Most AI video tutorials teach one step: prompting, or editing, or a tool. Nobody teaches the whole pipeline — the end-to-end workflow from blank page to published video. This is that workflow: the complete system, in order, with nothing skipped.
Phase 1: Concept (30 minutes)
- One-sentence story. If you can’t say what happens in one sentence, you’re not ready. (“A courier races across the city to deliver a package before midnight.”)
- Define the deliverable. Platform, duration, aspect ratio. These constrain every later decision.
- Reference hunt. Collect 3–5 reference images: character look, location vibe, style/grade target. This is creative direction, not decoration.
Phase 2: Pre-production (1–2 hours)
- Shot list. Break the story into 6–10 shots with framing, camera move, and the single action per shot. See multi-shot storytelling.
- Storyboard. Rough panels — sketches, AI stills, or written descriptions. The storyboard-first method in full.
- Write prompts. Fill your reusable template for each shot. Character description copy-pasted identically everywhere. Negative prompts attached.
- Budget check. Shots × expected attempts × credit cost. Know the price before you start generating.
Phase 3: Generation (1–3 hours)
- Generate in story order. Judge each new shot against the previous ones for consistency.
- Review as a sequence. Selects are chosen for how they cut together, not how they look alone.
- Regenerate surgically. Only the weakest shots get second attempts. Don’t chase perfection on every frame.
- Organize immediately. Keepers in a selects folder, named by shot number. Future-you will be grateful.
Phase 4: Edit (2–4 hours)
- Rough cut for pacing. Story order, cut on motion, trim glitch edges. Details: the editing guide.
- Fix artifacts. Cut bad frames, reframe problem areas, smooth flicker.
- Color: correct, match, grade. One unifying look across all shots. See the grading guide.
- Sound design. Dialogue, SFX, ambience bed, ducked music. The 10-minute sound pass.
- Titles and captions. Minimal, early, legible on phones.
Phase 5: Export and publish (30 minutes)
- Export master at high bitrate, then platform versions. Settings: the export guide.
- Phone check. Watch the final file on a phone before uploading. Every time.
- Publish with intent. Title, description, hashtags, and posting time per platform. The video is done; now package it.
- Archive the project. Keep prompts, references, and project files. Your next video reuses all of it.
Realistic timelines
- Simple 30-second short: one focused day (6–8 hours total).
- Polished 60-second short: two days, or one long weekend.
- Series episode (recurring character): faster after episode 2 — references, templates, and grade are already built.
Where beginners should start
Run this entire pipeline once on a tiny project: a 15-second, 3-shot clip. Don’t skip phases because the project is small — the point is learning the pipeline, not the output. After one complete run, you’ll know exactly which phases are slow for you, and that’s where you improve. The workflow is the skill; the tools are just the current instruments.