OpenMontage: Free Open-Source AI Video Production System for Creating Complete Videos
Creating a complete video with AI often means using several different tools for scripting, voiceovers, visuals, editing, subtitles, and rendering. OpenMontage brings these production tasks together in one open-source system.
OpenMontage is an agentic video production project that turns an AI coding assistant into a video production studio. You describe the video you want in plain language, and your AI assistant follows a structured workflow to research, write scripts, generate or retrieve media, edit scenes, and render the final video.
The project supports different video formats, including animated explainers, documentary montages, cinematic trailers, social media videos, talking-head content, and podcast clips.
GitHub: https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage
Official Website: https://www.openmontage.video/
What Is OpenMontage?
OpenMontage is an open-source, AI-assisted video production system developed by calesthio. It uses AI coding assistants such as Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, and Codex to manage video production workflows.
Instead of generating only a short video clip from a text prompt, OpenMontage handles multiple stages of production. These include research, scriptwriting, scene planning, media generation, editing, composition, and quality checks.
One of its notable features is support for real-footage video production. It can search free stock footage and open archives, select relevant clips, and assemble them into a documentary-style video.
This gives creators two main production approaches:
AI-generated videos: Create visuals, narration, music, subtitles, and animated scenes using available tools and providers.
Real-footage videos: Retrieve actual video clips from sources such as Archive.org, NASA, Wikimedia Commons, and supported stock media libraries.
The project also supports image-based videos, motion graphics, character animation, and other production styles.
Key Features of OpenMontage
1. Complete AI Video Production Workflow
OpenMontage follows a structured production process. You provide a video idea, and your AI coding assistant works through the required stages.
The workflow includes:
Researching the topic.
Writing the video script.
Creating a scene-by-scene plan.
Generating or finding visual assets.
Editing and arranging scenes.
Adding narration, music, and subtitles.
Rendering the final video.
Reviewing the output for technical and visual issues.
You can also approve or revise creative decisions before the system moves to the next stage.
2. More Than 10 Video Production Pipelines
OpenMontage includes different pipelines for different types of video content.
Some of the supported pipelines include:
Animated Explainer: Create educational videos with narration, visuals, and motion graphics.
Documentary Montage: Build videos using real footage from stock libraries and open archives.
Cinematic: Produce trailers, teasers, and cinematic edits.
Talking Head: Edit speaker-led videos and presentations.
Clip Factory: Turn long videos into multiple short-form clips.
Podcast Repurpose: Convert podcast recordings into social media content.
Localization and Dub: Subtitle, translate, and dub existing videos.
Screen Demo: Create software demonstrations and walkthroughs.
Avatar Spokesperson: Produce presenter-style videos using avatar tools.
Hybrid: Combine original footage with AI-generated visuals.
Each pipeline has its own workflow and instructions, helping the AI assistant choose the right production process for your request.
3. Create Videos Using Real Footage
One interesting feature of OpenMontage is its documentary montage pipeline.
Many AI video workflows rely heavily on generated images or short AI video clips. OpenMontage can also retrieve actual motion footage from free and open sources.
Supported sources include:
Archive.org
NASA
Wikimedia Commons
Pexels
Pixabay
Unsplash
The system builds a searchable media collection, finds relevant footage, and arranges selected clips into a video timeline.
This can be useful for documentary videos, historical content, video essays, educational projects, and cinematic montages.
4. Support for Multiple AI Video and Media Providers
OpenMontage integrates with different providers for video generation, image generation, voiceovers, music, and other production tasks.
Its provider selection system evaluates available tools using seven criteria:
Task suitability.
Output quality.
Control features.
Reliability.
Cost efficiency.
Processing speed.
Continuity.
The system scores available providers and records its selection decisions. This gives creators more flexibility when choosing between free, local, and paid services.
You can configure API keys for providers such as:
Google
OpenAI
ElevenLabs
Kling
Runway
fal.ai
HeyGen
Suno
xAI
You do not need to configure every provider. The available capabilities depend on your installed tools, configured API keys, and local setup.
5. Automatic Voiceovers and Subtitles
OpenMontage supports text-to-speech tools for generating narration. It can also create subtitles with word-level timing.
For users who want to start without paid voice-generation APIs, the project includes Piper TTS for offline text-to-speech.
The system can combine narration, background music, sound effects, and subtitles during the video production process.
6. Live Storyboard and Production Monitoring
OpenMontage includes a feature called Backlot, which provides a visual board for monitoring video production.
It displays production stages, scripts, scene cards, generated assets, provider decisions, and project costs.
You can review generated visuals before the final render. The system can pause at approval stages so you can accept or request changes to individual scenes.
This helps you maintain control over the production instead of allowing the AI assistant to make every creative decision automatically.
7. Built-in Quality Checks
OpenMontage includes several quality-control mechanisms to inspect the final video.
These checks can include:
Video and audio validation using FFmpeg and ffprobe.
Frame extraction to identify black frames or broken overlays.
Audio analysis to detect silence and clipping.
Subtitle checks.
Scene and delivery-promise validation.
Slideshow risk scoring.
The system also checks whether the final video matches the requested production style.
For example, a request for a motion-led documentary should not result in a video made almost entirely from static images.
8. Budget Management
OpenMontage supports cost estimation and budget controls for projects that use paid AI providers.
You can estimate production costs before execution, configure spending limits, and require approval for actions that exceed a specified amount.
This is particularly useful when generating videos through paid image, video, voice, or music APIs.
Can You Use OpenMontage for Free?
Yes. OpenMontage includes several free and open-source production options, although the total cost depends on the workflow and tools you choose.
