OpenMontage offers an open-source, agentic system for end-to-end video production, transforming AI coding assistants into comprehensive video studios. It automates the entire workflow from research and scripting to asset generation, editing, and final composition, benefiting users who need to produce diverse video content efficiently and with creative control.

How It Works

OpenMontage employs an agent-first architecture where your AI coding assistant acts as the orchestrator. It utilizes a structured, pipeline-driven approach, guided by YAML manifests and Markdown skills. The system automates complex tasks like live web research, provider selection (balancing free/local and cloud options), and multi-stage self-review, ensuring a grounded, auditable, and high-quality production process that mimics professional workflows.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Primary Install: Clone the repository, navigate to the directory, and run make setup. Open the project in your AI coding assistant and provide a natural language prompt.
• Prerequisites: Python 3.10+, FFmpeg, Node.js 18+, and a compatible AI coding assistant (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot).
• Optional GPU Setup: Run make install-gpu for local video generation capabilities.
• Documentation: Refer to docs/PROVIDERS.md for provider details and AGENT_GUIDE.md for agent instructions.

Highlighted Details

• Features 11 distinct production pipelines, 49 integrated tools, and over 400 agent skills.
• Supports reference-driven creation, allowing users to paste a video URL to generate a grounded production plan.
• Integrates live web research across multiple sources before script generation.
• Offers a hybrid model supporting both free, local tools (like Piper TTS, local video models) and premium cloud APIs (Suno AI, ElevenLabs, DALL-E 3, Kling, Runway).
• Implements robust production governance with pre-compose validation, post-render self-reviews, slideshow risk scoring, and an auditable decision trail for every choice.
• Includes built-in budget controls for cost estimation, reservation, and per-action approval thresholds.

Maintenance & Community

The project is designed for extensibility, encouraging contributions for new tools and pipelines. Community interaction and support are facilitated through GitHub Discussions, covering topics like sharing creations, suggesting features, and troubleshooting.

Licensing & Compatibility

OpenMontage is released under the GNU AGPLv3 license. This strong copyleft license requires derivative works to also be open-sourced under the same license, which may impose restrictions on commercial use or integration into closed-source proprietary systems.

Limitations & Caveats

The system requires an AI coding assistant capable of file access and code execution. While local LLM support is planned, it is not yet available. The AGPLv3 license necessitates careful review for any commercial deployment or integration scenarios. Initial setup involves managing multiple dependencies.