Overview
This guide walks you through creating your first AI video from start to finish. By the end, you'll have a finished video ready to download and share—no editing experience required.
What You'll Accomplish
You'll turn a simple idea into a polished video using Magic Hour's AI tools. Whether you want to create a cinematic scene, transform an image into motion, or stylize existing footage, you'll learn the complete process in about 15 minutes.
Prerequisites
A web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge)
A free Magic Hour account
Content to work with: a text idea, an image, or a video file
Free credits to generate (new accounts start with 400 free credits on the Basic plan)
New to Magic Hour? You can start creating immediately—no credit card required for the free plan. Most beginner projects use between 10–50 credits per generation.
Compatibility
This workflow applies to all Magic Hour plans (Basic, Creator, Pro, and Business). Free plan limits apply (e.g., 400 credits per month, watermarked outputs, max 512px resolution), but you can follow these steps on any plan.
Step-by-Step Workflow
Phase 1: Prepare Your Idea (2 minutes)
1. Choose Your Starting Point
Decide which type of video you want to create. Magic Hour offers several paths:
Text-to-Video: Write a description, and AI generates a video from scratch.
Image-to-Video: Upload a photo, and AI brings it to life with motion.
Video-to-Video: Upload a video, and AI applies a new style (e.g., anime, cyberpunk, comic).
Face Swap: Replace someone's face in a video with another face.
Lip Sync: Sync any person's lip movements to audio (music, speech, dialogue).
For this guide, we'll use Text-to-Video—it's the most beginner-friendly option.
2. Define Your Idea in Simple Terms
Write down what you want to see. Examples:
"A girl standing in a snowstorm looking at the camera"
"A man walking through a neon-lit alley at night"
"A sunset over the ocean with birds flying across the sky"
Pro Tip: The more specific your description, the better the result. Instead of "a girl in snow," write "a girl in a blue jacket standing in heavy snow, wind blowing her hair, looking directly at the camera with a calm expression."
Phase 2: Log In and Access Magic Hour (1 minute)
3. Sign Up or Log In
Go to magichour.ai and sign up with your email (or log in if you already have an account). No credit card required for the free plan.
Expected result: You land on your Magic Hour dashboard.
4. Verify Your Credits
Look for your credit balance in the top right corner of the dashboard. New accounts receive 400 free credits on the Basic plan.
Credit usage varies by tool. Text-to-Video typically costs 3–10 credits per 5-second video. Image-to-Video and Video-to-Video cost 5–15 credits depending on duration and resolution.
Phase 3: Choose and Access Your Tool (1 minute)
5. Navigate to Your Chosen Tool
From the dashboard, select the tool that matches your idea:
Click Products or find the tool directly on your dashboard.
Select Text-to-Video (or your chosen tool).
Click Create or Get Started.
Expected result: You're now in the creation interface with input fields ready.
Phase 4: Write Your Prompt (3 minutes)
6. Craft Your Prompt (The Most Important Step)
Your prompt is your script. The AI follows your description closely, so clarity matters. Use this structure:
1. Subject and Action: Who or what is in the video, and what are they doing?
Example: "A woman in a red dress walking through a garden"
2. Environment: Where does the action happen?
Example: "The garden has blooming roses, a stone path, and soft morning light"
3. Camera Direction: How should the camera move or frame the scene?
Example: "Slow tracking shot following her from behind"
4. Lighting and Atmosphere: What's the mood and lighting?
Example: "Soft golden sunlight filtering through trees"
5. Style (Optional): What visual style do you want?
Example: "Cinematic, like a movie scene" or "in the style of a watercolor painting"
Complete Example Prompt:
"A woman in a red dress walks slowly through a blooming garden, stone path beneath her feet. The camera follows her from behind as she moves deeper into the roses. Soft golden sunlight filters through the trees, creating a dreamy, romantic atmosphere. Cinematic, like a movie moment."
