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Script to Shots

This tutorial walks through importing a screenplay and using ACT3 AI to automatically generate a complete shot breakdown.

Importing a Screenplay​

ACT3 AI accepts screenplays in these formats:

  • Fountain (.fountain) — Plain-text screenplay format
  • Final Draft (.fdx) — Final Draft native format
  • PDF — Scanned or exported screenplay PDFs
  • Plain text — Paste any properly formatted screenplay text

Auto Shot Breakdown​

After importing, click Auto-Generate Shots. ACT3 AI will:

  1. Parse each scene slug line
  2. Identify beats within each scene
  3. Suggest shot types based on the dramatic content
  4. Assign default cinematography parameters

This gives you a starting shot list that you can refine before generating.

Reviewing Auto-Generated Shots​

The auto-generated shots are suggestions — review each one and adjust:

  • Does the camera choice serve the emotion?
  • Is the lighting right for the scene's mood?
  • Are the shot sizes varied enough to create rhythm?

A good scene typically uses 3-5 different shot types to maintain visual interest.

Batch Generation​

Once you've approved your shots, use Batch Generate to send all shots to your AI model simultaneously. ACT3 AI queues them and returns completed shots as they finish.