Module 1: Pre-Production
1.1 Narrative Design with LLMs
Mastering ChatGPT and Claude to build your story foundation.
Introduction: The AI Co-Writer
Welcome to your first step in AI Filmmaking! Before we generate dazzling visuals or emotional voices, we need a solid story. Traditional screenwriting can take months; AI reduces this to hours.
In this lesson, we are using Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT or Claude. Think of an LLM not as a search engine (like Google), but as an exceptionally well-read, creative **Co-Writer** who has read every screenplay ever written, but has **no ideas of its own until you guide it.**
It’s more than just writing dialogue. It is the process of building the story’s skeleton: the core concept (Logline), the world the story inhabits (World-building), the people (Character Design), and the blueprint of events (the Plot/Script).
The Novice Guide to “Prompting”
The biggest mistake novices make is treating AI like Google. If you ask a simple question, you get a simple (and usually boring) answer. To get awesome results, you need **Advanced Prompting**.
A “Prompt” is simply the instruction you give the AI. A good prompt provides Context, Role, Task, and Constraints.
Step-by-Step Story Workflow
Do not ask the AI to “write a whole script” in one prompt. It will fail. Instead, follow this cascading workflow. Copy and paste the sample prompts below into ChatGPT or Claude, **filling in your own ideas in the brackets [ ]**.
The Idea Spark (Logline Generation)
We start by generating the core concept. A logline is a one-sentence summary of your story’s conflict.
Act as a creative narrative designer. I want to create a [length, e.g., 2-minute] AI video about [your basic core concept, e.g., a lonely lighthouse keeper in a post-apocalyptic ocean]. Generate 5 compelling, emotional loglines for this concept. Focus on the central conflict and the character’s internal goal. Keep each logline under 35 words.
Character & World Foundation
Once you choose a logline, you must define the *who* and the *where* before writing the action. This ensures consistency later.
I have chosen this logline: “[paste your chosen logline here]”. Now, please act as a world-builder and character designer. Create a detailed profile for the protagonist, including their age, distinct physical appearance (useful for Midjourney!), internal flaw, and motivation. Also, describe the world of the story: what does it look like, what is the lighting/atmosphere, and what is the ‘vibe’? Summarize this foundation in 3 concise paragraphs.
The AI Script (Formatting for Video)
Finally, we write the script. For AI-generated video, the standard screenplay format isn’t always the best choice. We need a format that emphasizes **Visual Action** and **Audio**, rather than lots of dialogue.
Act as an expert screenwriter specializing in short, high-fidelity AI filmmaking. Using the Character and World Foundation we just created, write the final shooting script for the 2-minute video. The tone must be [e.g., melancholic, hopeful, suspenseful]. Use a simple two-column format: column 1 is “VISUAL ACTION (Descriptive and prompt-ready)” and column 2 is “AUDIO/VOICEOVER”. Minimize dialogue; rely on visual storytelling.
If the AI gives you a boring script or a cliché character, **do not accept it.** Talk back to it! treat it like an intern. You can say:
“I like paragraph 1, but paragraph 2 feels cliché. Rewrite paragraph 2 to be more surprising and focus on the character’s loneliness.”
Lesson Assignment
Your task is to establish the foundation of your story using an LLM. By the end of this assignment, you should have the blueprint for the project you will build throughout this course.
- Use Step 1 to generate **5 loglines**.
- Select your favorite and use Step 2 to build the **Character & World Foundation**.
- Copy and paste your final World & Character description into the assignment submission area below.