AI Filmmaking Workshop — Dry-Run Testing Guide

Run through this in order, start to finish, exactly as a participant would. Time each step. Note every friction point. If anything fails, fix it or build a workaround before the workshop.

Phase 0: Pre-Flight Check (Before Anything Else)

0.1 Verify All Accounts

Create fresh accounts for testing (don't use your personal ones — you need to confirm the signup flow works today):

Fallbacks to identify:

• If Kling signup blocked → Runway (https://app.runwayml.com) works as backup?
• If CapCut watermark is unacceptable → DaVinci Resolve installed and tested?
• If any service is down → Alternative identified?

0.2 Verify Network

These services are bandwidth-heavy. Test from the actual workshop venue network if possible:

• Download a 10MB file — what's the speed? (_____ Mbps)
• Upload a 10MB file — what's the speed? (_____ Mbps)
• All 9 services load without VPN?
• Any service blocked on venue WiFi? (Test: Kling is China-based, may be slow)

0.3 GPU Demo Station Check (if using)

• nvidia-smi shows GPU available
• python -c "import torch; print(torch.cuda.is_available())" → True
• MuseTalk repo cloned and dependencies installed
• MuseTalk weights downloaded from HuggingFace
• ComfyUI repo cloned, runs, accessible at http://127.0.0.1:8188
• ComfyUI can generate a test image (basic SD 1.5 workflow)

Phase 1: Module 1 — Script to Storyboard

1.1 Script Generation

Time this: ______ minutes

• Open ChatGPT (or Claude)
• Prompt: "Write a 3-line script for a 15-second commercial. Product: a smart lamp called 'Aurora.' Include one line of spoken dialogue."
• Result produced? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Quality acceptable for workshop demo? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Copy script to clipboard/notes

Alternative prompt to test: "Write a 30-second short film script. Genre: sci-fi. One character. One location. 2-3 lines of dialogue."

1.2 Keyframe Generation

Time this: ______ minutes

• Open DALL·E 3 (via ChatGPT) or Bing Image Creator (https://www.bing.com/images/create)
• Prompt: "Cinematic wide shot of a modern minimalist desk at golden hour. A sleek smart lamp with warm amber glow. Photorealistic, 4K, cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field."
• Image generated? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Repeat 2 more times with different angles:
  • "Close-up of the same smart lamp, warm light pulsing gently, macro lens, bokeh background."
  • "Medium shot of person reading book, illuminated by warm lamp light, cozy evening atmosphere, cinematic."
• All 3 images generated? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Character consistency acceptable across shots? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Note: Character consistency is the hardest part. For the workshop, acknowledge this limitation upfront. The "same seed" trick helps but doesn't solve it fully.

1.3 Storyboard Assembly

Time this: ______ minutes

• Open Canva
• Search "Storyboard" template → open one
• Upload 3 keyframe images
• Arrange in sequence → add shot descriptions below each
• Download/export as PDF or PNG
• Result readable? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Phase 2: Module 2 — Video Generation

2.1 Image-to-Video (Kling AI)

Time this: ______ minutes (per clip)

• Go to Kling AI → Image-to-Video

• Upload Keyframe 1 (desk wide shot)

• Prompt: "Camera slowly pushes in, lamp light gently fades on, subtle dust particles in the light beam. Cinematic, smooth camera movement."

• Duration: 5 seconds

• Generate → wait for processing

• Time: ______ seconds to complete

• Download the clip

• Repeat for Keyframe 2 (close-up):

  • Prompt: "Static macro shot, warm light pulses gently like breathing, subtle lens flare."

• Time: ______ seconds

• Repeat for Keyframe 3 (person reading):

  • Prompt: "Person looks up from book thoughtfully, then returns to reading. Natural movement, soft lighting."

• Time: ______ seconds

Critical measurement:

• Total generation time for 3 clips: ______ minutes
• How many free credits used? ______ / 66 (Kling free tier)
• Will this work for 6–8 people simultaneously? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• If no: How many can generate at once before hitting rate limits? ______

Fallback test:

• Runway Gen-3 tested as backup? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Hailuo/MiniMax tested? [ ] Yes [ ] No

2.2 Video Quality Check

Watch all 3 clips and rate:

Phase 3: Module 3 — Voice & Audio

3.1 Voice Recording (for cloning)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Record 60 seconds of clean speech (your voice or a volunteer's)
  • Use phone Voice Memos app
  • Quiet room, phone ~15cm from mouth
  • Read any text naturally (news article, book passage)
• Export as WAV or MP3
• Transfer to computer
• Audio quality check: clear, no echo, no background noise? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Workshop note: Participants will record their own voices. Test this flow yourself first — some phone audio formats need conversion.

