How to Make YouTube Shorts and Reels with AI: from the Idea to the Finished Video, with No Filming

The steps that work: an idea with a hook, a character, short shots, voice, captions and a fast edit, with a real price for each step.

A good Short is not born from a good engine, but from an idea you can get in the first second. The engine only executes. Here is the road that works, with credit prices as of November 2026.

1. Start from the Hook

Before opening any tool, write one sentence: what is seen in the first second, and why nobody can scroll past it. If you cannot write that in a sentence, no engine will save the video.

2. The Fast Way: One Sentence to the Genie

Pick a reel, answer a few questions, and get a film with shots, narration, music, captions and an edit. Changes are asked for in a sentence, for example to shorten the opening, and the rest of the edit stays as it is.

3. The Manual Way: Shot by Shot

• An opening image: Nano Banana 2.1, 1 credit at 2K.
• Vertical 9:16 video: Kling 4.0 at 720p, 10 credits for 5 seconds and 29 for 15 seconds. Or Wan 3.0 at 720p, 14 credits for 15 seconds.
• Narration: Eleven v4, 1 credit per 750 characters.
• Music: Suno V6, 1 credit a song, at any length.
• Captions: transcription and translation are free.

4. Captions and the Edit

Many people start watching Shorts with the sound off, so captions are not an extra. The effects library has titles, captions, transitions and viral formats, each with an example, and you can ask for them in a sentence.

5. Search Cheap, Finish Expensive

Run the shot at low resolution until it works, and only then at full resolution. That way you do not pay twice for an idea that does not work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a 15 second Short cost?

For example, one take on Kling 4.0 at 720p costs 29 credits, and Wan 3.0 at 720p costs 14. The price is on screen before you click.

Do I need to film anything?

No. Write an idea, and the Genie builds a film from it with shots, voice, music and captions. You can also upload your own footage and edit it.

How much do captions cost?

Transcription and translation are free, with no credits.

Where to go next

• Make an AI video
• 105 image codes, and here they run
• 61 codes that turn a picture into a clip
• More guides on the blog