How To Make Ai Videos

General
1

I’m trying to create AI-generated videos for social media and YouTube but I’m overwhelmed by all the tools, from text-to-video platforms to AI voiceovers and avatars. I don’t know what workflow or software stack is best for beginners who still want professional-looking results. Can someone explain which tools you use, how you script, edit, and export, and any tips to make AI videos faster without them looking low quality?

2

Short version so you do not drown in tools:

Use this basic stack:

  1. Script: ChatGPT or Claude
  2. Voice: ElevenLabs or HeyGen voice
  3. Video: CapCut or Descript
  4. AI visuals: Pika or Runway or Canva

Here is a clean beginner workflow.

  1. Idea and script
  • Tell ChatGPT:
    “You are a YouTube script writer. Topic: X. Target viewer: Y. Length: 60 seconds. Short hook. Plain language. List structure.”
  • Ask for 2 versions. Pick the best parts.
  • Read it out loud once. If it feels robotic, ask the AI to “make it more conversational, shorter sentences”.
  1. Voiceover
  • Use ElevenLabs.
  • Paste the script.
  • Choose a clear, neutral voice.
  • Set stability around 60 to 70, style around 50 to 60.
  • Export as WAV.
  • If budget is zero, try CapCut text to speech or the free tier of ElevenLabs. Quality is lower, but still ok for short vids.
  1. Visual style choice
    Pick one style and stick to it for at least 10 videos. It makes your life easier and your channel look consistent.

Simple options:
A) Faceless slideshow style

  • Use Canva or PowerPoint.
  • Make 1080x1920 (shorts) or 1920x1080 (YouTube).
  • 1 short phrase per slide.
  • Add stock photos or simple icons.
  • Export as MP4.

B) B‑roll style

  • Use CapCut or DaVinci Resolve.
  • Download B‑roll from Pexels, Pixabay, or Storyblocks.
  • Each sentence in your script gets 1 or 2 clips.
  • Keep clips 1 to 3 seconds long.

C) AI video style

  • Use Pika or Runway for a few short clips, 2 to 4 seconds each.
  • Prompt example for Pika:
    “A person working on a laptop in a modern home office, soft daylight, smooth camera pan, 4k.”
  • Use these AI clips as B‑roll, not the entire video at first. Full AI videos tend to look weird if you overuse them.
  1. Sync in editor
    CapCut or Descript are easiest.

CapCut workflow:

  • Import your voice track.
  • Drag it on the timeline.
  • Import your video or slides or AI clips.
  • Cut them so scene changes follow sentence changes.
  • Add subtitles with auto caption.
  • Adjust font, size, position.
  • Add a simple zoom or movement every few seconds to avoid static feel.

Descript workflow:

  • Import audio.
  • Let it auto transcribe.
  • Edit text, not waveform, to trim pauses.
  • Add stock media from their library on top of sentences.
  • Export final MP4.
  1. AI avatar (optional)
    If you want a talking head without filming:
  • Use HeyGen or D‑ID.
  • Upload your voice track.
  • Pick a face.
  • Generate the talking avatar clip.
  • Bring it into CapCut and add B‑roll over it.
    Do not stay on the avatar face for the whole video. Cut away often. Avatars look fake in long shots.
  1. Export settings
  • Resolution: 1080p.
  • FPS: 30.
  • Bitrate: 10 to 16 Mbps for YouTube, 8 to 12 Mbps for shorts.
  • Audio: 48 kHz, 320 kbps.
  • Export in H.264 MP4.
  1. Speed tricks so it does not feel slow or low quality
  • Make a template in CapCut: intro, fonts, colors, lower third, outro. Reuse it every time.
  • Reuse music. One track library that fits your vibe.
  • Record or generate voice first, always. Build visuals around audio. It removes a ton of guesswork.
  • Batch work. Script 5 videos in one session, then record 5 voiceovers, then edit. Context switching wastes time.
  • Keep your first videos under 60 seconds. Longer videos are harder to pace.
  1. Common beginner mistakes
  • Too much AI effect. Glitchy, flickery visuals signal “AI spam”. Use 1 or 2 AI clips per short video and mostly normal footage.
  • No clear hook in first 3 seconds. Use a line like “If you are X, stop doing Y” or “Most people do Z, here is a faster way.”
  • Music too loud. Keep music under minus 20 dB, voice around minus 10 to minus 6 dB.
  • Fonts that are hard to read on mobile. Big, bold, high contrast.