3.2 Voice Cloning (ElevenLabs)

Time this: ______ minutes

• ElevenLabs → VoiceLab → Add Voice → Instant Voice Cloning
• Upload your 60-second recording
• Name: "Workshop Test Voice"
• Labels: (optional)
• Click "Add Voice"
• Result: Voice created? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Time: ______ seconds to process

3.3 Dialogue Generation

Time this: ______ minutes

• Go to Speech Synthesis

• Select "Workshop Test Voice"

• Generate Line 1: "Light that understands you." (neutral delivery)

  • Audio plays correctly?
  • Voice sounds like the recording? [ ] Yes [ ] No
  • Natural enough for a commercial? [ ] Yes [ ] No

• Generate Line 2: "[Warm, smiling] Light that understands you."

  • Does emotion tag change the delivery? [ ] Yes [ ] No

• Generate Line 3: "[Quiet, contemplative] Light that understands you."

  • Different from Line 2? [ ] Yes [ ] No

• Download all 3 as WAV files

• Free characters used: ______ / 10,000

Test additional emotion tags:

• [urgent] — works?
• [whisper] — works?
• [angry] — works?
• [sarcastic] — works?

3.4 Music Generation (Suno)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Go to Suno → Create
• Prompt: "Cinematic ambient background music, soft piano, warm strings, 60 seconds, no drums, gentle crescendo"
• Instrumental toggle: ON
• Generate → wait
• Listen to result
• Quality acceptable? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Download as MP3/WAV

Suno note: Free tier generates 10 songs/day (5 generations × 2 songs each). This is enough for workshop but participants can't iterate endlessly.

3.5 Audio Cleanup (Adobe Podcast Enhance)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Go to https://podcast.adobe.com/enhance
• Upload one of your dialogue WAV files
• Wait for processing (~30 seconds)
• Download enhanced version
• Compare original vs enhanced — noticeable improvement? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3.6 Module 3 Deliverable Check

At this point you should have:

• 3 dialogue WAV files (different emotions)
• 1 background music file
• 1 cleaned dialogue file
• 1 voice clone saved in ElevenLabs

Phase 4: Module 4 — Lip Sync (The Critical Test)

4.1 Sync.so Web Studio Test

Time this: ______ minutes

• Go to https://sync.so → Studio
• Upload: video clip from Module 2 (the "person reading" shot)
• Upload: dialogue WAV from Module 3 (Line 1: "Light that understands you")
• Click Generate
• Wait time: ______ seconds
• Download result
• Play result:

Critical measurements:

• Generation time: ______ seconds
• Free tier credits used: ______
• How many generations per free account? ______

4.2 Sync.so API Test (for advanced participants)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Get API key from https://sync.so/keys
• Install SDK: pip install syncsdk
• Run quickstart script (see comparison doc for code)
• Result received? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• API approach practical for workshop? [ ] Yes [ ] No (likely overkill)

4.3 MuseTalk Test (GPU Demo Station)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Navigate to MuseTalk directory
• Run: python -m scripts.inference --input_video person_reading.mp4 --input_audio dialogue.wav
• Inference time: ______ seconds
• Output video plays correctly? [ ] Yes [ ] No

MuseTalk note: Face-only animation (256×256). Warn participants: neck and body won't move. This is a known limitation.

4.4 HeyGen Test (for comparison)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Go to HeyGen → Create Video
• Choose a free avatar OR upload your photo
• Enter dialogue: "Light that understands you."
• Generate → download
• Quality comparison vs Sync.so:

4.5 The "Cheat Code" Test

The workshop teaches that most shots don't need lip sync. Verify this yourself:

• Take the "person reading" video clip
• Overlay the dialogue as voiceover (don't sync lips)
• Does it still work? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Teaching point confirmed: When lips aren't clearly visible or the shot is wide, voiceover is indistinguishable from synced dialogue for most viewers.

Phase 5: Module 5 — Editing & Assembly

5.1 CapCut Assembly Test

Time this: ______ minutes

• Open CapCut Desktop
• Import all video clips (3 from Module 2 + 1 lip-synced from Module 4)
• Arrange on timeline in sequence
• Add dialogue WAV on audio track
• Add background music on second audio track
• Lower music volume when dialogue plays (audio ducking)
• Add simple crossfade between clips
• Add title card: "Aurora — Light that understands you."
• Export: 1080p, 24fps, H.264
• Export time: ______ seconds
• Play exported video:
  • All clips play in sequence
  • Audio syncs with video
  • Music levels correct
  • Title card appears
  • Any watermark? [ ] Yes [ ] No

If watermark: Mark CapCut as "demo only" and recommend DaVinci Resolve for final export.

