# How to make a faceless video with AI Source: https://freeaicourses.com/workflows/faceless-explainer-video Last checked: 2026-10-02 (each tool's free plan and price on the maker's own pricing page) ## Short answer To make a faceless video with AI, write the script with Claude, turn it into a voiceover with ElevenLabs, generate visuals in Adobe Firefly, animate a few shots in Runway, edit and caption in CapCut, then design the thumbnail in Canva. Every tool has a free plan, so you can make your first video before paying for anything. ## Key facts - What you end up with: A 3 to 5 minute narrated explainer video with captions and a thumbnail, ready to upload. - Tools used: Claude, ElevenLabs, Adobe Firefly, Runway, CapCut, Canva - Camera or microphone needed: None - Coding needed: None ## Steps ### Step 1: Write a script built for listening (Claude) Give Claude your topic, who the video is for and 3 points you want to land. Ask for a script of about 130 words per minute of video, in short spoken sentences. Then ask for 5 opening lines and pick the one that states the payoff fastest. Read the script aloud once and cut anything you stumble on. Tip: Ask Claude to mark each paragraph with a one-line visual idea. You'll use those notes in step 3. The catch: AI scripts drift into generic phrasing. Add one example or opinion of your own per section, or the video will sound like every other channel. Alternatives: ChatGPT ### Step 2: Turn the script into a voiceover (ElevenLabs) Paste the script into ElevenLabs text to speech, pick a voice that suits the topic and generate it one paragraph at a time. Short chunks are easier to redo when one word sounds off. Export the audio as one file. This voiceover sets the timing for everything else, so finish it before you make any visuals. Tip: Add commas and full stops to control pacing. A full stop gives a longer pause than a comma. The catch: Check the plan's licence before you publish anything you earn money from: commercial use and the free plan don't always go together. ### Step 3: Generate still visuals for each section (Adobe Firefly) Use the visual notes from step 1 as prompts. Keep one style phrase in every prompt, such as 'flat illustration, muted colours', so the images look like one video. Make 1 image for every 5 to 8 seconds of voiceover. A 4 minute video needs roughly 30 to 45 images. Tip: Generate at 16:9 for YouTube and 9:16 if you'll cut Shorts from the same video. The catch: Image tools struggle with text, hands and the same character across shots. Put text in during the edit, not in the prompt. Alternatives: Midjourney, Ideogram ### Step 4: Animate a few key shots (Runway) Pick 3 to 5 images that matter most, such as the opening and each section change, and turn them into short moving clips in Runway. Everything else can stay still: the slow zoom in the edit (step 5) makes stills feel alive at no cost. The catch: Generated video uses credits fast and a free plan won't stretch to a whole video. Save motion for the moments that need it. ### Step 5: Edit, caption and add music (CapCut) Drop the voiceover on the timeline first, then lay images and clips over it to match each sentence. Add a slow zoom to each still image. Run auto-captions, fix any misheard words and restyle them so they don't look like the default. Add quiet background music under the voice. Tip: Change the picture every 5 to 8 seconds. Faceless videos lose viewers when one image sits on screen too long. Alternatives: Descript, DaVinci Resolve ### Step 6: Design the thumbnail (Canva) Use one of your generated images as the background, add 3 to 5 words of large text and a strong contrast colour. Check how it looks at phone size before you export. The catch: Thumbnails with too many words fail at small sizes. If it isn't readable on your phone's home screen, cut words. Alternatives: Adobe Express ## Sections ### Overview A faceless explainer is narration over visuals, with no presenter on screen. AI now covers every part of it, so one person can make a polished 3 to 5 minute video without a camera, a microphone or a design background. ### What makes a faceless video worth watching? A faceless video is worth watching when the script teaches something specific and the visuals change with every idea. Viewers forgive a synthetic voice; they don't forgive a vague script. Spend most of your time on step 1. ### What are the most common mistakes? The most common mistakes are making visuals before the voiceover is final, using the default caption style and writing scripts for reading rather than listening. Each one makes the video feel generic. Fix the order of work first: script, voice, then pictures. ## Verdict If you want to start a channel without being on camera, use this faceless video with AI workflow and spend most of your effort on the script: Claude and ElevenLabs carry the video, and the visuals only need to keep up. ## Questions people ask ### Can you make a faceless video with AI for free? Yes. Every tool in this workflow has a free plan, enough for your first video. The limits show up in generated video credits and voice licensing, so expect to pay for one or two tools once you publish every week. ### Which AI voice sounds most natural for faceless videos? ElevenLabs is our pick for natural narration voices. Try 3 or 4 voices on the same paragraph before choosing, and keep one voice for the whole channel so viewers recognise it. ### How long does it take to make an AI faceless video? Your first one will take longest, because you're learning 6 tools at once. Once the steps are familiar, most of the time goes on the script and on matching visuals to the voiceover, not on the AI generation itself. ### Do faceless AI videos get monetised on YouTube? They can be, if they add something original. YouTube's policies target repetitive, mass-produced content, not AI tools as such. A clear script with your own research and opinions is what keeps a faceless channel safe. ### Should I use generated video or still images? Mostly stills with a slow zoom, plus a few generated clips for key moments. Generated video costs credits and still struggles to stay consistent between shots, while stills are quick and look tidy. ### Which free course helps with this workflow? Generative AI for Everyone, on Coursera, explains what text, image and video generators can and can't do, which helps you write better prompts at every step. It needs no coding. ## Related pages - [Generative AI for Everyone](https://freeaicourses.com/courses/generative-ai-for-everyone) - [Introduction to Generative AI](https://freeaicourses.com/courses/google-introduction-to-generative-ai) - [AI For Everyone](https://freeaicourses.com/courses/ai-for-everyone) - [Best AI chat assistants](https://freeaicourses.com/tools/chat-assistants) - [Best AI audio and voice tools](https://freeaicourses.com/tools/audio-voice) - [Best AI image generators](https://freeaicourses.com/tools/image-generation) - [Best AI video editing tools](https://freeaicourses.com/tools/video-editing) - [Best AI design and presentation tools](https://freeaicourses.com/tools/design-presentations) - [Best AI tools for content creators](https://freeaicourses.com/tools/for/content-creators) - [How to make an AI avatar video](https://freeaicourses.com/workflows/ai-avatar-video) - [AI video workflows](https://freeaicourses.com/workflows)