Avoid These Common Mistakes:
Don't overload with adjectives: "beautiful, amazing, stunning, incredible" confuses the AI.
Don't forget to describe motion: Static descriptions often result in boring videos.
Don't list unrelated elements: "A dog, a cat, a bird, a car, a house" makes the AI unsure what's important.
7. Enter Your Prompt into the Text Field
Copy your prompt and paste it into the "Describe your video" or "Text prompt" field in Magic Hour. The field usually accepts 100–500 characters, so you have plenty of room for detail.
Expected result: Your prompt appears in the input field, ready for generation.
Phase 5: Configure Settings (2 minutes)
8. Choose Video Duration
Select how long your video should be:
5 seconds: Quick, snappy content (best for beginners)
10 seconds: Balanced length for storytelling
15–30 seconds: Longer narratives (use more credits)
For your first video, choose 5 seconds.
9. Select Resolution (if available)
On the free plan, you're limited to 512px resolution. Paid plans unlock HD, 2K, and 4K. Leave this on the default for now.
Check your remaining credits before generating—the platform shows a credit cost estimate before you render.
10. Optional: Choose a Generation Mode
Some tools offer:
Quick Mode: Faster generation, suitable for experimentation
Studio Mode: Higher quality, takes longer but produces more detailed results
For your first attempt, use Quick Mode.
Expected result: All settings are configured and you're ready to generate.
Phase 6: Generate Your Video (5–10 minutes)
11. Click Generate or Render
Review your prompt one last time, then click the Generate, Render, or Create Video button. Magic Hour will deduct credits and begin processing.
Expected result: The generation starts. You'll see a progress indicator or "Processing" message.
Generation time varies based on video length and mode. A 5-second video typically takes 30–120 seconds. You can close the browser tab and check back later—your video will be ready when processing completes.
12. Wait for the Video to Process
Magic Hour's AI processes your prompt and generates the video. Do not close the browser or refresh during this time (though you can leave the page open).
Expected result: Once complete, you'll see your generated video in a preview window or gallery.
Phase 7: Preview and Review (1 minute)
13. Watch Your Video
The finished video appears on screen or in your project gallery. Play it to see the result.
Ask yourself:
Does it match your idea?
Is the motion smooth and natural?
Are the colors and lighting what you expected?
14. Decide: Regenerate or Download?
If the result isn't quite right, you have two options:
Refine your prompt (make it more specific) and generate again.
Accept it and move forward.
If the AI misunderstood your prompt, try removing confusing adjectives and adding more specific camera or motion instructions. For example, change "beautiful snowy landscape" to "snow-covered mountains, wide establishing shot panning left to right."
Phase 8: Download Your Video (1 minute)
15. Click Download
Once satisfied, click the Download or Save button on the video preview. Your video will download as an MP4 file to your computer's default download folder.
Expected result: The MP4 file appears in your Downloads folder. For free plan users, the video includes a Magic Hour watermark. Paid plans remove watermarks.
16. Verify the Download
Open your Downloads folder and check that the video file is there. It should be named something like magic_hour_video.mp4 or project_123.mp4.
Pro step: Rename it to something descriptive like "garden_walk_v1.mp4" for easy organization.
Verify Your Success
Your workflow is complete when you can:
✓ Open the MP4 file and watch the video on any device
✓ Share it on social media or messaging apps
✓ Edit it further in video editing software (Capcut, iMovie, Adobe Premiere) if desired
✓ See the video uploaded and watchable without errors
Congratulations! You've created your first AI video. You're now ready to experiment with different prompts, tools, and ideas.
Common Next Steps
Want to improve quality?
Upgrade to a paid plan to unlock HD/4K resolution and remove watermarks.
Use Studio Mode for more detailed generations (if available on your plan).
Write even more specific prompts, incorporating lighting and camera direction.
Want to explore other tools?
Try Image-to-Video to animate your photos with motion.
Try Video-to-Video to apply artistic styles to existing videos.
