Volta Studio

How do you make an AI short film?

To make an AI short film, write a small story with few characters and places, lock how they look, plan the shots from the script, generate a frame and then a few takes per shot, and cut it with sound, captions and an end card. Volta Studio keeps all of that in one project. The story decides more of the result than the model does.

Start smaller than you think.

The films that work are small: one or two people, one or two places, one idea that turns. Every extra character and location is more for the models to hold steady, and a three-minute film is a lot of shots.

A short screenplay in Volta Studio's script editor: a boy dares to take a cactus pot from a trailer step.
The script of Volta's own test film: one child, one yard, one dare.

How to make an AI short film

  1. Write the script.

    Write it in the editor, or let the Wizard take an idea to a story at the length you ask for. Read it aloud. Cut anything that only explains.

  2. Break it down and build the cast.

    Pull out the characters, places and props, and give each one reference pictures and a sheet.

  3. Set the look.

    Choose one look for the film, so every frame belongs to it.

  4. Plan the shots.

    Build the shot list from the script, then check the coverage. Short films need a shape: know the last shot before you make the first.

  5. Block the hard scenes.

    Put the scenes that depend on staging on the 3D Stage, and record a guide for the take to follow.

  6. Make frames, then takes.

    Get the frame right first, because it costs far less than a take. Then generate two or three takes of each shot and keep the best.

  7. Add voices and sound.

    Give each character a voice, then add music and effects. Sound does more to make a film feel finished than any other step.

  8. Cut and deliver.

    Assemble the takes, trim hard, grade the colour, add captions, and export for where it is going.

Common questions

How long should an AI short film be?
Keep the first one under five minutes. Length multiplies shots, and each shot has to stay consistent with the last, so a tight two-minute film usually beats a loose ten-minute one.
What is the hardest part of making an AI short film?
Keeping it one film: the same people, the same room, the same light from shot to shot. That is why the cast, the look and the plan come before the generating.
Can AI short films be entered into festivals?
Some festivals accept them and some do not, and many ask you to say how AI was used. Read each festival's rules before you enter.
Do I own an AI short film I make in Volta?
Your scripts, boards, shots and takes belong to you, and they export as ordinary files. AI-generated material carries its own copyright questions in many countries, so take advice before you rely on registering it.
What does it cost to make an AI short film?
It depends on the models, the length and the takes. Writing, breakdown and shot lists cost nothing, and every generation shows its price first. The cost calculator works out an episode from those choices.