Every stage of a film,
in one place.
Click a module to discover the app.
The Essential plan, free forever, no credit card required.
The Complete plan is yours free for the first 14 days.
After that, you stay on the free Essential plan.
A film is made in layers.
Cine Layers brings together every stage of making a film and connects them to each other.
From the first idea to the first clap, every stage of creation and production stays in sync.
Usually
A film is prepared in several places and on several media at once: notes in a notebook, the synopsis in a word processor, the screenplay in another program, the shot breakdown in a spreadsheet, the storyboard in a sketchbook.
Here, everything is in sync
The modules of Cine Layers are in sync with each other:
they work in symbiosis, on the same film.
Change a scene in the Sequence Outline and it changes in the Screenplay too, and vice versa;
the Shot Breakdown, the Storyboard, the Script Breakdown and the Schedule follow.
No artificial intelligence: nothing is guessed or rewritten for you.
The modules simply share the same scenes and the same shots.
- its stickers link to the scenes
- updated both ways
- the scenes, to break into shots
- one frame per shot
- the frames, cut into a film
- what each scene calls for
- the scenes, spread over the shooting days
- the shoot's shot lists
From idea to shoot
An idea
To search freely.
A story
From the pitch to your series bible or your film dossier.
A screenplay
The film scene by scene, then the screenplay in professional format.
Shots
Break down, draw, cut, place the camera.
A shoot
What the shoot calls for, all the way to the call sheet.
The screenplay
Real screenwriting software, in professional format.
The Sequence Outline and the Screenplay work in symbiosis: each one feeds the other.
The Shot Breakdown, the Storyboard, the Script Breakdown and the Schedule follow.
01
The screenplay formats itself intuitively
02
Your files come with you
Import a screenplay from Final Draft, WriterDuet, Celtx or Fade In, and even a PDF: the formatting is recognized and stays editable. Go back to these programs whenever you like, to Word as well, or output a PDF ready to send, with a watermark if you wish.
03
Two of you, on the same page
Write together at the same time,
even if your colleague has no Cine Layers account:
each of you sees where the other is writing.
Or send a reading link:
your reader can't change the screenplay,
they only leave their notes in the margin,
and you reply in the same place.
04
You're allowed to hesitate
Your versions are kept and can be restored, and the split screen opens an old version next to the current page.
Torn over a line? Keep several variants of it in the same place: two arrows switch from one to the other, and only the one you choose goes into the PDF and the exports.
For the shoot, revision mode marks every change with an asterisk, on colored pages.
Revision mode is part of the Complete plan.
05
The whole film at hand
Characters and locations are listed as you write, with each one's scenes. Every character has a profile, and the statistics give speaking time, gender balance and the Bechdel test.
06
The card view
Every scene becomes a card: reread your screenplay like an index-card board, scene after scene. Color the cards by tone, as you like or not at all, open a scene with one click, and change the order of the film by moving a card.
Complete plan07
The film at a glance
Three timelines run above the page,
along the whole length of the screenplay:
the tone of each scene, its dramatic function
(setup, inciting incident, obstacles, climax…)
and the chosen structure.
08
Guided by structure
Project a structure onto your film: three acts, eight sequences, the hero's journey, Save the Cat, and many more. Your scenes spread across its parts, facing the text; move them as you see fit, and each structure keeps its own arrangement.
And the writing guide explains each one of them.
Complete planExperts in dramaturgy and story structure, beside your text
A dramaturgy library open beside your text:
you write on the left, the method is on the right.
Complete plan
The 3-act structure
From Aristotle (Poetics) to Syd Field's paradigm (Screenplay, 1979)
Act I · setup
1. The exposition
The world, the characters, their lacks and their desires. The exposition gives the audience everything it needs to understand what is at stake, ideally through action rather than explanation.
Act I
2. The inciting incident
The event that breaks the initial balance and raises the story's dramatic question. Without it, there is no story: it is the pebble in the shoe that forces the character to get moving.
End of Act I
3. The first turning point
An event locks in the character's commitment and turns the story around: the goal is set, there is no going back. The story leaves the setup and enters the confrontation.
Act II · confrontation
4. Rising obstacles
The character pursues the goal and everything stands in the way: the obstacles grow in intensity, and each attempt costs more than the last. This is the body of the story, where the character is revealed.
Middle of the story
5. The midpoint
At the center of the story, a reversal or a revelation changes the nature of the struggle: the character often moves from reaction to action, or discovers that the problem is not the one they thought. This pivot splits the long second act and revives interest.
End of Act II
6. The second turning point
The last major turn before the end: an event tips the story toward its resolution. Often it is the darkest moment, when the plan fails and all seems lost; but not always. It can simply be the decisive event that launches the hero toward the climax. Either way, it is the gateway to the third act.
Act III · resolution
7. The climax
The final confrontation: the dramatic question raised by the inciting incident finally gets its answer, yes or no. The story's tension reaches its highest point here.
Act III · conclusion
8. The resolution
The aftermath of the climax: we see the new balance, what the story has changed. Usually short, it gives the audience time to land and sets the meaning of the story.
What you'll find there
Study sheets, to review the methods and techniques of the authors who shaped dramaturgy and story structure. They don't replace their books, which are essential to truly master these structures: each sheet gives the references of the works it draws on. Buy these books, they're fascinating.
