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Start here · 5 minutes

# Get started in five minutes

After2AM Studio is a local production hub. Set the active channel, confirm where active work belongs, and let the first screen tell you what needs attention.

First launch macOS 14+ Apple Silicon pilot build

## Before you start

The app manages production records and ordinary folders. It is not a video editor, a media player, a cloud drive, or a YouTube uploader. You will still edit in your preferred tools and publish on the relevant platform.

Your catalogue stays on this Mac

There is no account, telemetry, or cloud dependency. The app stores readable local metadata and keeps media in folders you can open in Finder.

## The five-minute setup

1. Open the app and explore the sample library. A first launch contains representative channels, episodes, planning items, media, and templates. They are there so every workspace makes sense immediately. The sidebar labels this as the Sample Library.
2. Choose the channel you are working on. Use the channel menu near the top of the sidebar. Every strategy item, channel note, episode, media record, template, and asset is scoped to the active channel.
3. Confirm Primary storage. Open After2AM Studio → Settings → Workspace. Primary storage holds active episode folders, reusable media, templates, and production assets. The default is `~/Movies/After2AM Studio`.
4. Choose Archive storage when you are ready. Archive storage is optional at first. It can be another local folder, an external disk, or a mounted network share. Do not point Primary and Archive at the same place.
5. Return to Today. Today combines overdue work, this day’s schedule, the most relevant episode, real blockers, the next seven days, and a compact channel pulse.

## A quick interface tour

◎

### Today

Your production brief: what is due, blocked, next, and ready.

▦

### Planning

Strategy, Month, Week, and Tasks views for channel-scoped work.

≣

### Notes

General channel decisions and strategy, organised by title and topic.

▶

### Episodes

The production slate and the full workspace for each video.

▣

### Media Library

Verified footage records and reusable B-roll, audio, and photos.

≡

### Series & Templates

Reusable folder structures, defaults, checklists, and local files.

◇

### Assets

A searchable catalogue of recurring production resources.

Search appears in the toolbar throughout the app. It currently filters Planning, Notes, Episodes, Media Library, and Assets; browse Series & Templates directly. The two permanent toolbar actions are Import Footage and New Episode. At the foot of the sidebar, use A− and A+ to scale interface text and inspect live storage status.

## Channels and folders

The user-facing hierarchy is always Channel → Series → Episode. A channel is one publishing identity. A series supplies repeatable production defaults. An episode is one video’s record, workspace, workflow, and publishing packet.

New workspaces use a channel-scoped structure similar to:

    After2AM Studio/
      Channel Name/
        Series/
          Series Name/
            2026/
              series-e001-episode-title/
        Singles/
          2026/
            e001-episode-title/
        Media/
        Assets/
        Templates/

Older libraries can safely retain legacy paths. The app resolves them for compatibility; do not rename or reorganise an existing managed episode folder while the app is using it.

## About the sample library

The first-run sample records are editable, so you can practise the complete flow using copied media: create an episode, import a small file, finish its required checks, and archive then restore it. When you are ready, choose Start Fresh… in the sidebar. The confirmation removes the example catalogue and recovery drafts while retaining storage choices. It never deletes episode or media files.

You can revisit the examples later with Settings → Workspace → Sample library → Open Sample Library. That opens a separate disposable window for screenshots and demos; resetting or closing it does not alter your personal library.

This is a private pilot build

The current app is Apple Silicon only, ad-hoc signed, and not notarized for general public distribution. Keep original camera media untouched and maintain a separate backup while validating your workflow.