According to its documentation, the default setup provides access to tools and sources such as:
Piper TTS: Offline text-to-speech.
Archive.org: Open archival media.
NASA: Educational and scientific media.
Wikimedia Commons: Publicly available media with applicable licensing terms.
Remotion: React-based video composition.
HyperFrames: HTML, CSS, and GSAP-based video composition.
FFmpeg: Video editing, encoding, audio mixing, and subtitle processing.
You can create certain videos without paid API keys. However, advanced AI image and video generation may require paid provider access.
The project also supports local production workflows, but your computer's hardware and installed dependencies will affect what you can run.
Remember to check the usage rights and licensing requirements of individual media assets before publishing a video.
How to Install and Use OpenMontage
OpenMontage requires Python 3.10 or later, FFmpeg, Node.js 18 or later, and a compatible AI coding assistant.
Follow these steps to get started.
Step 1: Install the Requirements
Install the following software:
Python 3.10+: https://www.python.org/
FFmpeg: https://ffmpeg.org/
Node.js 18+: https://nodejs.org/
You will also need an AI coding assistant such as Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, or Codex.
Step 2: Clone the GitHub Repository
Open your terminal and run:
git clone https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git
cd OpenMontageStep 3: Install the Dependencies
If your system supports Make, run:
make setupThe setup process installs the required project dependencies.
If you are using Windows, macOS, or Linux and need manual installation, follow the platform-specific instructions in the project's README.
Step 4: Open OpenMontage in Your AI Coding Assistant
Open the cloned project folder in your preferred AI coding assistant.
The repository includes operating instructions for several assistants. These files direct the assistant to the shared project guide and explain how to use the production pipelines.
Step 5: Describe the Video You Want to Create
You can give your AI assistant a natural-language instruction.
For example:
Make a 60-second animated explainer about how neural networks learn.You can also request a real-footage documentary:
Make a 75-second documentary montage about city life in the rain.
Use real footage only, no narration, with an atmospheric soundtrack.The assistant will select a suitable pipeline and work through the production stages.
Step 6: Configure Optional API Keys
If you want to use additional AI providers, configure their API keys in the project's .env file.
The repository includes an .env.example file with the supported configuration options.
You can find additional installation instructions and provider details in the official documentation:
https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/blob/main/docs/PROVIDERS.md
What Types of Videos Can You Create?
OpenMontage supports several types of video projects. Here are some examples of what you can ask your AI assistant to create.
Educational videos
Make a 45-second animated explainer about why the sky is blue.Documentary videos
Create a 90-second documentary montage about life in a busy city.
Use real footage only.Social media videos
Create a 30-second vertical video explaining an interesting technology fact.
Include narration and word-level captions.Cinematic trailers
Create a cinematic 30-second trailer about a science-fiction story
where humanity receives a message from the future.Podcast clips
Turn this podcast recording into several short clips
with captions and suitable layouts for social media.The final result depends on your selected pipeline, available providers, media sources, and hardware.
Who Should Use OpenMontage?
OpenMontage may be useful for:
Content creators: Produce YouTube videos, Shorts, Reels, and TikTok content.
Video editors: Automate repetitive production tasks and experiment with AI-assisted workflows.
Developers: Build on an open-source video production system.
Educators: Create explainers, tutorials, and educational documentaries.
Marketing teams: Produce promotional videos and product demonstrations.
Researchers: Turn research topics into visual presentations and documentary-style videos.
It is especially interesting for developers who want to inspect and customize the production workflow instead of relying entirely on a closed video-generation platform.
OpenMontage GitHub Repository, Stars, and License
OpenMontage is publicly available on GitHub under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0).
At the time of the GitHub repository snapshot provided for this article, the project had approximately 73,200 stars, 9,600 forks, and 70 contributors.
Its codebase is primarily written in Python, with additional HTML, JavaScript, TypeScript, and CSS.
You can explore the source code, report issues, contribute improvements, and follow development through the repository.
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage
Official Website: https://www.openmontage.video/
Documentation: https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/tree/main/docs
Contribution Guide: https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md
License: https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/blob/main/LICENSE
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OpenMontage free and open source?
Yes. OpenMontage is an open-source project licensed under AGPL-3.0. Some production workflows can run using free tools and open media sources, while certain AI services may require paid API keys.
Does OpenMontage generate complete videos from text prompts?
It can create complete videos from natural-language instructions through an AI coding assistant. The system manages research, scripts, scene planning, media selection or generation, editing, and rendering.
Do I need an API key to use OpenMontage?
No. Some workflows can use the included free and local tools without paid API keys. However, additional AI generation features may require API keys from supported providers.
Which AI coding assistants support OpenMontage?
The project includes instructions for Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, and Codex. It is designed to work with AI coding assistants that can read project files and execute Python commands.
Can OpenMontage create videos using real footage?
Yes. Its documentary montage pipeline can retrieve and edit real footage from sources such as Archive.org, NASA, Wikimedia Commons, and supported stock media providers.
Is OpenMontage suitable for beginners?
You can describe video ideas using natural language, but installing the dependencies and configuring production tools requires some technical knowledge. Beginners may need to follow the setup documentation carefully.
Final Thoughts
OpenMontage is an interesting open-source project for anyone exploring AI-assisted video production. It combines research, scripting, media generation, real-footage retrieval, editing, narration, and rendering into a structured workflow controlled by an AI coding assistant.
Its support for both generated visuals and real footage makes it useful for different types of video projects. Developers can also inspect the source code, customize production pipelines, and integrate additional tools.
If you want to experiment with building complete videos using an AI coding assistant, explore the OpenMontage repository:
