A finished piece
A 30 to 90 second short, product ad, or trailer, rendered, cut, and scored. Not a folder of clips.
What you walk away with
Not a tutorial. A first film.
Most people stall at the prompt box. We skip the toy demos and build the thing you actually want to show someone.
A repeatable workflow
Brief, shot list, references, prompts, selects, cut. The same loop you will run on the next ten projects.
An eye for the machines
Which model to reach for per shot, what each one gets wrong, and how to write so it gets it right.
How it works
Three passes. One session.
The same structure a director uses on a real set, compressed to a few hours and pointed at a video model instead of a crew.
- 01 Brief
Pick the piece and the point
A short, an ad, or a trailer. We pin down the one idea it has to land, the runtime, and the look, then write the shot list.
- 02 Direct
Write for the model, shot by shot
References, camera language, motion, and timing. You learn the prompt structure that works across models and how to iterate without burning credits.
- 03 Cut
Assemble, sound, deliver
Selects, pacing, music, and voice. We finish in a real editor so you have a file you can post, pitch, or send to a client.
What we work with
The current generation, not last year’s.
Every session runs on whatever is best this month. You learn how to evaluate a new model in an afternoon, so the next release is an upgrade, not a reset.
- Veo
- Sora
- Kling
- Runway
- Hailuo
- Luma
- Wan
- Midjourney Video
Plus the pieces around them: image models for keyframes, voice and music generation, and a real editor for the cut. Directing Machines is independent and not affiliated with any of these companies.
Work with me
Two ways in.
Both are live and hands-on. Generation credits for the session are included, and you keep every prompt, reference board, and project file.
Directing Session
1:1 · 3 hours · live
You bring an idea, we leave with a cut. Best for a first short, a product ad, or a trailer for something you are launching.
Team Workshop
Up to 8 people · half day
Your marketing or creative team ships one piece together and leaves with a shared workflow they can rerun without me.
Start the 2-minute brief
Seven quick questions. I reply within a day with times and pricing.
Questions
Before you book.
Do I need any experience with video or AI tools?
No. If you can describe a scene out loud, you can direct one. Editing basics are taught as part of the session.
Which tools do I need to bring?
A laptop and a free account on one or two of the models we pick together beforehand. Session credits are covered.
Can we make something for my business?
That is the most common brief. A 30 second product ad or launch trailer fits comfortably in one session.
Is it remote or in person?
Remote by default, over a shared screen. In person is possible for team workshops.