How-to guide, web or iPhone
How to make a chat scene for a short film
Text messages move a lot of modern stories along, but filming a real phone screen is fiddly: notifications, glare and a script that changes on set. A common alternative is to build the conversation separately and add it in the edit, either full screen or composited onto the phone in the shot. Mimicly gives you the chat as an MP4 or as still frames, written line by line from your script.
Updated . Steps written for: Web or iPhone.
What you need
- The scene’s dialogue from your script
- The time of day and the phone your character uses, for continuity
- Mimicly on the web (best for script import) or on iPhone
- Your editing software
Example script
Script lines in the format the web import reads. Maya comes first, so her phone is the one on screen.
Maya: are you still at the office Jon: leaving now Maya: don’t take the bridge Jon: why Maya: just trust me Jon: Maya what happened
Steps
Step 1: Format the dialogue as a script
Write one message per line as “Name: message”. The first name becomes the phone owner (right side), everyone else appears on the left. Cut anything the audience does not need to read; viewers take in about three to four words per second.
Step 2: Pick the template that fits the character
Match the app to the character and setting: an iMessage-style chat for an iPhone owner, WhatsApp-style for an international cast, Discord-style for a gaming group. Group chat is available on supported templates such as the WhatsApp-style chat.
Step 3: Import the script
In the web editor, open Paste conversation and paste your lines. Mimicly also reads “[12:30] Name: message” lines and simple alternating lines. Check the preview, then fix any line that landed on the wrong side.
Step 4: Dress the scene for continuity
Set the contact name and photo, then the status bar time and battery to match the scene. 11:48 PM and 9% battery tell the audience something before anyone reads a message. Choose Light or Dark to match the character’s phone. Use invented names and photos you have the rights to, and never a real phone number.
Step 5: Choose video or stills
For messages that appear on screen in real time, click Preview to check the pacing, pick a speed from 0.5x to 2x and click Record for an MP4. For a scene you will cut together yourself, export a still after each new message instead.
Step 6: Export for compositing
For a full-screen insert, turn Frame off and export the Screen preset. To composite onto the phone in your shot, export without the frame and track it onto the screen in your editor. The Transparent preset (PNG) or No BG gives you a clean edge on stills.
Step 7: Cut it into the edit
Place the clip or stills on the timeline and time each new message to the actor’s reaction. Leave each message on screen long enough to read, and keep the project file so you can change a line if the script changes in the edit.
Tips
- Record a second take at a faster speed. Having both gives you room in the edit.
- On iPhone, the Reverse chip flips the message order, handy if you typed a scene from the bottom up.
- Keep a list of the times and battery levels you used for each chat scene so they stay consistent across the film.
What Mimicly does not do
- Mimicly does not send messages or connect to any messaging account. Everything on screen is what you wrote.
- It is not affiliated with the apps whose styles it follows. For commercial productions, check your clearance requirements for showing app interfaces.
- Recording is available for chat and AI conversation templates; game chats, posts, comments, stories and email export as images.
Questions
Can I record the chat as a video?
Yes, for messaging and AI conversation templates. On the web, click Record after choosing a speed; on iPhone, tap Record in the Export tab and the clip saves to Photos.
Can I import my screenplay?
The web editor’s Paste conversation reads lines formatted as “Name: message”, “[12:30] Name: message”, or plain alternating lines. Copy the chat lines from your script into that format first.
What resolution do the exports come out at?
Image exports offer standard resolution plus higher 2x and 3x options, which may require Pro. For large-screen work, export stills at the highest resolution available to you and scale down in the edit.
Is it free to try?
You can build and preview a scene without paying. Signing in gives 3 free exports, shared across images and videos. Pro is $3.99 per month or $32.99 one time for lifetime access in the US.
Related
The template opens with sample content. Replace it with your own and preview before you export.
Open the WhatsApp-style template