Timeline & Storyboard

Timeline & Storyboard

Overview

The Timeline & Storyboard system in ACT 3 AI enables creators to visually organize their narrative structure, scene flow, and shot sequencing. It provides a comprehensive interface for managing storytelling, pacing, and visual planning across acts, scenes, and shots.

1. Purpose

• Visually plan the flow of a movie, episode, or short-form video
• Organize story structure into a logical timeline
• Align script, camera, and visual direction through a unified board
• Serve as the creative anchor for AI-generated video generation

2. Timeline Structure

• Organized into nested hierarchy:

 * Act → Scene → Shot

• Drag-and-drop functionality for reordering
• Color-coded sections for clarity (e.g., exposition, climax, resolution)
• Each shot includes timecode, duration, and visual preview

3. Storyboard Panel

• Visual representation of each shot
• Includes:

 * Frame thumbnail
 * Scene description
 * Dialogue snippet
 * Shot metadata (camera, lighting, mood)

• Editable inline with real-time AI re-generation

4. Key Features

• Zoomable Timeline: View entire act or drill down to per-frame details
• Dynamic Previews: Live updates as AI regenerates visuals
• Shot Locking: Freeze finalized boards to prevent changes
• Version Control: Track story evolution over time
• Beat Markers: Label key story moments for pacing analysis

5. AI Integration

• Suggests transitions, camera angles, and shot variety
• Automatically generates placeholder visuals from script
• Aligns tone and style using global scene metadata
• Supports multiple versions of a scene (A/B testing)

6. Collaboration Support

• Comment threads on scenes or shots
• Editor approvals with locking/unlocking capabilities
• Assign tasks to collaborators (e.g., adjust lighting, rewrite dialogue)

7. Export Options

• Export full storyboard as:

 * PDF (presentation-ready)
 * MP4 with timed visuals
 * Image sequences (.png or .jpg)
 * Production sheets with metadata for each shot

• One-click upload to production pipelines or collaboration hubs

8. Scene Continuity Tools

• Visual consistency checks across scenes
• Automated prop and wardrobe tracking
• Warnings for out-of-sequence emotional arcs or scene breaks

9. Use Cases

• Pre-visualization for film/TV
• YouTube episode planning
• Client pitch decks for marketing agencies
• Animation sequence layout

10. Roadmap

• Motion board support with keyframe animation
• Timeline-based performance analytics (engagement predictors)
• Real-time co-editing with multi-user cursors
• AI scene pacing optimizer based on story tension models