Concrete starter combo that works on a basic PC:

  • Script: ChatGPT
  • Voice: ElevenLabs
  • Edit and captions: CapCut desktop
  • Visuals: Pexels stock + Canva slides
  • Occasional AI clip: Pika

Once you feel less overwhelmed, then you test more advanced stuff like full AI scenes, custom avatars, or training your own cloned voice.

You do not need more tools. You need one repeatable pipeline. Stick to a simple one for 20 videos, then tweak.

3

You’re not actually overwhelmed by tools, you’re overwhelmed by options. Different problem.

I like @boswandelaar’s stack, but if you try to copy all of it at once, you’ll stall. I’d flip the approach:

Instead of “what is the best stack,” decide:

  1. Do you want to show your face?
  2. How much time per vid? 30, 60, 120 minutes?
  3. Where are you posting first: shorts or longform?

Then pick a single integrated path and ignore everything else for 30 days.

Here are 3 complete but simple routes. Pick one.

Route 1: “I want the lowest friction possible”

Use just:
Script & visuals & edit: CapCut mobile or desktop
Voice: built‑in text to speech

Workflow:

  1. Write a 5–8 sentence script yourself or with ChatGPT.
  2. Drop it in CapCut, use their TTS.
  3. Add stock video from inside CapCut, 1 clip per sentence.
  4. Auto captions, export vertical, upload.

Pros:

  • One app, zero file juggling.
  • Good enough for TikTok / Reels testing.

Cons:

  • Voice quality is mid.
  • Harder to scale into “polished YouTube channel.”

Use this if you’re stuck at “I haven’t posted anything yet.”

Route 2: “I want decent quality but still simple”

Stack:

  • Script: ChatGPT
  • Voice: ElevenLabs or any decent TTS
  • Edit: Descript only

Why Descript? Because it kills 3 birds: audio cleanup, visuals, captions.

Workflow:

  1. Script with ChatGPT. Keep it 45–60 seconds for shorts or 3–4 mins for YouTube.
  2. Generate voice in ElevenLabs, export audio.
  3. Import audio into Descript.
  4. Let Descript auto‑transcribe. Delete filler lines right in the text.
  5. Use their stock media search: drop 1–2 clips per paragraph.
  6. Add captions with their templates, export.

You get:

  • Cleaner audio.
  • Faster iteration, because editing text is less painful than timeline chopping.

Where I slightly disagree with @boswandelaar: beginners often overcomplicate with multiple tools early. Descript alone can cover 80 percent of what you need for non‑avatar content.

Route 3: “I really want a talking AI person”

Stack:

  • Script: ChatGPT
  • Voice: ElevenLabs
  • Avatar: HeyGen or D‑ID
  • Edit: CapCut or VN

Workflow:

  1. Script → voice as usual.
  2. Feed the audio into HeyGen / D‑ID to make a 30–60 sec avatar clip.
  3. Import that clip into CapCut.
  4. Here’s the part most people skip: Use avatar for maybe 30–40 percent of the runtime only. Cut away to B‑roll, screenshots, zoomed‑in text, etc.
  5. Add captions + subtle background music.

Common trap: keeping the talking head on screen the entire time. That’s what makes it look “AI spammy.” Short, punchy avatar moments work better.

What I’d do if I were starting today

  • First 10 videos: Route 1 or 2, no avatar, no fancy AI video, nothing.

  • Focus on:

    • Clear hook in first 3 seconds
    • One main point
    • Fast pacing, no dead air

  • After 10 uploads, then test:

    • 1 video using avatar
    • 1 video using Pika / Runway B‑roll
    • Compare retention & watch time, not vibes.

A few contrarian takes

  • Full text‑to‑video tools that promise “paste script, get full video” are usually not worth relying on early. They’re good as idea generators, bad as finished content.
  • Most people obsess over voice choice and ignore pacing. A basic voice with tight editing beats a perfect clone with 2‑second gaps everywhere.
  • Don’t build a “stack,” build a template project. One project file with font, colors, intro, outro, caption style. Duplicate it forever.

If you want a super minimal starting point, this is enough:

  • ChatGPT to write 120–150 words
  • ElevenLabs for voice
  • CapCut desktop to slap B‑roll and captions over it

Make 5 of those. If it still feels like a chore, the problem is the content idea, not the tools.

4

Short version: you are overthinking the “stack” and underthinking the “format.”

Everyone is giving you great tool chains already. Let me come at it from a different angle: format first, tooling second.

