# Getting Started
### Step 1: Create a New Project
Click **+ New Project** in the AI Director to get started. You'll choose two things:
#### Video Quality
This sets the video generation model for your entire project.
| Tier | Model | Cost | Best for |
| ------------ | ----------------- | ----- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Standard** | Kling O3 Standard | 13c/s | Quick iterations, drafts, budget-friendly projects |
| **Pro** | Kling O3 Pro | 34c/s | Final output, maximum quality, client-facing work |
> **Important:** Video quality is locked at project creation. You cannot switch from Standard to Pro (or vice versa) after the project is created. Choose Pro if quality matters more than credits.
#### AI Smartness
This sets the initial text model powering the AI Director. You can change this at any time (see Step 2).
| Level | Cost | Best for |
| ---------- | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Swift** | $ | Simple projects, quick iterations |
| **Smart** | $$ | Most projects — good balance of speed and quality |
| **Genius** | $$$ | Complex narratives, detailed scene planning, nuanced creative direction |
***
### Step 2: Configure & Describe
The Director's chat box has **four dropdown controls** at the bottom. Set these up, then describe your video idea — the Director takes it from there.
| Setting | What it controls | Can change later? |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| **Mode** | How the Director behaves — Auto, Plan, Build, or Ask | Yes, anytime |
| **AI Model** | Text model powering the Director — Swift ($), Smart ($$), Genius ($$$) | Yes, anytime |
| **Scenes** | Number of scenes to plan — acts as a budget limit | Yes, anytime |
| **Flow** | How scenes connect — new scenes (cinematic cuts) or continuous (smooth transitions) | Yes, anytime |
> **Recommended starting setup:** Auto mode, Smart model, 4 scenes, Flow based on your video style. You can adjust all of these as you go.
#### Describe your video
Once your settings are configured, type your idea into the chat. The AI Director builds scenes, elements, and environments automatically on the **canvas** to the right. The canvas updates in real-time.
**Try these prompts to get started:**
* *"Create a 4-scene product demo with a futuristic look"*
* *"A 30-second animated short about a robot discovering music"*
* *"Add a glowing portal element"*
* *"Add a hero in a red jacket"*
The Director handles everything: scene structure, pacing, element creation, environment setup, prompt optimization, and all connections between scenes and elements. The canvas on the right updates in real-time as it builds your project.
> **The Director controls the canvas.** You can't directly add or rearrange scenes, elements, or connections — all structural changes happen through the chat. This keeps everything in sync automatically.
***
### Step 3: Build Your Assets
The canvas shows your project as cards. Each card needs generated images before you can make videos.
| Card color | Asset type | What it is |
| ---------- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Purple** | Element | Characters, objects, props — anything that must stay consistent across scenes |
| **Blue** | Environment | Locations, backgrounds, visual style references |
**How to generate:**
1. **Click any card** on the canvas to open its detail panel
2. **Generate images** — the model creates visual assets for that element or environment
3. **Review and regenerate** if needed — get the look right before moving to video
> Assets stay consistent across all your scenes. Generate them once, use them everywhere.
***
### Step 4: Generate Videos
When all assets for a scene are ready, a green **Generate** button appears on that scene's card.
1. **Click Generate** on any ready scene
2. Videos generate in the background — **keep working** while they process
3. **Preview all scenes** together in cinematic mode once they're done
4. **Export to Studio** for editing and rendering
> Green button = ready to generate. No green button = that scene still needs asset images.
***
### Step 5: Edit in Studio
One click sends all your generated scenes to **Studio** — the built-in video editor.
* Arrange clips on the timeline
* Add music, sound effects, and voiceover
* Drop in transitions between scenes
* Add text overlays and titles
* Render and download your finished video
***
### Quick start: Playground
For one-off generations or experimenting with models outside of a Director project.
**1. Open Playground** and pick a model (or ask the AI assistant)
**2. Enter your prompt** — or let the assistant optimize it
**3. Generate** — result lands in your Assets
**4. Use it** — in a Director project, in Studio, or download directly
***
### Tips for great results
| Tip | Why |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Choose Pro for final output** | Standard is great for drafts, but Pro delivers noticeably better quality |
| **Start with Auto + Smart** | Auto mode picks the right behavior; Smart is enough for most projects. Switch to Genius for complex narratives |
| **Be specific about style** | "Pixar 3D, warm amber lighting" beats "animated" |
| **Keep actions simple** | Slow, deliberate motion works best with AI video |
| **Let the Director plan first** | Review the canvas before generating — saves credits |
| **Generate all assets before scenes** | Every element and environment needs images first |
| **Start with 3–4 scenes** | Get comfortable before going big |
AI video models work best with controlled motion. The Director knows this and will guide you, but as a rule: slow, deliberate actions produce better results than fast, complex movements.
