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From topic to published video, in five stages

Montagist breaks an episode into five stages and eleven steps. AI does the work; you make the call at five gates. Pre-production happens in the browser, and anything you need to watch or listen to happens on your Mac.

Stage 1 · Topic and facts

How the topic and facts stage works

AI researches your topic and comes back with three topic cards and a fact ledger, with a source for every number, name and date.

Topic cards · gate

Where：Browser or Mac app
What AI doesResearches against your channel brief and proposes three topic cards: the angle, the opening hook and the question the video answers.
What you doApprove one. If none fits, say what's wrong and it tries again.

Fact ledger

Where：Browser or Mac app
What AI doesLists every number, name and date the video will use, each with a source link and a screenshot.
What you doCheck each entry against its source and flag anything wrong in the chat.

Stage 2 · Footage review

How the footage review stage works

AI plans the shots, your Mac captures the web pages and public video clips, and you review every item before it's used.

Capture plan

Where：Browser or Mac app
What AI doesPlans the visuals from the fact ledger: which part of which web page, which seconds of which public video. The plan is made in the browser; capturing runs on your Mac.
What you doCheck the plan: cut what you don't want, add what's missing.

Footage review · gate

Where：Mac app only
What AI doesLays out the captured screenshots and clips against the plan, each labeled with its source.
What you doReview each item in the Mac app and pass it, or send it back with a note on why.

Stage 3 · Script and storyboard

How the script and storyboard stage works

AI writes the script and reads it back, then breaks it into shots matched to your approved footage. A pre-production check keeps out the slideshow feel.

Script

Where：Browser or Mac app
What AI doesWrites the script from the topic card and fact ledger, then checks its own flow, line breaks, brand names, numbers, AI-sounding phrasing and length.
What you doRead it and say what to change in the chat; it revises and shows you again.

Storyboard

Where：Browser or Mac app
What AI doesBreaks the script into shots and gives each one footage and a visual treatment; the pre-production check flags pacing that would feel like slides.
What you doCheck each shot, and ask for other footage or another treatment wherever it's off.

Stage 4 · Production

How the production stage works

Your Mac renders a sample cut, records the full voice-over and assembles the final video. Each is a gate: you watch or listen before anything moves on.

Visual approval · gate

Where：Mac app only
What AI doesRenders a sample cut on your Mac from the storyboard, with visuals, captions and pacing you can watch.
What you doWatch the sample, then approve it or send it back with the shots to change.

Voice approval · gate

Where：Mac app only
What AI doesRecords the full voice-over with the voice provider you connected and times every word. Recording costs money, so it asks you first.
What you doListen, then approve or re-record.

Final review · gate

Where：Mac app only
What AI doesRenders the final video and checks it for black frames, frozen frames, pacing and loudness.
What you doWatch the opening, the middle and the ending, then give final approval.

Stage 5 · Publishing

How the publishing stage works

Builds a publishing kit — the video, a cover, title and description options, captions, footage credits and an AI-label reminder. You post it yourself.

Publishing kit

Where：Mac app only
What AI doesBuilds the video, a cover, title / description / tag options, a caption file and footage credits on your Mac, and reminds you to label the video as AI-generated.
What you doPick the title and cover, then post it yourself. Montagist never posts for you.

Record

Where：Browser or Mac app
What AI doesKeeps a record of where the episode was published.
What you doAfter posting, come back and add the platform and the link.

Five gates only a person can pass

Topic cards, footage review, visual approval, voice approval and final review. Only a person can approve a gate — in the browser, in the Mac app or from the command line. A command-line approval must quote your own words, and the record marks where it came from.

Step in at any time

While AI works, drop a note in the chat and it picks it up at its next step. Stop whenever you like — everything already written or delivered stays.

Asks before it spends

Paid steps, like recording the full voice-over, ask you before they start. You set a daily spending limit in settings; once it's reached, no new paid step starts.

Troubleshooting in one click

Every error comes with three buttons: view the logs, collect a diagnostic bundle, or ask the assistant. The assistant reads the logs, checks your setup and tells you the cause and the next step. Any fix becomes a button — and you're the one who presses it.

Real footage. Real sources. Your call.

Your next episode starts with a topic.

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