Make your first AI short film
Make a short film you can explain, improve, and finish. This course follows one project through story, visual development, generation, editing, sound, and delivery.
A strong film does not need a realistic look or a moving camera in every shot. The audience needs to understand what happens, recognize what matters, and feel the change you intended.
Your project
Start with a 30-60 second film, one main location, and one or two characters. These are suggested learning constraints, not Flick limits or a promise about production time. A shorter complete scene is better than stretching an idea to meet a duration.
Use your own story, or follow this example throughout the course:
A traveler hurries through a quiet station after rain. They notice a forgotten red umbrella on a bench, stop, and hang it on a visible hook beside the bench for its owner. Then they leave without it.
The change is small: rushing past becomes paying attention. The ending must show that the umbrella was left behind, not taken. You do not need a crowd, a visible train, or dialogue to tell this version.
The station exercise and example briefs are teaching proposals, not tested prompts or a reconstruction of an existing film. Adapt them to your project and check the results.
Antes de começar
Create a project and choose the shape of your final frame, such as landscape or portrait. Keep a short brief, reference notes, and shot list together. Use original assets or materials cleared for your intended use.
Set a limit for time and credits. Reserve part of it for revisions instead of spending everything on the opening shot. Check the selected model's inputs, settings, and displayed cost before each run. This course does not require a fixed model, subscription tier, or number of attempts.
New to the interface? Start with Create Your First Project. For a smaller first exercise, use Tell a small story in three shots, then return here.
Follow the course
| Chapter | Bring forward |
|---|---|
| 01. Find your story | A clear story brief and a manageable scope |
| 02. Build your visual world | A visual board and a location that works from two angles |
| 03. Keep your references consistent | Character and prop references with intentional states |
| 04. Plan shots that cut together | A connected shot plan and a useful motion test |
| 05. Direct action and performance | Clips with readable action and performance |
| 06. Choose your takes | Selected takes and a reason for each choice |
| 07. Fix the shot | A diagnosed problem and a repair tested in the sequence |
| 08. Edit for story | A complete rough cut that communicates the story |
| 09. Build the sound | A sound pass that supports the picture |
| 10. Review and finish | A reviewed final file and a short record of what you learned |
These are checkpoints, not a rigid order. Think about sound early. Assemble a rough cut as soon as you have usable material. Return to the story or references when the edit reveals a problem.
Optional workshop
After Chapter 2, use Workshop: Turn a real location into a film set if your film starts from a real place. Research the location, decide what to keep or change, and test the styled frame in motion. This is an optional branch, not an eleventh required chapter.
Return to Chapter 3 afterward, or skip the workshop if you are inventing the setting.
Learn by making
Finish each chapter's small task before collecting more advice. The final checks ask what you made or tested, not whether you read the page. Keep originals and brief notes explaining your choices.
Linked product guides explain the controls when you need them. Blender and 3D Stage are optional tools, not prerequisites. Track any work done in another tool; its controls may differ from Flick's.
Finish with one small film and a clearer sense of what to change next time.
Start with 01. Find your story.