Short on time? Here’s the whole article in four lines.
- You don’t need to be a video expert. AI can help you plan, script, edit, and caption short videos.
- The easiest wins are behind the scenes: scripts, captions, and trimming, not fake footage.
- Your face and voice are your advantage. Real beats polished on social media.
- Be careful with AI-generated video of people. Label it, and never use it to mislead.
| Step | How AI helps | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Ideas | Brainstorms video topics and hooks | “Give me 10 short video ideas for a [plant shop] in [spring]. Each with a strong first line.” |
| Script | Writes a short script you can read naturally | “Write a 45-second script about [how to repot a succulent]. Friendly, like I’m talking to a friend.” |
| Editing | Removes pauses and filler words, and cuts long videos into short clips | Editing apps with AI features, like CapCut, Descript, or Canva |
| Captions | Adds subtitles automatically | Most editing apps, and Instagram and TikTok themselves |
| Repurposing | Turns one long video into several short ones | “Here’s my video transcript. Suggest five 30-second clips and a caption for each.” |
Tools change quickly. Many have free versions with limits.
Some tools can now create video from a text description, or make an “avatar” of you speaking. They can be fun for illustrations or backgrounds, but:
Wendy runs a fabric shop and felt awkward on camera. She asked AI to write three-sentence scripts she could say in under 30 seconds, like “Three fabrics that are perfect for fall quilts.”
She films on her phone in the shop, uses an editing app to cut her “ums” and add captions, and asks AI for the post caption. Her short videos now bring in more shop visits than her photos ever did.
