> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ozu.studio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Export Formats

> The three Ozu export formats — PDF Storyboard, ZIP Frames, and MP4 Animatic — and what each one is for.

Ozu exports your project in three formats, each aimed at a different downstream use. Pick whichever one matches where the work is going next.

## The three formats

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="PDF Storyboard">
    A printable booklet with one beat per panel — scene/shot/beat tags, frame image, and captions. The traditional deliverable for directors, clients, and pitch meetings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="ZIP Frames">
    Every generated frame as a separate image file, organized by scene/shot folder structure. For reviewing frames individually, importing to another tool, or archiving the visual assets.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MP4 Animatic">
    The full Timeline rendered as a video — H.264, with audio, color, transitions, and effects baked in. Editable in Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, or any standard editor.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## PDF Storyboard

The PDF Storyboard is a print-ready document. Every beat in your storyboard gets its own panel, with:

* **The rendered frame image** at the top of the panel
* **Beat tag** (`Scene.Shot.Beat`) for structural reference
* **Scene and shot headings** that group panels together
* **Beat description** below the image (what's happening in this moment)
* **Optional dialogue and stage directions** underneath

Panels are laid out in scene/shot order. The PDF is sized for letter or A4 and prints legibly with one beat per page (or several per page in a grid layout, depending on settings).

**Use PDF Storyboard when:**

* Showing a director or client the sequence before committing to animation
* Running a pitch meeting from a printed deck
* Archiving the visual plan alongside the script
* Handing off to a production team that works in print

## ZIP Frames

ZIP Frames is a compressed archive with every generated frame as a separate image file. Inside the ZIP:

```
project-name/
├── scene-01/
│   ├── shot-01/
│   │   ├── 1.1.1.png
│   │   └── 1.1.2.png
│   └── shot-02/
│       └── 1.2.1.png
└── scene-02/
    └── shot-01/
        └── 2.1.1.png
```

Each image is named with its beat ID and lives in a folder path that mirrors scene/shot structure. Easy to browse, easy to import into another tool.

**Use ZIP Frames when:**

* Importing frames into a different storyboarding or animation tool
* Editing individual frames in Photoshop or Figma
* Archiving the raw visual output alongside the project
* Sharing frames with a collaborator who doesn't have Ozu access

## MP4 Animatic

The MP4 Animatic is the full Timeline rendered as a video — an **H.264 MP4** you can play in any video player and open in any video editor.

Everything you built in the Timeline bakes into the MP4:

* **Primary Video and Alternate Frames** — composited together with overlays in place
* **Dialogue and Music** — mixed into the audio track
* **Transitions** — fades, dissolves, wipes rendered between clips
* **Color grades** — global presets and per-clip grades applied
* **Keyframe animations** — pans, zooms, rotations, Ken Burns moves
* **Captions** — rendered on top of the video at the positions you set

Markers don't export (they're editorial-only).

**Use MP4 Animatic when:**

* Reviewing pacing and timing (this is the only format that plays)
* Sharing the animatic with a client, director, or festival
* Continuing the edit in Premiere, Final Cut, or DaVinci Resolve
* Uploading to a video platform for distribution

## How to export

Export happens from the Timeline Node, regardless of which format you pick.

1. **Open the Timeline Node** (double-click or press Space).

2. **Click Export** in the Inspector.

3. **Choose a format** — PDF Storyboard, ZIP Frames, or MP4 Animatic.

4. **Configure format-specific settings** (range for MP4, panel layout for PDF, etc.).

5. **Click Export.** The file downloads when the render completes.

### In/out points control the MP4 range

The MP4 renders only the range between your **in point** and **out point** on the Timeline. By default that's the whole timeline. Set tighter in/out points to export a single scene or a specific beat range.

This makes it easy to ship a 30-second teaser from a 5-minute animatic without rebuilding anything. [Playback controls →](/user/timeline/playback-controls/)

### Filenames are auto-sanitized

Ozu generates a filename from your project name, stripping characters that cause trouble on filesystems:

* `"Kael's Journey — Scene 2"` becomes `kaels-journey-scene-2.mp4`
* Spaces become hyphens; quotes and em-dashes are removed
* The format extension is appended automatically

<Tip>
  **Rename after export if you want a specific convention.** The auto-sanitized name is meant to be safe, not pretty. For client delivery or archive, rename to your preferred format — `Project_v03_FINAL.mp4` or whatever your pipeline uses.
</Tip>

## Which to export

If you only ever export one thing, export the MP4. It's the most complete representation of the work: timing, audio, and visual treatment all together. PDF and ZIP are supporting formats for specific downstream needs.

For a typical project delivery:

* **MP4** for the client to watch
* **PDF** for the client's team to mark up on paper
* **ZIP** for your own archive or if anyone needs the raw frames

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Timeline Editor Overview" href="/user/timeline/editor-overview">
    Where export lives — the Timeline is the export surface.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Playback Controls" href="/user/timeline/playback-controls">
    Setting in/out points to control the MP4 range.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Color and Effects" href="/user/timeline/color-and-effects">
    How effects bake into the final MP4.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Asset Library Organization" href="/user/asset-library/organization">
    The source of truth for everything that ends up in ZIP and PDF exports.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## FAQ

**Can I export all three formats at once?**
Not in a single click — each format is a separate export job. Most users do all three at the end of a session, one after the other.

**What resolution does the MP4 export at?**
The MP4 matches your project's aspect ratio and the native resolution of your Storyboard frames. Higher-quality source frames produce higher-quality video.

**Does exporting cost credits?**
No. Export is free and unlimited. You only spend credits on upstream generation (frames, dialogue, music).

**Can I re-open an exported MP4 in Ozu?**
No — once exported, the MP4 is a flat video file. Edits still happen inside the Ozu Timeline; the MP4 is an output, not a round-trip file.

**Why does my PDF look different from my Timeline?**
PDF exports the raw frames (no color grading, no keyframe animations — a grade is a moving-picture concept, not a still one). PDF shows what each frame looks like, not what the animatic looks like.

**Can I batch-export frames in a different format (not PNG)?**
Not at the moment. ZIP Frames exports PNGs. Convert in an image editor if you need JPG, WebP, or another format.