Combine multiple tools: generate a video, then use Face Swap or Lip Sync to add character.
Want to scale up?
Create multiple videos in batches by repeating this workflow.
Use the API (available on Creator and above) to automate video generation if building for a team or app.
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Likely Cause | Solution |
Video looks nothing like my prompt | Prompt was too vague or had conflicting descriptions | Rewrite your prompt using the 5-part structure (subject, environment, camera, lighting, style). Be specific about what you DON'T want too (e.g., "no people, just landscape"). |
Generation failed or shows an error | Insufficient credits or unsupported content in prompt | Check your credit balance. If credits are low, purchase more or wait until your monthly credits refresh. If the error persists, simplify your prompt (some content like violence or explicit material may be blocked). |
Video is low quality or blurry | Using free plan (512px max) or Quick Mode | Upgrade to Creator ($10/mo) or Pro ($49/mo) for HD/4K. Or switch to Studio Mode for sharper details. |
Download button not appearing | Video still processing or browser cache issue | Wait a few seconds for the video to fully load. Refresh the page. Try a different browser. Check that your video actually finished generating (look for a "Completed" or "Ready" status). |
Downloaded file won't play | Incomplete download or incompatible video player | Re-download the video. Use VLC Media Player (free) or your device's default player. Ensure the file is fully downloaded (check file size in Downloads folder). |
I'm running out of free credits quickly | Multiple generations or longer videos consuming credits | Your 400 free credits expire each month. Upgrade to a paid plan for continuous credits. Or explore shorter 5-second generations to experiment (they cost fewer credits). |
Key Tips for Best Results
Prompt specificity is everything. Vague prompts lead to generic results. The more details you include about scene, motion, lighting, and style, the closer the AI gets to your vision.
Experiment in iterations. Your first video might not be perfect. Try tweaking one element at a time (e.g., change the camera direction or lighting) and regenerate. This teaches you what works.
Use references when stuck. If you're unsure how to describe your idea, search for similar videos on YouTube and use that visual as inspiration for your prompt (e.g., "like a scene from the movie Blade Runner 2049").
Keep prompts between 2–4 sentences. This is the sweet spot—short enough to avoid overwhelming the AI, long enough to include essential detail.
Limitations and Known Behavior
Free plan cap: Max 400 credits/month, 512px resolution, watermarked videos, limited tool access
Video length: Most videos can be 5–30 seconds; longer videos cost more credits
Generation time: 5-second video typically takes 30–120 seconds depending on complexity and server load
Face consistency: If your prompt includes multiple people, the AI may not keep faces consistent across the video; reuse exact descriptions for consistent results
Motion quality: Faster motion (running, jumping) can look less natural than slow, deliberate movement (walking, turning); adjust your prompts accordingly
What's Next?
Now that you've completed one video, here are natural next steps:
Learn prompt writing in depth: Explore our guide to writing effective AI video prompts to master the craft.
Explore other tools: Try Image-to-Video or Face Swap to diversify what you create.
Combine multiple generations: Create 3–5 short videos, then stitch them together in a free tool like CapCut for longer content.
Check out our YouTube channel: Visit our YouTube channel for video tutorials and inspiration.
Upgrade for pro features: If you're creating regularly, a paid plan unlocks higher resolution, faster generation, and priority support.
Getting Help
Still stuck? Here's what to do:
Check our Help Center: Visit intercom.help/magic-hour-ai for FAQs and articles.
Email support: Reach out to [email protected] with a clear description of your issue and the video output (if applicable).
Join our Discord: Connect with the Magic Hour community at discord.gg/Btv9bkqN for tips, troubleshooting, and inspiration.
Collect for support: When contacting support, have ready: your account email, the exact prompt you used, generation settings (duration, mode), and any error messages.
You're ready to create. Start with a simple idea, follow this workflow, and experiment. Each video teaches you something new about prompting and the platform. Welcome to Magic Hour! 🎬