How to Make a Video With AI: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2026

Making a video with AI in 2026 comes down to one decision before any prompting: what kind of video is it? Generative models (Veo, Runway, Kling) make photoreal footage; avatar tools (HeyGen, Synthesia) make a presenter reading a script; motion-graphics tools (Maybe Labs) make designed, on-brand videos from a brief. Pick the wrong category and no amount of prompting saves it. Once you've chosen, the workflow is the same: prompt, review the structure, refine scene by scene, and export. Here's the full process.

The short answer

• First choose the tool type: generative footage, avatar presenter, or designed motion graphics.
• Write a specific prompt — subject, purpose, tone, and format all matter.
• Review the whole structure before rendering, then refine scene by scene.
• Export in the aspect ratio each channel needs (16:9, 9:16, 1:1).

Step 1: Pick the right kind of AI video tool

This is the step everyone skips, and it decides everything. If you need a cinematic clip or b-roll, use a generative model. If you need a talking-head explainer, use an avatar tool. If you need a launch video, product update, or SaaS explainer — anything where your brand and product are the point — use a motion-graphics tool. The full breakdown is in AI video editor vs generator and best AI video generators 2026.

Step 2: Write a specific prompt

A vague prompt produces a vague video. State the subject, the purpose (launch, ad, explainer), the audience, the tone, and the format. For generative models, describe the shot — subject, setting, motion, camera. For a marketing video, describe what the product does and the outcome for the viewer. See prompt to video for prompt patterns that work.

Step 3: Generate and review the structure

The best 2026 tools show you the whole video laid out scene by scene before committing to a full render, so you can catch a wrong structure early. Review the arc first — does it hook, demonstrate, and close on a CTA? — before fussing over any single scene. Getting the skeleton right saves you from polishing scenes you'll end up cutting.

Step 4: Refine scene by scene

Iteration is where the video gets good. Change the whole thing with a top-level prompt, or fix a single scene without disturbing the rest — the same loop you'd use in how to make a launch video with AI.

Step 5: Add the finishing touches and export

Add captions (most viewers watch muted), confirm your branding is consistent, and check the CTA. Then export in the aspect ratio each channel needs — 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 1:1 for feed. A good tool exports every ratio from one project so you're not rebuilding per channel. See repurpose a launch video into social clips.

The fastest path for a product video

If your video is about your product, you can collapse most of these steps: describe it to Maybe Labs and it plans the story, animates your UI, applies your brand, and returns a finished on-brand video with a CTA — free during the private beta. You still review and refine, but there's no footage to shoot or timeline to edit.

How to make a video with AI FAQ

Choose the right tool, prompt clearly, refine, export. For a product video, start by describing it to Maybe Labs — free during the private beta.