How to create your first HeyGen project

In this lesson, you will learn how to create your very first project in HeyGen and familiarise yourself with the key tools you will use across the platform.

Whether you are completely new or already familiar with video creation, this guide will help you confidently find everything you need to get started.

Begin from the dashboard

After logging into HeyGen, you will land on the dashboard. This is where all your past projects are stored. On the left side of the screen, you will find the main navigation panel with access to all of HeyGen’s tools.

To start a new video, click Create Video.

You will see several options. To create a custom avatar video, select Start from Scratch. You may also notice the Interactivity option, which opens Learning & Development templates; this will be covered in a separate lesson.

Next, choose your video orientation: portrait or landscape. You can change this later if required.

Once selected, you’ll be taken straight into AI Studio.

Get familiar with AI Studio

Inside AI Studio, you can begin by naming your project. Just below that, you will find the script editor, where you write, edit, and manage your scenes. This is where you add your script and organise the structure of your video.

Below the script editor, you will find options to add new scenes, record or upload audio, or insert pauses between lines. You can also use Voice Director (the megaphone icon) to control tone, pacing, and emotional delivery.

Clicking the three dots next to a scene shows more options, such as regenerating audio, rendering the scene to sync lip movements, converting to voice mirroring, translating the scene, or deleting it. From the script editor, you can also swap avatars, change voices, or switch between Avatar Unlimited and Avatar IV Motion engines.

Work with the timeline

The timeline editor allows you to review your video from beginning to end. You can drag the playhead to preview specific moments, see the total video duration, and rearrange scenes by dragging them to the left or right.

You can also add scenes from templates, insert video scenes or premium slides, and create smooth transitions between scenes using the arrow icon between clips.

Select and customise your avatar

Above the video canvas, click Avatars to select the avatar you want to use. You can choose from your own avatars or browse HeyGen’s public library.

Clicking on the avatar inside the canvas opens customisation options. From here, you can change the look, adjust the framing, remove the background, add a corner radius, or apply animations.

Enhance visuals and design

Next to the Avatars tab, you will find creative tools to enhance your video. These let you add text, upload media, insert elements, generate AI images, manage captions, or adjust background colours.

Above the script editor, open the hamburger menu to access additional tools. From here, you can save your video as a template, upload or download scripts, review version history, contact support, open tutorials, or change your theme.

In the options next to the hamburger menu, you can adjust the video orientation, select a brand kit, or share feedback directly with the HeyGen team.

Collaboration and project management

Your work is saved automatically, but you can also click Save manually at any time.

To collaborate, select Invite Members to add your teammates to the project. Notifications and comments appear in the top panel, making it easy to review and respond to feedback.

If your project has multiple layers, open the Layers panel to rearrange elements by dragging them above or below each other.

Preview and generate your video

When your script and visuals are ready, click Preview to watch your project. If the avatar appears still or blurred, it means the video has not been rendered yet; lip-syncing is applied during rendering.

Once you are satisfied, click Generate. You can rename your video, choose a destination folder, and select the output resolution up to 4K. If you are using Avatar IV, HeyGen will automatically calculate usage.

HeyGen will process your video, and once it is complete, it will appear in your Projects tab, ready for you to review, share, or download.