How to Use AI to Create Videos

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a recent trend and a tool for the creative process and is here to stay. These AI tools can help us create and edit videos. Whether you’re creating a video for your brand, business, or a friend or family member, you can use AI to enhance your video creation process.

In this article, we help you get from idea to execution with a step-by-step guide on creating videos with AI. We’ll also give you a list of popular AI video generators.

How to use AI to create videos

Rather than using iMovie to create or edit videos from scratch, there are numerous ways that AI can help generate a video, whether or not you have the original content. Here are the steps to create a video using an AI generator.

Step 1: Brainstorm ideas and concepts

As you’re coming up with a sketch or outline of your video concept, think about your audience. Who will watch this video? What is the goal or purpose of the video? That can help you anchor your ideas to the best outcome. You may want to look at competitor videos. Maybe you spotted a video on social media and want to create something similar. Write your ideas down and put a star next to the ones you like best.

Step 2: Write a script

Next, you’ll write your video script. Remember that your script needs to be written for video when creating text-to-video using AI. If you convert an article, document, or blog post and copy and paste the words directly into the AI video generator, your video will likely be too long. Transform your text into a video script by rewriting and cutting sections. Video scripts should be short and concise. You can even use a text generator like ChatGPT to turn text into script, prompting it to use a specific tone.

Step 3: Choose an AI video generator

After you’ve written your script, it’s time to choose an appropriate AI video generator. These days, there are numerous options to choose from. While a quick Google search may be overwhelming, many blog posts review each tool in detail, so you can choose the best one for your needs. Below, we list a few popular AI video generators.

Step 4: Generate and edit

Once you’ve uploaded your script into the video generator, you can start fiddling with the generated text and video images. You may have the option to use an avatar that speaks to the audience, or the text will appear as subtitles beside the video B-roll that the AI generates to match the text. Adjust the text and video to your liking by changing the colors, fonts, and other details.

Step 5: Publish your video

The final step is to hit publish. Your video will be available for download as an .mp4 file, and the generator may allow you to add it as HTML code to a website. Once you publish your video, you won’t be able to go back and edit it. Make sure you’re satisfied with the video before publishing. Then, voila! You’ve got an AI-generated video for your personal or professional needs.

The steps above outline how to take your text prompts and generate a video output. AI can also simultaneously speed up the editing process and create content for several marketing platforms.

Benefits and limitations of using AI

Generative AI curates images, text, and videos based on your prompts, taken from different sources on the internet. As you can imagine, that means an extensive archive of information that AI can use, but it may not be exactly the images or videos you want. AI still cannot replace a beautiful video produced by a documentary filmmaker or a freelance video producer, which may be more customized to your needs. However, using AI to create videos is a solid option for quick summaries and tutorials.

3 popular AI video generators

Here’s a selection of popular AI text-to-video generators.

1. Visla

Visla is a good option for text-to-script generation. It can search a stock image and video library to identify content that aligns with your script so that your video looks decent and is ready to publish. Visla can also eliminate your speaker’s filler words (“ums” and “ahs”) to produce the best possible video.

Price: The free plan includes 1,000 credits provided monthly, which you can use for various services on the platform. With the free plan, you can also upload up to 3 GB/1 hour of video per file and export with 1080p resolution [1]. The Pro plan costs $18 per month and offers 5,000 credits, the ability to purchase flexible credits, uploads of up to 20 GB/3 hours, 4M video stock footage from which you can choose, and more [1]. The Business plan costs $59 per month and provides you with 20,000 credits, custom voice cloning, a full brand kit, uploading of up to 20 GB/3 hours, 4K video exporting, and more [1].

2. Synthesia

Synthesia can translate text into multiple languages and is known for its high-quality avatars and voices that speak the video text. With a simple and easy-to-use user interface, your video will be generated to be spoken by this avatar. While it can’t replace the authenticity of a human voice, it’s the next best thing.

Price: Free plan provides one editor, three minutes of video per month, and nine AI avatars. The Starter plan costs $18 monthly and offers one editor and three guests, 120 minutes of video per year, 125+ Synthesia AI avatars, email/chat support, and more [2]. The Creator plan costs $64 per month and gives you one editor with five guests, 360 minutes of video per year, 180+ Synthesia AI avatars, and priority chat/email support, along with the features of the previously mentioned plans [2].

3. HeyGen

Like the other text-to-video generators, HeyGen offers over 300 voices in over 175 languages and the option to add an avatar. You can tinker with the easy-to-use AI tool in just minutes to produce your ideal video.

Price: With the Free plan, you can produce three videos per month, each one being no longer than three minutes. You’ll also export at 720p with standard video processing. The Creator plan costs $29 per month and offers unlimited video generation, 30-minute video length maximum, 1080p exporting, voice cloning, a brand kit, watermark removal, and more [3]. The next tier is the Team plan, which costs $39 per seat per month and provides 4K video exporting, unlimited photo avatars, and more [3].

Learn more about AI-generated video on Coursera

Take the Generative AI for Everyone course from DeepLearning.AI for an in-depth intro to generative AI, including how it works, common use cases, opportunities and risks, and how to incorporate generative AI into your projects.