1. Decide your “show format” once

Most beginners bounce between:

  • Motivational shorts
  • Educational explainers
  • Faceless listicles
  • Fake podcast clips

Pick one and lock it in for 20 videos. Examples:

  1. “60 second myth busts”
  2. “3 tips in 30 seconds”
  3. “1 visual analogy per video”

Your format will quietly answer most tool questions. For example:

  • If your format is “screen tutorials,” then Loom or Screen Studio + simple editing beats any AI video generator.
  • If your format is “story + b‑roll,” your stack can be ultra light and you barely need AI visuals at all.

This is where I slightly disagree with both @viajeroceleste and @boswandelaar: they start from tools, I would start from the show concept. Tools serve the concept.

2. Think in “assets,” not apps

Any AI video pipeline is just 4 assets:

  1. Words
  2. Voice
  3. Visuals
  4. Assembly

You can swap tools inside each box without changing your workflow brain.

Example asset map:

  • Words: Your outline + AI polish
  • Voice: Human record or TTS
  • Visuals: B‑roll, screenshots, AI clips, slides
  • Assembly: Timeline editor

Instead of: “Should I use Pika or Runway or CapCut or …”
Use: “What do I use for visuals in this asset slot for this show format?”

3. The role of “How To Make AI Videos” type tools

Generic “How To Make Ai Videos” tutorials and bundles try to sell you the idea of a one click pipeline: paste script → get entire video. Reality:

Pros

  • Good for ideation and rough drafts
  • Lets you see combinations of footage, timing, and pacing you would not try yourself
  • Great way to learn what a “complete” edit looks like (intro, hook, body, CTA)

Cons

  • Outputs are visually repetitive, so your content can look like everyone else’s
  • Weak at nuance: pacing, comedic timing, subtle emphasis
  • You still need to tweak, which means you must learn an editor anyway

So use that type of “How To Make Ai Videos” product as:

  • A template generator
  • A way to prototype 5 concepts in an hour
  • A reference for structure

Do not rely on it as your core editor or you never build actual control.

Competitors like what @viajeroceleste and @boswandelaar describe are more about specific stacks and hand-built workflows. They are less “one click” and more “assembly kit,” which is what you will end up preferring once you know your style.

4. Where I’d simplify versus the other replies

Some deliberate disagreements:

  1. You don’t need AI for all 4 assets.

    • Words: sure, use ChatGPT / Claude.
    • Voice: AI if you hate your own.
    • Visuals: only sprinkle AI.
    • Assembly: regular editor is fine.
      Trying to “AI everything” is what creates the uncanny vibe viewers bounce from.

  2. You can film yourself with a phone and still call it an “AI video.”

    • Use AI only for scripting, cleanup, subtitles, and small visuals.
    • A simple talking head plus AI-edited captions can outperform a fully synthetic avatar clip.

  3. Do not change your stack mid‑series.
    Both others gave multiple routes. I’d say: pick one and forbid yourself from tool shopping for a month. That artificial constraint kills overwhelm.

5. A practical way to experiment without exploding your brain

Run this 3 video test:

Video A: Minimal AI

  • Script: Written by you, AI only for grammar cleanup
  • Voice: Your real voice
  • Visuals: Phone camera + a few stock clips
  • Edit: Single app like CapCut or VN

Video B: Mixed AI

  • Script: AI first draft, you rewrite 30 percent
  • Voice: Your voice, lightly denoised with AI
  • Visuals: 70 percent stock / real footage, 30 percent AI b‑roll
  • Edit: Same app as A

Video C: Heavy AI

  • Script: Mostly AI
  • Voice: AI TTS
  • Visuals: Mostly AI generator plus stock
  • Edit: Same app again

Upload all three, similar topic and length. Compare:

  • Retention graph
  • Average view duration
  • Comments about “feeling weird” or “sounds robotic”

The data will tell you how far into AI you can lean for your niche.

6. When to upgrade tools

Fields where upgrades actually matter:

  • Sound: If your audio is noisy or echoey, a better mic and basic noise reduction beat any fancy AI video tool.
  • Captions: Good caption styling makes shortform 2x more watchable. Worth paying for something that does clean auto captions with templates.
  • Asset management: Once you have 50+ clips and variants, a more serious editor or library system helps more than “better” AI.

Everything else is optional bling.

If you treat “How To Make Ai Videos” less as “magic app that solves everything” and more as “set of patterns for structuring words, voice, visuals, assembly,” the overwhelm drops fast. Decide your show format, fix one tool per asset box, and then force yourself to crank out 20 in a row before you change anything.