Layouts help you quickly design each scene in your composition—controlling how speakers are framed, how screen shares or b-roll appear, when other visual elements show up, and more.
You’ll apply layouts at the scene level. Each scene can have a different layout, letting you mix formats and change up your visuals while keeping your project visually cohesive.
This article covers:
Layouts are applied at the scene level, so it helps to understand how scenes work in Descript. You’ll also get the most out of this guide if you're familiar with layout packs. These guides can help get you up to speed:
Apply a layout
- Click on a scene thumbnail in the Script.
- Select Choose layout from the hover menu.
- Browse and apply a layout. Layouts are grouped by type. Click the [#] more button to view additional layouts in each group.
- Click a layout tile to apply it to the scene. Descript will update the scene to match the selected layout.
The Descript layout pack is just one of many layout packs available. Browse the gallery to discover layout packs with bold styles, unique visual formats, and new ways to showcase your content.
Want something that feels more... you? Remix select layout packs from the gallery to choose your own colors and fonts. Learn how.
Other ways to apply layouts
- From the scene panel: Open the scene panel in the sidebar and click the Choose layout tile. Select a layout pack and then a layout from the list to apply it to the scene.
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From the timeline or storyboard views:
- Right-click a scene thumbnail in the Timeline and select Change layout.
- Select Choose layout from the menu, then pick a layout from the options.
Change the layout pack
- Click a scene thumbnail in the Script, then choose Layout from the hover menu.
- At the bottom of the layout picker, click the Change layout pack button.
- The scene panel will open in the sidebar. Use the tabs at the top to browse:
- Gallery: curated layout packs from Descript
- Drive: layout packs saved to your Drive
- Private: layout packs only visible to you
- Select a new pack to update the options in your layout picker.
Changing layout packs won’t automatically update any existing layouts you’ve applied. It simply swaps out the options available in the picker.
Some layouts include empty media or screen recording placeholders. These are designed to hold your own visuals—like b-roll, screen recordings, or supporting media. Learn how to replace placeholder layers with media
Smart filled text layers
Some layouts use smart fill to automatically populate text layers based on the script content. Learn more about how smart fill works in layouts