Source Filmmaker
Source Filmmaker is Valve’s tool for making films inside the Source game engine.
What Source Filmmaker is
Source Filmmaker is Valve’s tool for making films inside the Source game engine. It brings rendering, keyframing, motion-capture editing, and sound editing into one system. Hardware rendering provides a real-time preview as creators work toward the final movie. The initial release includes nine characters, hundreds of locations, and thousands of props, particles, textures, and sounds from Team Fortress 2. Source-engine assets made for the TF2 Workshop or game mods can be recompiled and loaded into SFM. Finished movies can be uploaded to the web or shared as ordinary movie files. The tool is released for Team Fortress 2, and its TF2 build can be modded to create new worlds. Source Filmmaker is free and installs through Steam; its supported operating system is Windows, and the FAQ says Mac is not supported. Valve assets may be used in free community movies and images, but that permission does not grant a license to commercialize those assets. The Steam listing requires at least 15 GB of hard-drive space.
Good
- Combines rendering, keyframing, and sound editing.
- Provides real-time previews through hardware rendering.
- Includes Team Fortress 2 assets.
- Exports movies for web upload or sharing.
- Free to use.
Watch out
- Not supported on Mac.
- Requires Steam and at least 15 GB of storage.
- Valve assets are not licensed for commercial use.
Who it suits
Source Filmmaker suits creators making movies within the Source engine, especially those working with Team Fortress 2 content. It is for Windows and requires Steam to install.
Verdict
Source Filmmaker provides a movie-making workflow for Source-engine scenes, with included Team Fortress 2 content and support for custom assets. Check its Windows, Steam, storage, and Valve-asset licensing limits before choosing it.
Plans and prices
From Source Filmmaker's own pricing page, checked 22 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Movie-making tool for the Source engine · Team Fortress 2 and selected Meet the Team assets included · Steam Workshop support |
| Source Filmmaker | Free | Free public beta · Steam account required · non-commercial use with Valve assets |
The facts
Each one read from Source Filmmaker's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Commercial use
- The FAQ says Valve assets may be used for free community movies and images, but it does not grant a license to commercialize those assets; content without Valve assets may be monetized without restrictions stated there.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Compatibility limit
- The FAQ says SFM is being released for Team Fortress 2 and that users can mod its TF2 build to create new worlds.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Custom assets
- Source-engine assets made for the TF2 Workshop or game mods can be recompiled and loaded into SFM.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Export and sharing
- Movies exported with SFM can be uploaded to the web or shared like any normal movie file.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Included content
- The initial release includes nine characters, hundreds of locations, and thousands of props, particles, textures, and sounds from Team Fortress 2.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Installation
- Steam is required to install Source Filmmaker.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Minimum storage
- The Steam listing specifies at least 15 GB of hard-drive space.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Operating system
- The Steam listing specifies Windows system requirements, and the FAQ says SFM is not supported on Mac.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Source Filmmaker is Valve’s movie-making tool for creating films inside the Source game engine.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Real-time preview
- Its hardware rendering lets storytellers work in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get environment while iterating toward the final audience experience.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The official site provides a FAQ, video tutorials, community discussions, a wiki, a team contact email, and a bug-report email.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Workflow
- It combines workflows such as rendering, keyframing, motion capture editing, and sound editing in one system.checked 12 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 1996checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Bellevue, Washington, United Stateschecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Supported platforms
- Windowschecked 22 Sep 2026
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