Structures6 sheets
The 3-act structureThe 4-act structureFreytag's pyramid (5 acts)The Hero's JourneyKishōtenketsuStory Maps (Daniel Calvisi)
TV series2 sheets
The 30-minute sitcomThe 60-minute TV drama
Authors & methods10 sheets
Yves LavandierJohn TrubyRobert McKeeBlake SnyderPaul GuyotDan HarmonFrank DanielJulie PonsonnetMichel ChionCarrière and Bonitzer
Characters11 sheets
Aristotle · characterLajos Egri · the 3 dimensionsYves Lavandier · the protagonistRobert McKee · true characterLinda Seger · the construction manualDavid Corbett · desire, wound, contradictionMichael Hauge · identity versus essenceJohn Truby · the character webChristopher Vogler · the archetypesVladimir Propp · the spheres of actionA. J. Greimas · the actantial model
Dialogue6 sheets
Robert McKee · DialogueAaron SorkinDavid MametMichel Chion · The Cyrano complexYves Lavandier · DialogueMore advice
Advice4 sheets
Write, alwaysFeed yourselfDesignOn the page
For a series or a film
The bible and dossier guide gives you the expected sections, the work order, and a checklist you tick off as the project moves forward.
It doesn't write for you: it shows you the tools, you decide the story.
Included in the Complete plan, and free for the first 14 days after you sign up.
Teamwork, everyone on the same film
A film is rarely made alone. With the Complete plan, a project can be shared:
write it with a partner, prepare the shoot as a team, get it read.
Complete plan
The shared project
Invite your team members by email:
each of them finds the project in their account, with all its modules.
The owner keeps control: only they invite and remove members,
archive or delete the project,
which stays in their space.Who's here, and where
A button in the bar shows who is working right now, in which module and since when. Each teammate has their own color and photo, and what one person saves appears for the others, without reloading the page.
One pen per module
When someone is writing in a module, they hold it: the others read it, kept up to date, and take over as soon as they leave. The Sequence Outline and the Screenplay go together: while one is being written, the other can be read.
Co-writing the screenplay
Two members write together in the same screenplay: each holds the blocks they write, marked with their first name on the other's screen, and a version is saved at the start of every session.
A co-writer without an account
Invite a co-writer who has no Cine Layers account: a link is all it takes, and you can protect it with a code and limit it in time. Pause the co-writing, or remove the link, whenever you want.
Team messages
Each shared project has its own messaging: signed messages, images and PDFs as attachments, and a badge when there's something new.
Reading
Get your screenplay read through a link: your reader leaves notes in the text, and you find them next to your pages. And your exports go out by email, straight from the project.
Everything you do together is part of the Complete plan; in a shared project, the owner and all its members have it.
Your work, kept safe
Saved automatically
Every change is saved automatically, with no button to press. The Screenplay and Development modules also keep your versions, so you can go back whenever you want.
Secure
Turn on two-factor authentication if you wish: on top of your password, a six-digit code from an app on your phone. Eight backup codes help you out if you lose it.
Downloadable anytime
Download your complete project whenever you want, as a single file you can restore, and your documents as PDFs. Your screenplays export to Final Draft, Fountain or Word.
- Complete project (.cineprojet)
- Final Draft (.fdx)
- Fountain
- Word
What Complete adds to Essential
| The plans | Essential €0 free, forever 14 days of Complete, free | Complete €11.99 per month, no commitment or €119.99 per year, one-year commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Your projects | ||
| Projects in progress | Just one | Unlimited |
| Space for your images and documents | 100 MB | 5 GB |
| The modules | ||
| Brainstorm, Moodboard, Story Structure, Development | ||
| Your series bible or film dossier | ||
| Layout of your bible or pitch deck | ||
| Sequence Outline, Screenplay, Shot Breakdown, Storyboard, Script Breakdown | ||
| Floor Plan | ||
| Production: financing and project cost management | ||
| Schedule: shot lists, timetable, call sheet | ||
| Storyboard animatic | ||
| Writing | ||
| Co-writing for two, even with someone who has no Cine Layers account | ||
| The screenplay, in professional format | ||
| Writing guide: structures, methods and dramaturgy sheets, beside your text | ||
| Bible writing guide | ||
| Tone and dramaturgy timelines | ||
| Card view and structure view | ||
| Revision mode | ||
| Exports and sharing | ||
| PDF exports | With a “Made with Cine Layers” mention, except the screenplay | No mention |
| Full project download and archive restore | ||
| Send exports by email | ||
| Share the screenplay by link with a reader, who gives you feedback by leaving notes | ||
| Ready to start? | Create my free account | Free for 14 days when you sign up |
Free, no credit card. 14 days of Complete free when you sign up.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Essential plan really free?
Yes, forever, with no credit card: one project in progress, 100 MB for your images and documents, and ten modules, from Brainstorm to Script Breakdown, with the screenplay in professional format.
What happens after the 14 free days of Complete?
Your account switches to the Essential plan on its own, with no charge. If you've created several projects, you choose the one that stays in progress; the others remain viewable and downloadable. Nothing is deleted, and everything reopens if you upgrade to Complete.
How much is the Complete plan, and can I stop?
€11.99 per month, with no commitment, or €119.99 for a year, which is two months free. Payment is by card, through Stripe. If you stop, your account goes back to the Essential plan, and your projects are never deleted.
Do my collaborators have to pay?
No. The members you invite create a free account and enjoy your Complete plan in the shared project. A co-writer can even write with you without an account, through a simple link.
Can I import a screenplay I've already written?
Yes: a Final Draft or Fountain file, or even a PDF, from Final Draft, WriterDuet, Celtx or Fade In. The formatting is recognized and stays editable.
Do my projects belong to me?
Yes. Download your complete project whenever you want, as a single file you can restore, and your documents as PDFs; your screenplays export to Final Draft, Fountain or Word. Nothing is ever deleted without you.
Do I need to install anything?
No: Cine Layers opens in your browser, on Mac or PC, and your work saves itself with every change.
Does Cine Layers use artificial intelligence?
No. Nothing is guessed or rewritten for you: the tools help you structure, you decide the story.
Another question? Write to us.
Free, no credit card.