Make the mock

Run three loops, Script, Shot sheet and Mock, to get the whole episode as stills with voices, music and captions.

The mock is the whole episode as still pictures with voices, music and captions. You watch it before any video take is made. Your agent runs the loops. You read what each one shows you and say yes.

Before you start, sign in and connect your agent app. See Connect your agent app. Every command here needs a signed-in computer.

Make the project

1. Make the project folder:

minicut new rain-shop --title "Rain shop"

2. Work inside the rain-shop folder from now on. The minicut loop commands run in the project folder, or in any folder under it.
3. Pick the video model. Run minicut models --kind video and tell your agent which one to use. It writes your pick into series.json under models.video. The Shot sheet loop does not run without it.

Run the Script loop

1. Tell your agent your idea. It writes the idea document, the story document and the episode script.
2. Your agent runs:

minicut loop run script

3. If a file is not written yet, the command lists each missing file, exits with code 3 and uses no round.
4. If a check fails, the command prints each failure with its fix. Your agent fixes the file and runs the command again. A loop stops after 3 rounds.
5. When the loop passes, it prints PASSED, show the user: and the script to read. Read episodes/ep01/script.md.
6. Say yes. Your agent runs minicut loop approve script.

Run the Shot sheet loop

1. Your agent writes the shot sheet, the asset list and the shot prompts, and makes the pictures of your characters and places with minicut gen image. This command uses credits. It shows what it will do and asks before it spends.
2. Your agent runs minicut loop run sheet. It checks the three files. If one is missing, it exits with code 3 and uses no round.
3. Open the shot sheet:

minicut script rain-shop --episode ep01

4. Read every shot. Say yes. Your agent runs minicut loop approve sheet.

Make the mock pieces

The Mock loop needs three things before it runs. minicut loop run mock checks for them first.

1. A picture for every shot. Your agent keeps a still as the shot's take:

minicut save take still.png --kind placeholder --project . --episode ep01 --clip c01

The picture becomes a clip as long as the shot. For a shot in 3D, your agent uses minicut scene render with --clip instead. See Scene and music.

2. A voice for every spoken line. Your agent makes each line with minicut gen voice. This command uses credits. It shows what it will do and asks before it spends. Then it saves the finished lines:

minicut jobs --wait 300

3. The music for the episode. Your agent writes the song and runs minicut music render on it. See Scene and music.

Your agent then lays the pictures, voice lines and captions on the episode timeline.

Run the Mock loop

1. Your agent runs:

minicut loop run mock

2. First the command checks, for free, that every shot has a picture, every line has its voice and the music has its file. If something is missing, it lists each one with its fix, exits with code 3 and uses no round.
3. Then it makes the mock's picture sheet, one frame of every shot. A person or a fresh agent looks at the sheet and answers its questions. Until the answers are in, the command exits with code 3 and uses no round. A no answer fails the round, and your agent makes a new picture for those shots.
4. Then it renders the mock to episodes/ep01/renders/mock-r1.mp4. The number is the round. It plays the render back to check that every spoken line is said.
5. The loop also checks captions, the labeled copy of each picture, the look and the length against the target. See minicut check mock.
6. Each failure comes with a fix. Your agent applies it and runs the command again. After 3 rounds the loop prints CAP REACHED, stop and show the user what is still failing, and you decide.

Watch the mock

1. Open the episode in the MiniCut app, on the editor tab:

minicut open rain-shop --episode ep01 --tab editor

2. Watch the mock. It is also the file episodes/ep01/renders/mock-r1.mp4.
3. If you want it changed, tell your agent. It fixes the files and runs minicut loop run mock again.
4. If it is right, say yes. Your agent runs:

minicut loop approve mock

To stop the loops here, tell your agent to run minicut loop stop-at mock --reason "Show me the mock first". After that, minicut loop next names nothing past the mock until you clear the stop with minicut loop stop-at none.

Check it worked

Run minicut loop. The table shows the Script, Shot sheet and Mock loops as approved. The last line, next:, names the next command, followed by a why: line. Continue with Generate and pick video takes.

Errors

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