AI video tools make it easy to generate a clip. The expensive rework often happens earlier: a voiceover has no matching visual, a product changes colour between shots, or the edit ends with no clear action. For dependable 30–60 second videos, turn the script into an executable shot list before choosing which shots need AI.
This workflow suits product and feature demonstrations. Use ChatGPT or Claude to structure a script, and tools such as Runway for supplemental shots. Real screen recordings should prove real product actions; AI footage is best for transitions, unavailable B-roll and abstract concepts.
Choose one viewer action
Set one main action: save a method, comment for a template, click for a guide or book a demo. Write four fields first: audience, current obstacle, outcome and next action. Without them, AI fills the opening with vague promises instead of a useful problem.
Use a six-shot, 45-second structure
- 0–3 seconds: show the real situation.
- 3–8: name the cost.
- 8–18: demonstrate the first key action.
- 18–30: show the result or contrast.
- 30–40: state a boundary or human-check reminder.
- 40–45: give the single CTA.
For every shot, label its source: real footage, screen recording, existing asset, AI generation or graphic. That label prevents a generic generated scene from standing in for evidence.
Ask for a shot list, not viral copy
Turn the supplied facts into a 45-second vertical-video shot list. Output seconds, visual, voiceover, on-screen text, source type and review risk. Use only supplied facts; do not invent metrics, reviews, prices, features or results. Prefer screen recording for real product actions and flag a human-check reminder.
Create a continuity card for AI shots
Record fixed elements: 9:16 format, palette, person and wardrobe, product appearance, camera language and prohibited elements. Paste this card into every generation prompt. Generate 3–5 second fragments first; confirm the scene before extending it. This is cheaper and far easier to replace than regenerating a full video.
Review captions, claims and the action path
Captions should carry one idea per screen, not reproduce every spoken filler word. Check that visual, caption and voiceover support the same fact; product and interface continuity hold; customer data, music and assets are cleared or redacted; and the CTA destination works. Watch once muted, once with headphones and once at speed before publishing.
Track the metric that matches the goal—saves for templates, qualified clicks or enquiries for product content—and write the observation back into the shot list. The reusable asset is not a single generated video; it is the shot structure, continuity card and review checklist that make the next one faster and more trustworthy.