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About

Hi! We turn manuals into films.

Because nobody ever said “what a page-turner” about step 14 of a wardrobe.

What is Manual to Video?

Manual to Video (manualtovideo.com) is online software that turns a PDF assembly or instruction manual into an animated, captioned, step-by-step video in the company's own brand. It is made by NorwAI AS in Oslo, Norway, and was founded by Sondre Formo Lindheim.

Who's behind it

Manual to Video is made by Sondre Formo Lindheim, founder of NorwAI AS in Oslo, Norway, together with the small team that also makes nine.film.

Why it exists

Manuals are hard to read. Tiny drawings, a sea of screws, an arrow pointing somewhere mysterious. A short film shows the same steps moving, in the right order, so you can just follow along. Building things should be fun, and a film gets you there faster than squinting at page 9.

Manual to Video and Manual.to

Similar names, different jobs, different companies. Manual to Video is not Manual.to. Manual.to is a separate work instructions app, made by Binders Media BV in Belgium, that turns a video into a written step-by-step guide. Manual to Video goes the other way: from your written manual to a film. We are not affiliated with Manual.to. If you want the two side by side, here is Manual to Video vs Manual.to.

Hello, my name is

Sondre Formo Lindheim

Portrait on its way. Kit is holding the card.

Kit, the Manual to Video mascot, holding up Sondre's name card

The sidekick

Meet Kit, a flat-pack box with an allen key and a lot of opinions about step order. Kit is Sondre's sidekick here: reading along, cheering when a film is done, and never losing a screw.

Say hi

Kit, the Manual to Video mascot, waving hello

Questions, ideas or a manual that made you laugh? Write to sondre@norwai.as. We love hearing from you.

Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Sister sites: nine.film makes brand and explainer films from a website, and HowFilm is our free guide to making how-to films. Your files: see security and privacy.

Turn a manual into a film