Quick Start

First, the way Renku works

Start in the conversation.

Renku has no built-in agent. Use Codex in the ChatGPT app, Claude Desktop’s Code tab, or another agent with access to local commands and Renku’s skills. Desktop apps are recommended for image previews and computer-use tools where supported. This guide uses Codex.

In your agent’s conversation, ask “Import my screenplay” or “Make a shot plan.” Review the screenplay, images, and generated footage in Studio, then give feedback to the agent. If you are unsure what to do, ask it.

01 · Connect

Bring your own creative engines.

Renku connects to media providers using your API keys. Add the providers you intend to use; you do not need an account with every provider to start exploring Studio.

1. Open your provider’s website, sign in, and find its developer or API settings. Create an API key for your account. API access and generation credits are managed by that provider.
2. During first-run setup, choose Use this Project Library on the welcome screen. The next screen is Provider API keys. Paste each key into its matching provider row, then choose Save and continue. The last screen asks whether to share usage statistics; they stay off unless you turn them on.
3. If your Project Library was already configured, or you skipped provider setup, open the gear marked Open Settings, paste the key into its provider field, and choose Save.

Keys apply across your projects on this device. Keep them in Renku’s Settings rather than pasting them into a Codex conversation. Your Codex sign-in and your media-provider credentials are separate.

Not generating yet?

Choose Skip for now to create a project and work on its story. Return to Settings before your first provider generation. If a request later fails, check the matching provider’s key, permissions, API access, and balance.

02 · Create

A home for your film.

The Project Library is your starting point. Each project has its own folder for the screenplay, production work, and media.

1. In the Project Library, choose Create Project.
2. Enter a Project title, such as “The Glass Harbor.” Renku suggests a Folder name, such as the-glass-harbor.
3. Check the displayed Location and choose Create project. Renku creates the folder and initializes the project.

In Codex, add a project and select the same folder Renku just created. Start a task in that Codex project, and keep the same film open in Studio. This gives the agent access to your film. You can begin by asking for what you want or asking how to get started—there is no setup prompt to paste.

Want to look around a ready-made example first? Follow the optional sample project guide.

03 · Screenplay

Start with the screenplay.

Already have a script? Export it from Final Draft as an .fdx file. Give Codex the full path to that file and ask it to import it into the project you just created. If you are unsure which file or format to use, ask Codex to help you find the right path.

1. Expand Screenplay in Studio’s sidebar, select a scene, and open its Narrative tab to read the imported action and dialogue.
2. Check the scene headings, dialogue, and scene order against your source.
3. If import reports unsupported content, give Codex the error and resolve the source issue before continuing.

Your FDX remains the source of truth. Make script revisions in Final Draft, export an updated FDX, and bring those changes into Renku. Review affected production work after a script update. Import does not automatically create Cast Members, Locations, or Props; you will develop those with Codex in the tutorial.

Starting without a script? Describe your idea to Codex and ask it to help develop a screenplay in Renku. You can ask questions and shape the story together.

04 · Direct

Your direction. Your creative tools.

Keep talking to Codex as you make the film. Renku’s skills give your agent filmmaking workflows for lookbooks, casting, scene planning, and media generation. You do not need to locate a matching control in Studio first. Ask for the result, review it in Studio, then tell the agent what to change.

Start with the right context.

Your agent can read the current Studio selection. With a scene open, you can say, “Create a shot plan for the current scene.” You can also name a different target: “Work on Scene 3,” or “Create a character sheet for Urban.” Point to what you mean, then describe what you want.

Ask for the next creative step.

You can start with a simple request and refine it through conversation. For example:

• “Use the pictures I added to this Inspiration folder to develop a Production Lookbook.”
• “Find a few film stills on FilmGrab that show the lighting I want, and add them to an Inspiration folder.”
• “Create the cast from my imported screenplay.”
• “Generate a character sheet for this Cast Member.”
• “Create a voice sample for this character—quiet, warm, and slightly weary.”

Review, respond, and make it yours.

Open a generated character or location image in Studio and tell Codex what to change: “Keep the character’s face and costume, but soften the light,” or “Keep this room’s layout and make it feel abandoned.” Keep directing until the result fits your film.

You also have the other tools, skills, and plugins you use in Codex. Combine them with Renku’s workflows to research references, develop ideas, or refine an image.

05 · Generate

Make your first image.

Pick a place from your screenplay and ask Codex for a Location and its hero image: the single picture Studio shows at the top of that Location. Import does not create Locations, so the agent creates the one you name first.

1. In Codex, the image lane starts with Codex’s built-in image tool, which needs no provider API key. In Claude and other agents, Renku asks which provider and model to use; those providers need a key from step 01.
2. Open Locations in Studio’s sidebar and select the new Location. The hero image appears on its Details tab.
3. Tell Codex what to change, such as “Keep the layout, but make it evening.” Each new image is kept, so you can compare versions before choosing one.