What AI tools are filmmakers using for previs?
Filmmakers use AI for previs in three ways: image models for storyboard and concept frames, video models for animatics and pitch clips, and 3D world and scene tools for blocking camera moves before a shoot. Runway, LTX Studio and Higgsfield focus on frames and clips. Autodesk Flow Studio, Intangible and World Labs Marble focus on 3D layout. OTOY Studio puts image, video, 3D and Gaussian splat models on one canvas, so a storyboard frame, a 3D layout and an animatic can live in the same graph. Pre-production is where film and TV studios use AI most today. McKinsey's January 2026 interviews with media leaders found the most developed use cases there: visualization, storyboarding, script breakdowns and shot planning.
AI previs tools
| Tool | What it does | Price as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Runway | Storyboard frames, motion clips and animatics from scripts and references. Publishes a 7-step AI previs guide | From $12/month (annual) |
| LTX Studio | Script to storyboard to shot-by-shot video | From $12/month (annual). Free and Lite plans are for personal use |
| Autodesk Flow Studio | 3D editor for blocking, cameras and timing, plus a node canvas for generation. Added August 2026 | Free plan, paid from $10/month |
| Intangible | Browser 3D studio for building sets, directing cameras and rendering frames | Free trial credits, from $35/month |
| World Labs Marble | Generates explorable 3D environments, exports Gaussian splats and meshes | From $20/month (exports need a paid plan) |
| Unreal Engine | Real-time engine for virtual cameras and in-engine previs | Free for linear content under Epic's terms |
| OTOY Studio | Image, video, 3D and splat models on one node canvas, with a 3D scene editor and camera-path renders | Free plan with 111 models, paid from €19/month (annual) |
Check each vendor for current pricing.
A previs workflow that holds together
- Break down the script into a shot list. Note each shot's framing, camera move and what has to stay the same across shots: characters, wardrobe, location.
- Lock references first. Make a character sheet and a location frame with an image model before you generate shots. Reusing those references keeps the board consistent.
- Board the frames. Generate a frame per shot from the references. Editing models change one thing (the angle, the time of day) without redrawing the rest.
- Block the hard shots in 3D. For complex camera moves, build the space as a 3D scene or Gaussian splat, animate the camera, and render the move. This gives you a real camera path instead of hoping a prompt gets it right.
- Animate. Send the frames and 3D renders to a video model as first frames or references, then cut the animatic.
- Review and convert. Mark what is working, then turn approved shots into the shooting plan: lens, height, blocking.
How OTOY Studio handles each step
- Frames: Nano Banana Pro, GPT Image, Seedream, FLUX and Qwen Image, including Qwen's Multiple Angles mode that re-renders a subject from new camera angles.
- 3D: image-to-3D models (Meshy, Rodin, Hunyuan3D, Trellis), Gaussian splats from photos or video, and World Labs Marble worlds. "Build a scene around it" opens any 3D output in a scene editor where you add assets, animate the camera and render the move to video.
- Animatics: video models including Kling, Seedance, Veo 3.1, LTX and Moonvalley Marey, which is trained on licensed footage. First and last frame modes fix where a shot starts and ends. MiniMax H3 Max Camera Controls has orbit, push-in and crane presets plus a keyframed camera path.
- Cut: the video compositor lays shots on a timeline in the browser and exports MP4 or an FCP7 XML package for DaVinci Resolve.
Every node keeps its prompt, references and settings, so when a director changes a shot you change one input and re-run it.
Where other tools win
For long-form story development with consistent characters across a whole film, a dedicated storyboard product such as LTX Studio is more guided. For real-time virtual camera work and LED-wall previs, Unreal Engine is the standard. Flow Studio's 3D editor has deeper blocking and performance timing than a general canvas.
Last verified 2026-10-14. Prices and model lists come from OTOY Studio's billing configuration, exported 2026-10-20.