diff --git a/services/studio/FlatRender.StudioSvc/Application/Services/StudioService.cs b/services/studio/FlatRender.StudioSvc/Application/Services/StudioService.cs
index 62c0cc2..a9839af 100644
--- a/services/studio/FlatRender.StudioSvc/Application/Services/StudioService.cs
+++ b/services/studio/FlatRender.StudioSvc/Application/Services/StudioService.cs
@@ -81,11 +81,84 @@ public class StudioService(StudioDbContext db)
             ProjectDurationSec = 0,
         };
 
+        await using var tx = await db.Database.BeginTransactionAsync();
         db.SavedProjects.Add(project);
         await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        // Deep-copy the template's scene graph (scenes + content/colour elements) from
+        // the content schema so the new project opens editable in the studio. Same DB,
+        // so this is one atomic cross-schema copy.
+        if (req.CopyDefaultValues && req.OriginalProjectId != Guid.Empty)
+            await CopyTemplateGraphAsync(project.Id, req.OriginalProjectId);
+
+        await tx.CommitAsync();
         return await GetProjectAsync(project.Id, userId);
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Copies a content template project's scenes, content elements and colour elements
+    /// into a freshly-created editable project. Runs inside the caller's transaction;
+    /// the temp scene-id map drops on commit. Same Postgres DB → atomic cross-schema copy.
+    /// </summary>
+    private async Task CopyTemplateGraphAsync(Guid savedProjectId, Guid originalProjectId)
+    {
+        // 1. scenes → capture old→new id mapping in a temp table
+        await db.Database.ExecuteSqlRawAsync(@"
+            CREATE TEMP TABLE _scene_map ON COMMIT DROP AS
+            WITH ins AS (
+                INSERT INTO studio.saved_scenes
+                    (saved_project_id, original_scene_id, key, title, image, demo,
+                     scene_color_svg, scene_type, sort, scene_length_sec, min_duration_sec,
+                     max_duration_sec, overlap_at_end_sec, can_handle_duration,
+                     manual_color_selection, created_at, updated_at)
+                SELECT {0}, s.id, s.key, s.title, s.image, s.demo, s.scene_color_svg,
+                       s.scene_type::text, s.sort, COALESCE(s.default_duration_sec, 0),
+                       s.min_duration_sec, s.max_duration_sec, s.overlap_at_end_sec,
+                       s.can_handle_duration, s.manual_color_selection, now(), now()
+                FROM content.scenes s
+                WHERE s.project_id = {1} AND s.deleted_at IS NULL AND s.is_active = true
+                RETURNING id AS new_id, original_scene_id AS old_id
+            )
+            SELECT new_id, old_id FROM ins;",
+            savedProjectId, originalProjectId);
+
+        // 2. content elements (skip repeater children for now)
+        await db.Database.ExecuteSqlRawAsync(@"
+            INSERT INTO studio.saved_scene_contents
+                (saved_scene_id, key, title, localized_title, hint, type, value,
+                 font_face, font_face_name, font_size, default_font_size, default_font_face,
+                 justify, position_in_container, direction_layer_value, is_text_box,
+                 ai_input_type, mapped_list, thumbnail, sort, status, created_at, updated_at)
+            SELECT sm.new_id, ce.key, ce.title, ce.localized_title, ce.hint, ce.type::text,
+                   ce.default_value, ce.font_face, ce.font_face_name, ce.font_size,
+                   ce.default_font_size, ce.default_font_face, ce.justify::text,
+                   ce.position_in_container, ce.direction_layer_value, ce.is_text_box,
+                   ce.ai_input_type::text, ce.mapped_list, ce.thumbnail, ce.sort, 'default',
+                   now(), now()
+            FROM content.scene_content_elements ce
+            JOIN _scene_map sm ON sm.old_id = ce.scene_id
+            WHERE ce.repeater_item_id IS NULL;");
+
+        // 3. colour elements
+        await db.Database.ExecuteSqlRawAsync(@"
+            INSERT INTO studio.saved_scene_colors
+                (saved_scene_id, element_key, title, icon, attr_value, value, is_selected, sort)
+            SELECT sm.new_id, ce.element_key, ce.title, ce.icon, ce.attr_value::text,
+                   COALESCE(ce.default_color, ''), false, ce.sort
+            FROM content.scene_color_elements ce
+            JOIN _scene_map sm ON sm.old_id = ce.scene_id;");
+
+        // 4. shared (project-level) colours — frshare frd_* controls
+        await db.Database.ExecuteSqlRawAsync(@"
+            INSERT INTO studio.saved_shared_colors
+                (saved_project_id, element_key, title, icon, attr_value, value, is_selected, sort)
+            SELECT {0}, sc.element_key, sc.title, sc.icon, sc.attr_value::text,
+                   COALESCE(sc.default_color, ''), false, sc.sort
+            FROM content.shared_colors sc
+            WHERE sc.project_id = {1};",
+            savedProjectId, originalProjectId);
+    }
+
     public async Task<SavedProjectFullResponse> UpdateProjectAsync(
         Guid id, Guid userId, UpdateSavedProjectRequest req)
     {
diff --git a/src/app/api/projects/route.ts b/src/app/api/projects/route.ts
index bb33022..9a0b1da 100644
--- a/src/app/api/projects/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/projects/route.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import { z } from "zod";
 
