Amazon Studios, the production arm of Amazon.com, has introduced a new tool called Amazon Storyteller to help with its initiative to develop original movies and TV series. The free online tool enables writers and content producers to easily convert RTF scripts into storyboards. According to Amazon, Storyteller scans the script and then “identifies the scenes, locations and characters from scene descriptions, and ‘casts’ them from a library of thousands of characters, props and backgrounds.”

“Writers and filmmakers can then choose to customize the storyboard or upload some of their own images if they like, before sharing it with others to solicit feedback (naturally, it’s only available if you submit your script to Amazon Studios),” explains Engadget.

“Storyteller provides a digital backlot, acting troupe, prop department and assistant editor — everything you need to bring your story to life,” said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios. “We want to see great stories turned into movies and television shows and we’ll continue to develop new features and tools that help people develop great stories.”

“You can visualize an entire screenplay scene-by-scene, or you can make a trailer-length storyboard that conveys the basic story in highlights,” explains the FAQ page. “Whether you create 10 panels or 100, you can choose how best to visualize your story.”

“According to the company, the tool works best with contemporary dramas or romantic comedies given its current art assets, so you may still have your work cut out for you if you’re looking to storyboard your post-apocalyptic fantasy epic,” notes Engadget.

Currently in beta, Amazon Storyteller is available online.