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Glossary

Pre-Visualization.See the film before you shoot it.

Pre-visualization (previs) is the process of creating rough 3D animated versions of scenes before production begins, allowing directors and cinematographers to plan camera placement, blocking, timing, and visual effects integration.

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Definition

Pre-visualization (previs) is the process of creating rough 3D animated versions of scenes before production begins, allowing directors and cinematographers to plan camera placement, blocking, timing, and visual effects integration. More detailed than storyboards or animatics, previs uses simplified 3D models and environments to simulate how shots will look and move in three-dimensional space. Originally developed for VFX-heavy blockbusters, previs is now increasingly accessible to productions of all sizes through game engines and AI tools. M Studio's storyboard-to-video workflow offers a lightweight form of previs, generating moving reference imagery from your visual boards.

In practice

See it on screen

Samples made in M Studio.

Script → board
Clip 1 / 6

Script → board

How it works

From script to screen in six steps

M Studio builds a film shot by shot, and you direct every shot — this is the whole path, start to finish.

  1. 01

    Start a film

    Start from a one-line brief, or import a screenplay PDF and build straight from the pages you already wrote.

  2. 02

    Add your script

    Scenes, action and dialogue laid out shot by shot — editable line by line before anything renders.

  3. 03

    Add your characters

    Add each character once with a reference image so the same face carries across every shot in the film.

  4. 04

    Build the storyboard

    Your script breaks into shots on a canvas. Reorder, reframe and re-prompt any shot until the board reads right.

  5. 05

    Make the video clips

    Turn approved storyboard pictures into video clips one shot at a time, then layer voiceover, music and sound effects.

  6. 06

    Export the cut

    Take the finished cut out as an MP4, MOV or WebM, up to 4K on Professional and up, ready for the edit or the pitch.

There is no length cap in the editor. Because films are made shot by shot, how long a film can run comes down to how many video clips your plan includes — not a limit in the tool.

FAQ

Common questions

Storyboards are static 2D illustrations. Previs is animated 3D simulation. Storyboards show composition and sequence. Previs adds camera movement, precise timing, spatial relationships, and the ability to explore shots from any angle. They serve similar planning purposes but previs provides more information for complex sequences.

Full 3D previs is most valuable for VFX-heavy, action-intensive, or logistically complex sequences. Many projects are well-served by storyboards and animatics. If you need to plan precise camera movements through 3D space, coordinate multiple moving elements, or communicate VFX shots to a team, previs becomes worthwhile.

Professional previs houses commonly use Maya, Unreal Engine, and proprietary tools. More accessible options include Blender (free), Unreal Engine (free for pre-production), and various specialized previs applications. AI storyboarding tools like M Studio offer lightweight previs capabilities through text-to-video generation.

Related terms

Explore related concepts

View full glossary

What is a storyboard?

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations or images arranged in order to pre-visualize a motion picture, animation, motion graphic, or interactive media sequence.

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What is an animatic?

An animatic is a preliminary version of a film or animation created by sequencing storyboard panels on a timeline with rough timing, soundtrack, and sometimes limited motion.

Read definition

Pre-production

Pre-production is the planning phase of a film, video, or media project that occurs before cameras roll.

Read definition

Visual storytelling

Visual storytelling is the practice of conveying narrative, emotion, and meaning through images, composition, color, movement, and sequencing rather than through dialogue or text alone.

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Video clip made in M Studio

From learning to making

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M Studio brings the script, the storyboard, and the video clips together in one place.

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