# Kino AI Launches Code-First Collaborative Video Editor A YC S23 startup introduces an AI-native video editing platform built on code. - **Source:** [Hacker News: Launches](https://news.ycombinator.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-04 - **Topic:** [technology](https://brifing.si/c/technology) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/35424b6c-5e59-4f59-9c4b-fd7e061df1ff ## Code-First Editing Paradigm Kino AI treats video production as a code-first process rather than a traditional visual interface. By building on Remotion, the platform represents every timeline item, motion graphic, and teammate comment as code. This architecture allows AI agents like Claude or Codex to manipulate video projects with precise, programmatic instructions instead of manual UI. ## Collaborative Agent Integration The platform enables multiple AI agents and human teammates to work on the same timeline concurrently. Users can see real-time cursors and review notes directly within the editor. This collaborative environment allows agents to handle tasks like rotoscoping, color grading via LUT support, and timeline adjustments while human editors oversee the project. ## Handling Professional Media Kino supports high-end professional codecs including ProRes, BRAW, and R3D by utilizing custom decoders and WebCodecs. Users can drag massive 250GB files directly into the timeline. While local scrubbing remains fast, the system generates low-resolution proxies for cloud inference, ensuring that AI agents can process footage without requiring the original heavy files. ## Evolution from Bespoke Services Originally founded in 2023, Kino initially operated as a service-heavy model for major studios like A24. The team realized that strict security rules and legacy software like Avid Media Composer hindered their ability to integrate frontier AI models. Consequently, they rebuilt the platform in 2025 to prioritize speed and agent-based automation. ## Unified Source of Truth Every element within a Kino project, from individual frames to specific lines of code, is addressable via a unique URL. This system creates a single source of truth for production teams. By pasting these links into AI agents, users ensure that the models understand exactly which timeline item or comment requires modification. ## Workflow for Modern Teams Companies are currently using Kino to automate daily video production, such as generating ads using YouTube b-roll. Founders and filmmakers utilize the platform to spin up multiple agents that iterate on projects simultaneously. This workflow allows for rapid feedback loops where agents apply requested changes based on specific human-provided review notes. ## Technical Infrastructure Details The platform is currently available as an Electron application rather than a pure web browser experience. It leverages face detection, transcription, and embedding technologies to make media searchable and actionable for AI. The performance gains achieved are largely attributed to modern web technologies like Mediabunny and the underlying WebCodecs API implementation. ## Pricing and Future Outlook Kino offers a free tier that includes unlimited imports, exports, and real-time collaboration. The Pro subscription costs $25 per editor monthly, providing additional benefits like increased storage, YouTube search, and unlimited MCP tool calls. The team is actively seeking feedback from filmmakers and power users to refine their agent-driven editing capabilities. ## Sources covering this story - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50368804 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._