Amazon Studios has just announced a new tool called Amazon Storyteller, which promises to help would-be filmmakers and scriptwriters more easily realize their visions by translating scripts into full-on storyboards with characters and dialogue. The tool, which is available now in beta, scans a submitted script for scenes, locations, and characters from the descriptions and then tries to replicate it using a catalog of "thousands" of props, characters, and background locations. From there, scriptwriters can upload their own images, "recast" the characters, change locations, and generally tweak the storyboards as much as they see fit.

From there, storyboards can be shared with the Amazon Studios community for feedback, just as the community can review scripts and offer suggestions currently. It's just another example of the weight Amazon is putting behind its original content arm — and while the early results from the first set of Amazon Studios pilots were not promising, this still sounds like a useful tool for those working to get independent projects off the ground. Amazon's new Storyteller tool is free and available to check out now on the Amazon Studios website.