Pictory.AI offers a seamless solution for captivating crafting video shorts effortlessly using cutting-edge technology.

You can also create social media videos following the same steps.

I will walk you through creating a compelling YouTube video short using Pictory.AI’s user-friendly platform.

As everyone already knows, video content is a powerful tool in today’s digital landscape, and mastering the art of creating engaging videos is essential for any content creator or marketer.

With Pictory.AI, you can unleash your creativity and produce professional-quality video shorts (as well as long-form content videos) that will captivate your audience and elevate your brand.

From selecting the perfect footage to adding dynamic transitions and effects, this guide will show you how to make the most of Pictory.AI’s features to bring your vision to life.

Whether you’re a seasoned videographer looking to streamline your workflow or a beginner eager to dive into video creation, Pictory.AI offers a versatile platform that caters to creators of all levels.

So, let’s get started.

Getting Started with Pictory.AI

Head on over to Pictory.AI and sign up for an account. 

Click on the “Free Trial” button in the top right-hand corner. You can sign up using Google or your name and email address.

Note: A credit card is not required to try using Pictory. I don’t like it when platforms or tools ask for credit card information because that usually puts the onus of remembering to cancel your trial on you.

Unfortunately, I have experienced this first-hand too many times.

If you sign up using Google, you will be asked to verify the Google account you would like to use. Once you sign up, you will see the Pictory.AI dashboard.

As you can see, there are several options to select from. For this tutorial, I will choose the first option, “Script to Video.”

Notice under each option is a video tutorial to assist you. This helps make Pictory.AI a user-friendly platform.

What Can You Do with Pictures Script to Video Feature?

Below is a list of what you can do with “Script to Video” in Pictory.

• Input your script
• Add visuals from their extensive library of stock images and videos
• Add AI voiceovers
• Use your voice and auto-sync it with your project
• Apply styles and branding
• Select the aspect ratio of your videos
• Create your own templates for future use

Suggestions on Where to Get Your Video Script

If you have a long-form video for the same topic and want to link to it from your YouTube short, summarize or select the most compelling and engaging section of your video.

If you have several sections you would like to use, consider creating many shorts on the same topic, all linking to the same long-form video.

Or you can use an AI tool to generate ideas for extrapolating the most persuasive parts of the video into smaller, concise clips.

Of course,  you can also write your own video script.

Remember that YouTube video shorts must be less than 60 seconds long. Let’s use the video below to create a short that will link to it.

Looking through my video description, I will tweak some of the text and use the following for my short:

Classical conditioning, a concept introduced by Ivan Pavlov, is more than a psychological curiosity—it’s a business strategy goldmine.

The secret to capturing hearts and wallets in the bustling marketplace might lie in a century-old psychological concept called classical conditioning.

This phenomenon is not just for textbooks but a cornerstone of business persuasion.

By associating a neutral stimulus, like a brand logo, with a positive experience, companies can trigger a reflexive, loyal response from consumers. ​

Basic Settings for Pictory

Now that our script is ready, let’s click “Proceed.”

Enter the name of your video first. Hover over “Scene settings” to see your options:

• Auto-highlight keywords: This is helpful, but check which words the program chooses to highlight and make changes where necessary.
• Auto visuals selection: I always keep this one. However, more often than not, I choose to use a different visual that more accurately reflects the meaning of my video.
• Create new scenes: I usually leave this setting on “both,” but there is no need to worry; you can edit where you want new scenes to be when creating your video.

Choose a title for your video and add your script in the box provided.

Don’t be overly concerned about the title you use. This is more so you can find your projects later inside your dashboard.

You can always change the video file’s name before uploading it to YouTube.

I highly recommend doing so, as YouTube considers the raw video file when ranking your video.

Pictory’s Storyboard Feature

Click “Proceed” to get the ball rolling and let Pictory create your storyboard.

Here, you can see the estimated duration of your video in the top-right-hand corner.

Mine is 47 seconds, which is a good length for a YouTube video short.

The estimated time could be shorter or longer depending on which voice you choose and how fast it speaks. 

To change the video’s aspect ratio, click “Format.” In this case, we will choose a portrait as our video is a YouTube short.

If you have created a brand kit (see the option in the top navigation), clicking “Branding” will enable you to use your logo and branding colors.

Pictory Background Audio and Voiceover

To choose your background music, click on “Audio”. You can sort music by Mood, Purpose, Genre, and Duration. Click “Apply” when you find the music you want to use.

Click “Voiceover” from the navigation menu to preview the available voices.

These can be sorted by “Accent,” “Age,” “Purpose,” “Male,” or “Female.” Once you find the voice you want to use, click “Apply.”

Time to Edit Visuals

You are now in the video creation process, where you can fine-tune your video assets.

You will notice that the video length has been adjusted by adding the video voiceover.

Look at each scene to see which words Pictory selected to be highlighted.

If you want to remove or add highlighting for a word or phrase, click inside the video asset in the storyboard, highlight the text in question, and use the highlight tool.

If you want to change where the text appears on the video, click on it and drag it to where you like it.

You can also change the font type, font size, alignment, color, and more using the navigation options in the storyboard.

Many customization options are available, but we will keep this as simple as possible for now.

Change Video Assets

To see the options for video assets, click “Visuals” from the left-hand navigation menu.

Options include Pictory’s library of images and videos, textures, and the ability to upload pictures or videos.

I will upload an image of Ivan Pavlov, which I created using Midjourney as my first visual asset.

Once uploaded, click on it to replace the visual asset with your upload.

Click on the gear icon under the picture, select “visual zoom and pan”, and “apply to all” to animate this image and any others you use.

Edit All Scenes

To edit the other scenes, click “story” to move on to the next scene. This time, we will search for a video.

Click on “visuals” again and search for a video in Pictory’s library.

To choose the portion of the video you want to use, move it around with your cursor.

Repeat the process until you have selected or accepted video assets for each scene.

You can preview a single scene or the entire video at once.

Time to Publish Your Video

Once satisfied with your edits or changes, click “publish video” in the upper right-hand corner.

Now it’s time to let Pictory.AI do its magic while it prepares your video for download. When it is ready, you will receive an email notification.

Or, if you still have the screen open in your browser, you will see the following image:

I highly recommend exporting the text to use in your YouTube video short description.

Here is the video we just created together!

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a video short using Pictory.AI is a breeze, thanks to its user-friendly interface and powerful editing tools.

Following this step-by-step guide, you can effortlessly bring your vision to life and captivate your audience with stunning visuals.

The more you use Pictory.AI, the more features you will find and the better you will utilize its capabilities.

Embrace the magic of storytelling through video and let Pictory.AI elevate your content creation game.

So, what are you waiting for? Start creating your masterpiece today and unleash your creativity like never before!

Click the image below and give Pictory.AI a try. (Note: this is an affiliate link.)