Learn how to make AI videos in 2026 with a practical step-by-step tutorial. From avatars and branding to prompts and exports, see how modern AI video creation works.
Producing a single explainer used to mean a script, a camera, an on-camera presenter, a studio, and an editing timeline measured in weeks. For most teams, that cost meant the video never got made at all.
In 2026, the workflow is different. You describe the video you want, an AI agent assembles it scene by scene, and you refine it with plain-language prompts. A finished, on-brand video can be ready in an afternoon rather than a quarter.
This is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make AI videos in 2026, using HeyGen's Video Agent as the worked example.
How to make an AI video in 2026 (quick version)
- Set up a brand system so every video matches your fonts, logo, and colors
- Open an AI video tool and set your format (length, and portrait or landscape)
- Choose an AI avatar and a matching voice
- Upload the assets you want on screen
- Write a prompt describing who the video is for and how it should flow
- Generate a wireframe, then refine it scene by scene
- Fine-tune the script, avatar, and captions, then export
The rest of this guide walks through each step in detail.
What is an AI video?
An AI video is a video generated largely or entirely from software rather than filmed with a camera. You provide inputs such as a prompt or script, an avatar, and a voice, and an AI tool assembles the footage, narration, and on-screen graphics for you.
In 2026, the most common approach utilizes an AI avatar that speaks your script, combined with your brand assets and B-roll. Because the tool handles generation and editing, you can produce a finished video without a crew, a studio, or a video editor.
What you need before you start
- A brand system: Your logo, fonts, and brand colors
- An avatar: A public (stock) avatar, or a custom one you have created.
- A voice: A stock voice from a voice library, or your own
- A prompt or script: Who the video is for, and how it should flow
- Your assets: Anything you want on screen, such as a one-pager, product shots, a background, or B-roll
How to make an AI video step by step
Step 1: Set up your brand system
In the menu, go to Avatar, then Brand System, then Create Brand System. Enter your brand's URL (for example, your homepage) and click Import. Consent to import your fonts and confirm. Choose the primary logo you want to use, then confirm your brand colors. The tool builds your brand system. Review everything, then click save.
Setting this up once means you never have to specify colors in a prompt again. Every video you make automatically pulls your fonts, logo, and colors.
Step 2: Open Video Agent and set your format
Click Create with Video Agent. Open the options and set the video length, and whether you want it in portrait or landscape.
Step 3: Choose your avatar
Go up and choose the avatar you want to present the video, then select it.
Step 4: Choose a voice
Click Voice, search the avatar's name you want, and then select a voice.
Step 5: Add your brand system
Open Brand System and select the one you created in step 1. This is what keeps the video on brand without extra prompting.
Step 6: Upload your assets
Click the plus button and upload anything you want included in the video. In this example, we upload a one-pager and a background. Click open.
Step 7: Write your prompt
This is where most of the quality comes from. In your prompt, include:
- Who the video is for
- The scene structure (how the video should flow, scene by scene)
- Which assets to use, and where
- Anything else, such as graphics for B-roll and A-roll overlays
If you added a brand system, you do not need to add colors to the prompt. When the prompt is ready, click generate.
A reusable prompt template:
This video is for [audience]. Goal: [what you want viewers to do or understand]. Scene structure: 1) open on the problem, 2) what the product does, 3) how it works in three steps, 4) call to action. Use the uploaded one-pager in scene 2 and the background throughout. Add B-roll overlays for the three steps and an A-roll graphic on the call to action.
Step 8: Generate the wireframe
Click Generate. The agent assembles a wireframe of your video and lays it out scene by scene, so you can see the whole structure before you commit to a full render.
Step 9: Refine scene by scene
You have two ways to make changes. Enter a prompt to change the whole video, or click edit on any scene to give specific feedback on that scene.
Changes stack on the left, so you can queue several at once. For example, add movement to a background image, then remove a logo, and confirm. When your changes are queued, click submit, and the tool applies them. Renders can take a couple of minutes, so give it a moment, then go back through scene by scene to confirm each change landed.
Step 10: Fine-tune in AI Studio
When the structure is right, click Edit a copy in AI Studio. One thing to know: once you are in AI Studio, Video Agent cannot make further edits on top of these changes, but you get finer control over the video.
In AI Studio, you can:
- Add dialogue to your script
- Change the avatar and the voice
- Adjust voice settings such as speed and volume, then apply them to all scenes
- Change the motion engine (for example, Avatar V)
- Adjust the avatar background, layout, and captions in your brand kit style
Step 11: Generate and export
When the video is ready, click Generate. Set the title, the folder you want it saved to, and the resolution, format, and frames per second. Once it finishes generating, open the video and watch the final product.
How to create a video using AI tools: The general approach
AI video tools fall into a few categories, and most follow the same underlying workflow.
- Avatar-based tools turn a script or prompt into a presenter-led video, with a digital avatar speaking your words. This is the approach used in the tutorial above.
- Text-to-video and generative tools create footage or B-roll from a description, with no presenter required.
- AI editing copilots work with existing footage and automate cuts, captions, and resizing.
Whichever category you use, the workflow is consistent: gather your inputs (a prompt or script, your brand, and any assets), generate a first version, refine it, and export. The agentic approach in this guide combines an avatar-based video with prompt-driven refinement, so you can build and revise without touching a traditional editing timeline.
Rolling out AI video across a team? Learn more about HeyGen for Enterprise.
Tips for making better AI videos
- Lead your prompt with the audience and the goal, not just the topic.
- Describe the scene structure, not only the subject. A four-scene outline produces a tighter video than a single paragraph of content.
- Set your brand system once so you never re-specify colors, fonts, or logos.
- Stack your edits and submit them together to save render time.
- Keep scripts conversational, and adjust voice speed to control pacing.
- Confirm changes scene by scene before moving to AI Studio, since the agent cannot edit further once you are in Studio.
How to make AI videos: Frequently asked questions
How do you make an AI video step by step?
Set up a brand system, open an AI video tool and set the format, choose an avatar and a matching voice, upload your assets, write a prompt describing the audience and scene structure, generate a wireframe, refine it scene by scene, fine-tune the script and avatar, then export.
How long does it take to make an AI video?
Once your brand system and avatar are set up, building a video is a matter of writing a prompt and refining the result. Generation and edits each take a few minutes, so a complete video can be ready the same day.
Do you need video editing skills to make AI videos?
No. You direct the video with plain-language prompts and menu options. The tool handles the rendering, captions, and on-screen graphics.
Can you use your own brand and avatar?
Yes. A brand system automatically applies your logo, fonts, and colors, and you can present with a public avatar or a custom one.
What is the difference between Video Agent and AI Studio?
Video Agent builds and restructures your video scene by scene from prompts. AI Studio gives you manual, fine-grained control over the script, avatar, voice, motion engine, layout, and captions. Once you move a copy into AI Studio, Video Agent can no longer edit on top of those changes.
Can you change the voice and pacing?
Yes. In AI Studio, you can change the voice, adjust speed and volume, and apply those settings to all scenes.
What formats can you export?
You can produce portrait or landscape video and set the resolution, format, and fps at export.
