> ## Documentation Index
> [HTML page](https://video-studio.blode.md/quickstart)
> [Documentation index](https://video-studio.blode.md/llms.txt)
> Use the index to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

Run the lighthouse example from dry-run to a finished cut.

[`films/lighthouse/`](https://github.com/mblode/video-studio/tree/main/films/lighthouse) is a complete 12-shot fictional short with a treatment, style bible, beat sheet, screenplay, shot list, keyframes, and generation-ready JSON. Run it top to bottom.

## Prerequisites

Follow [Installation](/installation) so `vs doctor` is clean and `ARK_API_KEY` is set.

## Climb the ladder

```bash
vs generate films/lighthouse/shots.json --dry-run   # free: check it, price it
vs stills   films/lighthouse/stills.json            # cents: the reference images
vs animatic films/lighthouse/shots.json             # $0: watch the whole edit
vs generate films/lighthouse/shots.json --max-cost 18
vs stitch   films/lighthouse/shots.json --xfade 0.4
```

That path is the [cost ladder](/cost-ladder) in practice: validate for free, lock the look for cents, preview the cut for $0 of video, then pay for finals with a ceiling.

## Your own film

```bash
vs init films/my-film
```

That writes a `shots.json`, a `stills.json`, and a README. The same commands apply. Everything for a film lives in its own folder; only the demo is committed to git.

## After the cut

A plain `vs stitch` has sound effects but no music or voiceover. Generate those, then re-stitch:

```bash
vs score "Sparse coastal underscore, low strings" --shots films/lighthouse/shots.json
# optional: vs narrate … / vs narrate assemble …
vs stitch films/lighthouse/shots.json \
  --xfade 0.4 \
  --music films/lighthouse/score-v001.mp3 \
  --narration narration.mp3
```

Use the same `--xfade` on `narrate assemble` and `stitch`. See [Workflow](/workflow) for the full happy path.

## Next

- [Lighthouse example](/lighthouse) — why the demo holds together
- [CLI reference](/cli) — every command
- [shots.json schema](/shots-schema) — authoring rules