5.2 DaVinci Resolve Test (alternative)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Open DaVinci Resolve
• Repeat same assembly as CapCut test
• Export
• No watermark? [ ] Yes (confirmed — Resolve is truly free)
• Learning curve acceptable for workshop? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Decision: Primary editor = [ ] CapCut [ ] Resolve (pick one for workshop)

Phase 6: Module 6 �� Workflow Tools (ComfyUI Primary)

6.1 ComfyUI Test (PRIMARY — Do This First)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Open http://127.0.0.1:8188
• Load default workflow (or a simple text-to-image workflow)
• Enter prompt: "Cinematic lamp on desk, warm lighting, photorealistic"
• Queue Prompt
• Image generated? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Time: ______ seconds
• Node-based workflow clear enough to explain to beginners? [ ] Yes [ ] No

For workshop demo — prepare these workflows:

• Simple: Text Prompt → CLIP Text Encode → KSampler → VAE Decode → Save Image
  • Save as workshop-simple.json
  • Test: load → change prompt → generate → works? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Video: Load Image → AnimateDiff → VAE Decode → Save Video
  • Save as workshop-video.json
  • Test with a sample image → short video output? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• Advanced: Multi-stage pipeline showing concept of chaining
  • Save as workshop-advanced.json
  • This is for showing, not hands-on

6.2 Figma Weave Test (Secondary — Screenshots Only If Blocked)

Time this: ______ minutes

• Go to https://www.figma.com/weave/
• Sign in with Figma account
• Can you access Weave? [ ] Yes [ ] No
• If no: Is it in waitlist/beta? [ ] Yes [ ] No

If accessible (unlikely):

• Create a new Weave project
• Build: Text Prompt → Image Generation → Run
• Note for workshop: "Figma Weave is the polished cloud version of what ComfyUI does locally."

If NOT accessible (likely — beta/waitlist):

• Take screenshots from figma.com/weave landing page
• Prepare 2–3 slides showing Weave's interface
• Workshop messaging: "Figma Weave is where the industry is heading — cloud-based, collaborative, polished. ComfyUI is the open-source engine that powers the same concept today, for free, on your own machine. We'll learn on ComfyUI because it's accessible to everyone right now."

Phase 7: End-to-End Integration Test

Now run the entire pipeline as one flow, timing everything:

If total > 90 minutes: You need to simplify or pre-generate some assets for the workshop.

Phase 8: Workshop Simulation

8.1 Multi-User Stress Test

If possible, simulate 2–3 people using the tools simultaneously:

• 2 different Kling accounts generating at same time → rate limited?
• 2 different Sync.so accounts generating at same time → works?
• 2 different ElevenLabs accounts generating at same time → works?
• Venue WiFi handles 3 simultaneous video uploads? [ ] Yes [ ] No

8.2 Failure Mode Testing

Intentionally break things and document the fix:

8.3 Backup Content Preparation

Prepare these as "break glass" backups if live generation fails:

• 3 pre-generated video clips (save to USB + cloud)
• 3 pre-generated dialogue WAV files
• 1 pre-generated music track
• 1 pre-lip-synced clip
• 1 completed demo video (the "Aurora" commercial, fully assembled)

Store at: workshop-backups/ on your laptop + USB drive + cloud link.

Phase 9: Documentation Readiness

9.1 Participant Handouts (Prepare These)

• pre-workshop-setup-checklist.md — final version, all URLs verified
• lip-sync-tools-comparison.md — print or share link
• Workshop slide deck — prepared and tested on venue projector
• Quick-reference cheat sheet (1 page):
  • Tool names + URLs
  • Recommended export settings (1080p, 24fps, H.264, 48kHz WAV)
  • Emotion tag reference for ElevenLabs
  • The "20% rule" for lip sync

9.2 Slide Deck Checklist

• Pipeline overview diagram (the flow chart)
• Tool comparison table (simplified from research doc)
• Before/after examples (keyframe → video, raw audio → cleaned, unsynced → synced)
• The "cheat code" slide (most shots don't need lip sync)
• Discussion questions for Module 6
• All slides tested on venue projector at actual resolution

Phase 10: Final Greenlight Checklist

Before sending the "workshop is confirmed" message:

• All 9 services: signup works, login works, free tier functional
• Kling AI: generation works, free credits sufficient for 3 clips
• Sync.so: free tier works, generation completes, quality acceptable
• ElevenLabs: voice cloning works, emotion tags functional
• CapCut/Resolve: installed, tested, export works without blocking issues
• Full pipeline: end-to-end run completed in ___ minutes (must be < 90)
• Backup content: prepared and tested
• Venue WiFi: tested with actual tools (not just speed test)
• GPU station (if using): MuseTalk + ComfyUI tested
• Slide deck: complete and tested
• Participant handouts: ready to share
• Pre-workshop email: drafted, includes setup checklist link
• Figma Weave: either accessible OR alternative plan ready

If all checked: Workshop is greenlit. Send pre-workshop email with setup checklist.

If any unchecked: Fix before confirming. Every unchecked item is a potential workshop derailment.

Quick Troubleshooting Reference

Timing Summary

Run this entire guide before the workshop. You're not just testing tools — you're rehearsing the story you'll tell. Every friction you hit now is a friction your team won't hit on workshop day.