
Model guide
Veo 3.1 is an AI video model that turns a text prompt or a still image into a short cinematic clip with synchronized native audio. It is prized for physical realism, steady camera motion, and close prompt adherence. In FXI Studio you direct it one shot at a time and chain shots into a continuous scene.
Model guide
Kling is an AI video model built for expressive motion: fluid character movement, dynamic action, and coherent on-screen text. Kling v3 handles fast movement and gesture more convincingly than most models, which makes it a strong pick for performance and energetic shots. In FXI Studio you direct it per shot and chain the shots into a scene.
Model guide
LTX 2 is a fast AI video model built for quick iteration and camera-controlled shots. It renders in seconds rather than minutes and accepts first-frame and last-frame inputs, which makes it well suited to frame chaining. In FXI Studio you use it to draft and direct coverage quickly, then chain shots into a continuous scene.
Model guide
Nano Banana is an AI image editor that changes a photo from a plain-language instruction while keeping the same subject recognizable across edits. It handles restyling, retouching, background changes, and character-consistent edits. In FXI Studio you use it to refine a frame and prepare it to become the first frame of a video shot.
Use-case guide
To make AI video for a real-estate listing, turn your listing photos into moving shots and chain them into a continuous tour. In FXI Studio you hand a room photo into an image-to-video shot so the camera glides through the space, then frame-chain the rooms into one flowing walkthrough, without a crew, a gimbal, or a drone day.
Use-case guide
To make AI product video for ecommerce, turn your existing product photos into clean moving shots. In FXI Studio you refine the product frame with an AI image editor, hand it into an image-to-video shot so the camera turns around the product, and chain shots into a short spot, without booking a studio or a rotating table.
Use-case guide
To make AI ad creative and UGC-style video, direct a short spot shot by shot and chain the shots into a finished ad, then spin variations to test. In FXI Studio you build the hook, the product beat, and the payoff as directed shots rather than prompt-and-pray clips, so you can produce many creative variations without booking a creator for each one.
Workflow guide
To make AI video clips flow as one continuous shot, extract the final frame of each clip and use it as the starting frame of the next. That shared frame removes the jump between clips. FXI Studio automates this handoff in its node pipelines, Director Mode, and the CineGraph Seamless Loop, so you chain shots without stitching frames by hand.
Workflow guide
A one-line idea is enough to start, but the film comes from the plan, not the line. Bezaleel turns the idea into scenes you can read, edit and approve before any video credits are spent, so you direct the result instead of re-rolling one long prompt.
Workflow guide
Scripts become video one scene at a time. The work is in the breakdown: which beats become shots, what each shot looks like, and which characters must match across shots. Automating that breakdown, then approving it, is what makes a script-to-video workflow hold together.
Use-case guide
A good AI launch video is directed, not prompted. Lock the product look in a still first, animate from that frame so the product does not drift, and keep words and logos out of the generated frames: add them last, where they stay sharp.
Workflow guide
The cost of an AI film is set by how many takes you render, not by crew or locations. Plan the shots and approve stills first, so most takes land on the first or second try, and a minute of film stays in the single-digit to low double-digit dollars.
Use-case guide
A gratitude film works because it is specific: one person, one memory, one sentence of thanks. Plan it as stills first, where changes are cheap, and spend on motion only for the frames you have already approved.
Workflow guide
Frame chaining is simple to describe and easy to get wrong in practice: the model does not always honor the last-frame anchor, so a real production budgets for a retake on at least one seam. The worked example below needed one retake on two of its four chained shots and still finished for 90 credits.
Short walkthroughs of each surface, ready to open.
Screen walkthrough · 46 sec
Carry the last frame of one clip into the next as its first frame, until a storyboard plays as one continuous shot.
Watch the walkthroughDirector
From a blank canvas to a cut with Director Mode.
Generate
Models, settings and styles on the Generate page.
Image to video
Turn a finished still into a moving shot.
Atmosphere
Ambient loops built from vibe, light and motion presets.
CineGraph
Node-based pipelines that chain models together.
Reference
Every tool, setting and model, explained in one place.
No sign-up, no watermark. They run on your device, so your footage never leaves it.
Free tool
Turn any clip into a GIF. Trim, size and download in seconds.
Free tool
Save the first or last frame of a video as a JPG, ready to chain into the next shot.
Free tool
Cut the start and end of a clip on a filmstrip. Lossless when it can be.
Free tool
Reframe a video to 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 or 16:9 for TikTok, Reels and YouTube.
Free tool
Shrink a video under 25 MB, 16 MB or any size you pick, and see the saving.
Short, direct answers to the questions directors ask most.
Browse guidesEvery tool in the studio, how it works and when to reach for it.
Read the docsFinished work made in FXI Studio, with the prompts behind it.
Explore the galleryLooking for a specific tool? Browse the documentation, the guides, or all tutorials.
