Getting Started
Creating an Account
Moviengine uses Google Sign-In for authentication. Click "Sign In" and authorize with your Google account. No passwords, no email verification. Your account is created automatically on first sign-in.
Credits
All accounts have full access to every mode and the Edit Suite. Credits can be purchased as packs from the Credits & Billing tab in your Account.
Navigation
The app has three main tabs: Studio (where you make movies), Library (where your movies live), and Editor (the Edit Suite for post-production). Your account settings, credits, storage, and billing are under the avatar menu in the top right.
Modes
Art Mode
AI generates four unique movie posters, each representing a different movie concept. Browse them, pick one, and the engine builds the full movie from that concept. Great for discovery — you never know what you'll get.
- Generates 4 poster concepts
- Each poster contains a hidden screenplay concept
- Available on free accounts
Lite Mode
The simplest path to a movie. Pick a genre, a mood, and a length. The engine handles everything else: script, characters, cinematography, sound.
- Genre selection (Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Horror, and more)
- Mood setting
- Length control (30s to several minutes)
- Available on free accounts
Pro Mode
Full creative control. Choose genre, visual style, time period, character details, and cinematography preferences. Upload your own screenplay as a PDF (3 pages max) and optional reference images. The AI parses your script into a structured shot list, using your screenplay as the primary creative authority.
- Everything in Lite, plus:
- Style, character, and cinematography controls
- PDF screenplay upload (3 pages max)
- Reference image upload (character + style)
- Uploaded images bypass character sheet generation — used directly
- Script determines movie duration and credit cost
- Director's notes and advanced cinematography
- Available to all accounts
Making Movies
The Generation Pipeline
When you hit Generate, the pipeline runs through several stages, each handled by a specialized AI agent:
- Screenplay — An AI screenwriter crafts an original story with scene breakdowns, shot descriptions, and dialogue. In Pro mode with an uploaded script, Claude parses your PDF into structured shots instead.
- Character Design — A character agent designs consistent visual references for each character. If you upload reference images in Pro mode, they're used directly — no generation needed.
- Image Generation — Each shot is rendered as a still frame based on the screenplay's visual direction. You can watch shots appear in real-time during generation.
- Video Generation — Still frames are animated into video clips with motion, camera movement, and latent audio (ambient sound baked into each clip).
- Sound Design — Background music is composed by ElevenLabs. Optional voiceover is generated via text-to-speech.
- Assembly — All elements are stitched into a final movie with end credits via FFmpeg.
Script-Driven Generation (Pro Mode)
When you upload a screenplay in Pro mode, the script becomes the primary authority. Your settings (genre, style, mood) become optional hints that subtly influence the production without overriding the script's creative direction. The movie's duration is determined by the parsed shot list, not the length slider. Credits are reserved after parsing, once the actual cost is known.
Generation Times
A 30-second movie typically generates in 2-4 minutes. Longer movies take proportionally longer. The pipeline shows real-time progress so you can watch each stage complete.
What Affects Quality
Movie quality depends on the mode and settings you choose. Pro mode with detailed director's notes and specific cinematography settings tends to produce the most coherent results. Lite mode trades control for speed and surprise.
The Editor
Overview
The Edit Suite is a timeline-based editor for your generated movies. Every completed movie can be opened in the editor from the Library. The editor is available to all accounts.
Timeline
The timeline shows your video track with thumbnail previews of each shot. Below it are audio tracks for voiceover, music, and foley/sound effects. Use the zoom controls to get closer or pull back.
Trimming Shots
Drag the right edge of any clip to shorten it (] bracket cursor). You can also trim from the beginning by dragging the bottom-left corner ([ bracket cursor). Clips can't be extended beyond their original generated length. Clips to the left stay locked — only the trimmed clip and everything to the right adjusts.
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Spacebar — Play/pause (always, overrides scroll)
- Left/Right arrows — Nudge playhead one frame (1/24s)
- Ctrl+Z — Undo
- Ctrl+Shift+Z — Redo
Regenerating
Don't like a particular shot? Use Regen Image or Regen Video to regenerate just that shot without redoing the entire movie. A new image is 5 credits; a new take is its seconds at the movie's rate.
Audio
Three independent audio tracks: voiceover, music, and sound design (foley). Each has its own volume control. Adjust the mix to get the balance right.
Export
When you're satisfied, hit Export to render the final cut. The exported movie replaces the original in your Library and storage.
Credits & Billing
How Credits Work
You buy credits in packs and spend them as you go. A minute of a movie or a music video is 300 credits. Credits are reserved when generation starts, from the length you chose; with a screenplay upload, after the script is read, from its real length. A movie that does not deliver gives its credits back, and one that comes in shorter returns the difference.
- 30 seconds = 150 credits
- 1 minute = 300 credits
- 3 minutes = 900 credits
- 10 minutes (the longest movie) = 3,000 credits
Many steps in the studio use a few credits each, and each button shows its price: listening to a new song (20), writing a script with Write (15), Randomize or Micro-Drama (5), a regenerated image (5), a new score (10), and retakes at the movie's rate.
Credit Packs
Buy credits in packs. The bigger the pack, the less each credit costs. Credits never expire, and there is no subscription.
- Starter: 1,000 credits for $50 (3:20 of movies)
- Plus: 2,200 credits for $100 (7:20 of movies, save 9%)
- Pro: 6,000 credits for $250 (20 minutes, save 17%)
- Studio: 12,500 credits for $500 (41 minutes, save 20%)
- Max: 26,000 credits for $1,000 (nearly an hour and a half, save 23%)
Storage
Each account includes storage for generated movies. You can manage storage from Account → Storage, where you'll see each movie with its title, file size, and creation date. Delete movies you no longer need to free up space.
Troubleshooting
Generation Failed
If a generation fails, its credits go back to your balance automatically. Common causes:
- Temporary API issues — try again in a few minutes
- Content filtering — some prompts or combinations may be flagged
- Network interruption — ensure a stable connection during generation
Check the debug log at the bottom of the Studio screen for details. If the problem persists, contact support.
Movie Not Appearing in Library
Movies appear in the Library once generation completes and the file uploads to storage. If the pipeline completes but the movie doesn't appear, try refreshing the page. In rare cases, the upload may fail — the movie data is preserved and can be reassembled.
Editor Not Loading
The editor is available to every account. Make sure your movie has a "Complete" status in the Library.
Slow Generation
Generation time depends on movie length and current server load. Individual shots can take up to 15 minutes to render during peak times. If you navigate away, the pipeline keeps running — your movie will be waiting in the Library when it's done. Once generation reaches the Production stage, it can't be cancelled.