Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions people ask most before (and just after) their first film.
How much does a typical film cost?
A 60-second film usually lands around 1,200–1,500 credits as a cheap draft cut, and roughly 3,000–4,000 credits with full-resolution masters — and estimate shows the exact number for your film before anything renders. It depends on length and resolution, so pod never makes you guess: before any footage renders, the cost gate shows you the exact credit estimate and waits for your yes. Stills (character sheets, keyframes) cost only a few credits; video is priced per second and by resolution — a cheap 480p draft costs roughly a fifth of a 1080p master. Every clip is drafted cheap first, so your iteration happens at draft prices and the expensive master renders once per shot. For a preview without committing to anything, type estimate --runtime 120, or cast "your idea" for a casting-and-price preview (about 1 credit). Full details on money & credits.
Can I use my own script?
Yes — that's a first-class path. Paste it straight into the studio, or hand pod a file: PDF, .txt, or .md. Pod finds files in your Desktop, Downloads, and Documents by loose name ("produce episode 2 of the basti pdf"), and slices the exact episode out of a multi-episode PDF. A finished screenplay automatically engages script-locked mode: scenes adapted faithfully, dialogue verbatim in its original language — pod never invents lines.
Does it work in languages other than English?
Yes. Say the language in your brief ("90-second telugu teaser") or use --language telugu. Dialogue stays verbatim in its original language for screenplays, and Indian-accent voices are the house default cast. You can even take a finished film and make a dubbed version in another language: localize <name> --language hindi.
Can I make vertical videos for reels?
Yes. The shape is part of the upfront brief: 16:9 wide (the default), 9:16 vertical for reels, or 1:1 square. Say it in plain words or pass --aspect 9:16. Once you've made a couple of vertical films, pod offers "your usual" automatically.
How long does it take to make a film?
It varies with the film's length, resolution, and how hands-on you are, so pod keeps you informed rather than guessing for you: during the shoot a live line shows clips done, time in, credits spent, and the estimate remaining. If you step away, pod sends a desktop notification when it's waiting for you ("ready for review: scene 2 clips"). And you never have to babysit it — stopping and resuming is always safe.
Do I need to know the terminal?
No. The Terminal is just the app pod lives in — a text window where you type and press Enter. Once you type pod, you're inside the studio and you just talk: "make a 30-second teaser for my thriller — telugu, moody". The front desk turns your plain language (any language) into the exact command and shows it to you before running anything. See talking to pod.
Can it match my brand's style?
Yes. Describe the look in your brief or with --style ("anime", "35mm documentary"), and say "from now on, illustration style" at any gate to make it a standing rule pod remembers for the rest of the episode — or the whole series in series mode. Not sure what you want yet? explore "a coffee brand ad" returns 4–5 distinct concepts with looks and formats; pick one and pod produces it.
Can the same character appear across episodes?
Yes — this is what series mode is for. Start with --series myshow (or say "episode 1 of my show"): the first episode's approved faces, places, and look become the series canon. Returning characters keep their exact face from episode 1 through episode 30, nothing regenerates, nothing is spent on them again.
Can I use my own photos and footage?
Yes. Point pod at a folder (--assets ~/refs or "use the images in my refs folder"). Before generating anything, pod shows an asset review — every image, who it's mapped to, what pod will generate for the rest — and you can remap in plain words ("image-1 is Meena"). Finished clips you supply are used as-is; audio files become voice-over or music. See your own media.
Can I edit the film without paying again?
Yes. Edits are recuts from the takes you already paid for, and they're free: at the final screening say "cut the first 3 seconds" or "pacier", or later run edit <name> "note". Re-shoots — actually generating new footage — are the only thing that costs, and pod always asks first with a price.
What if I close my laptop mid-render?
Nothing is lost. Pod checkpoints its progress and remembers paid work: on resume it collects any finished result or resumes waiting for it — it never pays twice for the same take. This covers crashes, Ctrl-C, and power loss too. Approved work is never redone.
Can I switch modes in the middle of a film?
Yes, in any direction. Say auto at any gate and pod takes the rest from there. Or resume with a different mode: resume <name> --steer (or --assisted, --auto) — the switch applies mid-episode. See the three modes.
Do I have to choose AI models myself?
No. Pod's casting director picks the generation engines to fit each film's style and shows you the price at the casting gate. If you have opinions, override in plain words: "use omni for the hero shots", "kling for the clips". Power users can even reseat the thinking roles with pod models — but that's advanced, and the defaults are tuned.
Is my script private?
Your scripts, films, character sheets, and series canon live only on your computer, under the episodes folder — pod's makers cannot see or recover them, so back them up. Generation itself runs in the cloud (that's what your generation key pays for), so prompts and reference images are sent to the generation service to make your footage, like any AI tool. Full picture on the privacy page.
What if a generation fails or times out?
A timed-out generation is not lost and not paid for twice: resume, and pod collects the paid result automatically. Saying "no" at a gate never spends money, drafts absorb the retries cheaply, and in autopilot the quality critics get multiple attempts per still and clip before anything ships flagged as best-effort — in steer, you decide.
Can I work on multiple projects at once?
Yes. Every film lives in its own workspace under episodes/. Type episodes to see what's on the lot, then resume <name> to pick up any of them exactly where it left off — pod even greets you with where your last film was when you reopen the studio.
How do I get help?
Inside the studio, type help any time. If something looks off, doctor re-checks the whole setup and renders two free local test clips. For anything else, report sends a bug report with context to the makers, and feedback sends suggestions — fixes ship frequently, often the same week. The troubleshooting page covers the common cases.
What machines does it run on?
Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel — the installer auto-detects), Windows 64-bit, Windows 32-bit for older machines, and Linux x64. The first run downloads its toolchain once (~250 MB) with live progress. See installing on Mac or installing on Windows.
Where do I get the keys pod asks for?
Most users bring their own generation key from kie.ai/api-key (top up about $5 to start) — your own account, your own balance. Managed studio accounts skip that entirely: generation is included up to a monthly cap, and they enter only their license key. The optional ElevenLabs key is for voice-over — press Enter to skip it. Details in setting up your keys.