# 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](https://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

1. **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.
2. **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.
3. **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.
4. **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.
5. **Animate.** Send the frames and 3D renders to a video model as first frames or references, then cut the animatic.
6. **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._