Sora AI Tutorial — How to Create Stunning AI Videos

Accessing Sora and Subscription Tiers [00:31]

• To access Sora, users need to log in using their OpenAI or ChatGPT account credentials.
• Video generation requires a paid subscription; free access is limited to viewing others' videos.
• The Plus plan is positioned for non-commercial use, with 720p resolution and watermarked videos. At the time of filming, Plus users could generate 10-second videos at 480p.
• The Pro plan is for more serious users, though unlimited relaxed videos were available to Plus users during the filming period.

If you run out of credits to make videos you can still create them they'll just be slower to make.

Creating Your First Video and Iteration [01:59]

• A simple prompt like "Star Wars style Stormtroopers invading a modern office pastel theme" can generate initial video clips.
• Sora produced two variations of the initial prompt, with the first video featuring Stormtroopers in a pastel office and the second showing them moving through different rooms.
• Initial outputs may lack specific elements like office workers or desks.
• The "remix" function allows users to modify existing generated videos by adding or changing elements in the prompt.
• Remix strength can be adjusted from "mild" to "strong" to control the degree of changes.

The game here is prompt and adjust and adjust and adjust and so on.

Prompt Tuning and Remix Strength [03:11]

• Remixing involves adjusting the prompt and can be influenced by "remix strength," with higher strength leading to more significant changes.
• Users can select "mild," "normal," or "strong" remix strengths to fine-tune alterations.
• Video resolution can be set to 480p for faster experimentation or higher settings.
• The number of variations can be adjusted, with two being a common choice.
• Stronger remix strengths can lead to more noticeable differences in room setups and character presence, but may not always capture the desired emotion like "cowering in fear."

The higher the strength the more likely things will change in the video regardless of whether you asked for that change or not.

Saving and Organizing Videos [05:10]

• Generated videos can be added to favorites, shared via a link, downloaded, or added to folders for organization.
• The "favorites" section is accessible via the left sidebar.
• Users can create new folders to manage their video creations.

You can add a video to your favorites list you can share it with others via a link you can download it to your desktop or you can add it to a folder which is basically like organizing your favorites.

Prompting Strategies and Inspiration [05:41]

• The "featured" tab provides inspiration by showcasing videos created by other users along with their prompts.
• Users can view and edit prompts from featured videos, including settings like aspect ratio, quality, and length.
• Liked videos can be saved by clicking a heart icon, which adds them to a "likes" section for later access.
• Tip 1: Keep prompts simple, as Sora is a clip creator, not a movie creator. Overly complex prompts yield less desirable results.
• Tip 2: Avoid complex object interactions; simple actions like eating pasta can lead to unexpected visual glitches.

Good artist copy great artist steal.

The "CAST" Acronym and Presets [07:50]

• A simple formula for effective prompting is "CAST": Character (who or what), Action (what they are doing), Setting (where), and Time (when).
• ChatGPT can be used to generate prompt ideas.
• Presets can be managed and applied to alter characteristics like color grading, camera, film stock, and lighting.
• Applying a "film noir" preset to a prompt about a fox transformed the scene into a 1940s crime drama.

You can remember it with the acronym cast C is for character who or what are the characters in The Shot A is for action what are those characters doing s is for setting where are the characters and T is for time what time of day or time period are they in.

Evaluating Sora's Performance Across Video Types [09:36]

• B-roll: Sora generates realistic environments for b-roll, but struggles with coherent details like road signs, traffic lights, and moving objects (e.g., vans passing through people). It received 3 out of 5 stars.
• Animations and Abstract Art: Sora performs well with particle simulations, fractal patterns, and linocuts. It can create looping animations, though shorter loops (2 seconds) provide less time for quality generation. Light leaks are also rendered beautifully. This category received 4.5 out of 5 stars.
• Data and Infographics: Sora struggles significantly with generating accurate text and coherent data visualizations. Animated line graphs and infographics produced nonsensical results, and text numbers were often changed. Heads-up displays show some promise but degrade with complexity. This category received 0 stars.
• Celebrities: Sora cannot generate recognizable likenesses of celebrities. Attempts result in generic faces or lookalikes, and attempts at specific figures may trigger copyright checks. This category was not rated.
• Fantasy: This category allows for greater creative freedom and forgiveness of mistakes. Sora can combine fantastical elements like hybrid animals and animate objects like origami cranes. It received 4 out of 5 stars.
• Fun for Kids: Sora can animate characters interacting, but struggles with object interaction. Uploading custom characters is possible, but copyright restrictions limit the use of most familiar characters. It can animate custom cats or memes. This category received 1 out of 5 stars.

This category is so bad we're not even going to rate it.

Uploading Custom Media [15:15]

• Users can upload their own images or videos to jumpstart prompts.
• This requires agreeing to terms regarding age, explicit content, rights, and potential bans for misuse.
• Uploaded media can be animated by Sora, either with a prompt or autonomously.
• Copyright checks can prevent the generation of content based on copyrighted material, even if it's in the public domain.

After all that if you're still on the fence about a subscription check out our bonus video in the top right on adjusting the camera style and Lighting to your heart's content.