How to make an AI video, step by step

You can make your first AI video in a few minutes, and a good one in about an hour. The difference between them is mostly in how you describe what you want. This guide walks through the whole process.

1. Start with one clear idea

Choose something you can say in a sentence. “A short video showing a robot learning to paint” is better than “a video about art”. If you are stuck, try our list of AI video ideas.

2. Decide where it will play

The destination decides the shape and length. Use 9:16 at under a minute for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, and 16:9 for YouTube or a website.

3. Write your prompt

Cover five things: subject, action, setting, camera and style. For example:

A small robot with one bent antenna paints a sunflower in a sunlit attic, steps back and tilts its head. Slow push in, warm dusty light, stylised 3D animation, gentle piano.

See our prompt guide for many more examples.

4. Add images if appearance matters

If it has to look like your product or character, upload an image. Read our comparison of text to video and image to video.

5. Make a cheap test

Pick a short length at 480p. You are checking the idea, so there is no need to pay for quality yet.

6. Improve one thing at a time

If the camera drifts, add “static camera”. If it looks generic, name the style and light. If speech is unclear, put the lines in quotation marks. Change one thing, then run it again.

7. Render the final version

When you are happy, choose your full length and quality. You see the cost before you start, and failed renders are refunded.

8. Finish and publish

Download the MP4. Add captions, titles and your logo in a free editor, since text generated within the video is unreliable. Then watch it once with sound and once without before you post.

Common beginner mistakes

• Asking for too much in a single short shot.
• Rewriting the entire prompt rather than changing one detail.
• Rendering long, high-quality versions before testing the idea.
• Expecting perfect on-screen text.