+import { gatewayFetch } from "@/lib/api/gateway";
 import {
   createSavedProject,
   listSavedProjects,
@@ -10,6 +11,30 @@ import { getAccessToken } from "@/lib/auth/session";
 
 export const dynamic = "force-dynamic";
 
+const UUID_RE = /^[0-9a-f]{8}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{12}$/i;
+
+/**
+ * The studio copies from a content PROJECT (a specific aspect variant, UUID). Catalog
+ * links carry the container SLUG, so resolve slug → first published variant project id.
+ * A value that is already a UUID is returned unchanged.
+ */
+async function resolveContentProjectId(
+  idOrSlug: string,
+  token: string
+): Promise<string | null> {
+  if (UUID_RE.test(idOrSlug)) return idOrSlug;
+  const res = await gatewayFetch(`/v1/templates/${encodeURIComponent(idOrSlug)}`, {
+    headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
+  });
+  if (!res.ok) return null;
+  const tpl = (await res.json().catch(() => null)) as {
+    projects?: Array<{ id?: string; is_published?: boolean }>;
+  } | null;
+  const variants = tpl?.projects ?? [];
+  const chosen = variants.find((p) => p?.id && p.is_published) ?? variants.find((p) => p?.id);
+  return chosen?.id ?? null;
+}
+
 const createProjectSchema = z.object({
   name: z.string().min(1).max(120).optional(),
   type: z.enum(["video", "image", "trimmer"]),
@@ -71,8 +96,18 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
     );
   }
 
+  // Catalog links carry the container slug; the studio needs a content project UUID
+  // to copy the scene graph from.
+  const contentProjectId = await resolveContentProjectId(originalProjectId, token);
+  if (!contentProjectId) {
+    return NextResponse.json(
+      { error: "This template has no editable project yet.", code: "NO_VARIANT" },
+      { status: 422 }
+    );
+  }
+
   const result = await createSavedProject({
-    original_project_id: originalProjectId,
+    original_project_id: contentProjectId,
     name: parsed.data.name,
     copy_default_values: true,
   });
diff --git a/src/lib/api/saved-projects.ts b/src/lib/api/saved-projects.ts
index 77b940f..c0bc551 100644
--- a/src/lib/api/saved-projects.ts
+++ b/src/lib/api/saved-projects.ts
@@ -173,9 +173,16 @@ export async function createSavedProject(body: {
   preset_story_id?: string;
   copy_default_values?: boolean;
 }): Promise<StudioResult<V2SavedProjectFull>> {
+  // The studio service binds camelCase JSON (no snake_case naming policy), so a
+  // snake_case body silently drops original_project_id → Guid.Empty. Send camelCase.
   return studioFetch<V2SavedProjectFull>("/v1/saved-projects", {
     method: "POST",
-    body: JSON.stringify(body),
+    body: JSON.stringify({
+      originalProjectId: body.original_project_id,
+      name: body.name,
+      presetStoryId: body.preset_story_id,
+      copyDefaultValues: body.copy_default_values ?? true,
+    }),
   });
 }