AniMaster: From Story Texts to Animated Videos via Cinematic Script Generation and Interactive Authoring
Ruiqi YuDekun QianJiale XuSizhe ChengYize LiXiangyang WuZhiguang ZhouWei ChenYong Wang
Sep 2026
Human-computer Interaction
Abstract
Recent advances in Video Generation Models (VGMs) have demonstrated strong capabilities in producing short video clips. However, it is still challenging for everyday creators to leverage these models to produce polished long-form animated videos from brief story texts. Informed by a formative study with both novice creators and film experts, we identify two major challenges of interactive video authoring: (1) the lack of expertise in translating free-form story texts to professional cinematic scripts and finally high-quality animated videos, and (2) the absence of effective ways to convey video design intents to key variables of visual storytelling, such as shot composition, camera controls and shot sequencing. Drawing on narratology and film studies, we propose a three-layer design framework that defines the key design dimensions across three layers (i.e., story texts, cinematic scripts, and animated videos) as well as the translation between them. Built on this framework, we present AniMaster, a VGM-powered authoring tool to enable everyday creators to easily produce smooth animated videos from free-form story texts. AniMaster automatically expands brief story texts to detailed cinematic scripts, and further translates cinematic scripts into polished videos by following professional visual storytelling principles. It also allows users to interactively edit the scripts and refine the generated videos via text instructions and intuitive interactions. We extensively evaluated AniMaster through an in-depth user study with 16 participants, two case studies, and expert interviews with 2 film professionals. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and usability of AniMaster in helping everyday creators create polished animated videos from free-form story texts.
Agile - denoting "the quality of being agile, readiness for motion, nimbleness, activity, dexterity in motion" - software development methods are attempting to offer an answer to the eager business community asking for lighter weight along with faster and nimbler software development processes. This is especially the case with the rapidly growing and volatile Internet software industry as well as for the emerging mobile application environment. The new agile methods have evoked substantial amount of literature and debates. However, academic research on the subject is still scarce, as most of existing publications are written by practitioners or consultants. The aim of this publication is to begin filling this gap by systematically reviewing the existing literature on agile software development methodologies. This publication has three purposes. First, it proposes a definition and a classification of agile software development approaches. Second, it analyses ten software development methods that can be characterized as being "agile" against the defined criterion. Third, it compares these methods and highlights their similarities and differences. Based on this analysis, future research needs are identified and discussed.
P. Abrahamsson, O. Salo, Jussi Ronkainen et al.· arXiv.org· 728 citations· ⚡54
Context: Software startups are newly created companies with no operating history and fast in producing cutting-edge technologies. These companies develop software under highly uncertain conditions, tackling fast-growing markets under severe lack of resources. Therefore, software startups present a unique combination of characteristics which pose several challenges to software development activities. Objective: This study aims to structure and analyze the literature on software development in startup companies, determining thereby the potential for technology transfer and identifying software development work practices reported by practitioners and researchers. Method: We conducted a systematic mapping study, developing a classification schema, ranking the selected primary studies according their rigor and relevance, and analyzing reported software development work practices in startups. Results: A total of 43 primary studies were identified and mapped, synthesizing the available evidence on software development in startups. Only 16 studies are entirely dedicated to software development in startups, of which 10 result in a weak contribution (advice and implications (6); lesson learned (3); tool (1)). Nineteen studies focus on managerial and organizational factors. Moreover, only 9 studies exhibit high scientific rigor and relevance. From the reviewed primary studies, 213 software engineering work practices were extracted, categorized and analyzed. Conclusion: This mapping study provides the first systematic exploration of the state-of-art on software startup research. The existing body of knowledge is limited to a few high quality studies. Furthermore, the results indicate that software engineering work practices are chosen opportunistically, adapted and configured to provide value under the constrains imposed by the startup context.
Nicolò Paternoster, Carmine Giardino, M. Unterkalmsteiner et al.· Information and Software Tec...· 394 citations· ⚡54
A new method, called CW-Net, translates the reasoning process of an autonomous vehicle’s AI system into understandable concepts that explain its behavior.
