Documentation

Instructions

Everything from your first render to advanced multi-scene storyboards. Quick links below.

Your first render

1. Open the canvas
Sign in and click Canvas in the top nav. You'll see a blank tldraw workspace with a chat sidebar on the right. Auto-save runs every few seconds.
2. Brief the director
Type what you want in plain English — e.g. "Hero shot of a ceramic coffee mug, golden hour, 1:1" or "15s ad for a running shoe, 9:16, hook in first frame". Hit Enter.
3. Watch the job card
Above the chat thread you'll see an Active Renders card showing which provider + model the director picked, with live progress. The result drops in inline when the provider finishes.
4. Drag the result onto the canvas
Click and drag the rendered image or video onto the canvas to compose your shot. Combine multiple renders into a single layout, add text, arrows, or annotations.

Go to Settings → Brand Kit
Create a kit per brand or per campaign. The director auto-applies the default kit (marked with a star) to every prompt.
Upload a logo
Drag in your logo (PNG or SVG, < 10 MB). It gets stored in your user-scoped blob namespace — no other user can access it.
Set primary + secondary colors
Hex codes (e.g. #0066FF). The director references these in prompts so renders stay on-brand.
Write your voice prompt
Free-text describing your brand voice — "professional, warm, energetic" or "playful but trustworthy". This shapes ad copy when relevant.
Upload a character reference
For product brands: the hero product shot. For personal brands: a spokesperson photo (used by Hedra for lip-sync). Optional but improves consistency across renders.

Why BYOK?
Track spend directly on your Luma / Hedra / OpenAI account, use your own provider quota, or stay within your team's enterprise contract.
Settings → API Keys
Paste each provider key. Keys are encrypted with AES-256-GCM (per-user IV) and decrypted only at dispatch time. Click Test to verify each key works.
Generation precedence
If you have a BYOK key for a provider, the system uses it. If not, the system uses our default key and bills you in credits.

What costs what
Image: 1 credit · Video: 5 credits · Lip-sync: 8 credits · Director brief: 2 credits. Audio split is free.
Monthly allowances
Free: 50 · Plus ($19): 400 · Pro ($49): 1,200 · Ultra ($149): 5,000. Credits reset every renewal (no rollover).
Failed renders
If the provider returns an error, your credits are auto-refunded. You only pay for renders that actually started.
Manage subscription
Settings → Subscription → Manage. You'll be sent to the Stripe Customer Portal to upgrade, downgrade, change billing, or cancel.

Storyboards beyond a single shot
The Director can produce 3-30 scene storyboards from a single brief, with consistent characters and style across scenes.
Two modes
Music-video mode (timed to a song duration) and Ad mode (timed for a target aspect ratio + duration). Switch via the mode selector.
Lip-sync integration
Enable Lip Sync in the Director and the spokesperson scenes will route through Hedra Character-3 with your Brand Kit's character reference.

Render stuck on "Rendering"
Most providers terminal within 2 minutes. If it stays in progress past 5 min, refresh — the job tracker polls server-side and will reflect the latest state.
Canvas is blank or black
Click "Reset canvas" at the top of the canvas to clear a stuck snapshot. Your renders remain saved in the chat history and Generations log.
Provider key fails
Settings → API Keys → Test. If a key returns 403, the provider account is locked or out of balance. Top up at the provider's billing page, then test again. Some providers (Luma) have separate API + consumer tiers — make sure the key is from platform.lumalabs.ai not app.lumalabs.ai.
Charged but plan didn't upgrade
Stripe webhooks usually process within 60 seconds. Refresh once. If it persists, contact support with your Stripe receipt for manual reconciliation.

We reply to support emails within one business day.