Mira Dontcheva
Publications
A Text-Native Interface for Generative Video Authoring
Everyone can write their stories in freeform text format -- it's something we all learn in school. Yet storytelling via video requires one to learn specialized and complicated tools. In this paper, we introduce Doki, a text-native interface for generative video authoring, aligning video creation with the natural process of text writing. In Doki, writing text is the primary interaction: within a single document, users define assets, structure scenes, create shots, refine edits, and add audio. We articulate the design principles of this text-first approach and demonstrate Doki's capabilities through a series of examples. To evaluate its real-world use, we conducted a week-long deployment study with participants of varying expertise in video authoring. This work contributes a fundamental shift in generative video interfaces, demonstrating a powerful and accessible new way to craft visual stories.
Vidmento: Creating Video Stories Through Context-Aware Expansion With Generative Video
Video storytelling is often constrained by available material, limiting creative expression and leaving undesired narrative gaps. Generative video offers a new way to address these limitations by augmenting captured media with tailored visuals. To explore this potential, we interviewed eight video creators to identify opportunities and challenges in integrating generative video into their workflows. Building on these insights and established filmmaking principles, we developed Vidmento, a tool for authoring hybrid video stories that combine captured and generated media through context-aware expansion. Vidmento surfaces opportunities for story development, generates clips that blend stylistically and narratively with surrounding media, and provides controls for refinement. In a study with 12 creators, Vidmento supported narrative development and exploration by systematically expanding initial materials with generative media, enabling expressive video storytelling aligned with creative intent. We highlight how creators bridge story gaps with generative content and where they find this blending capability most valuable.