Free AI Video Course for Total Beginners

Welcome to lesson one of our free AI video course online. Today you will learn how AI video generation works and how to pick the right model for your budget — no experience needed.

Start lesson 1Open the video generator
The basics

How AI video generation actually works

Before this AI video course gets into models, here is the whole process in one sentence: you write a short text prompt, send it to an AI video model, and the model turns your words into a moving clip — usually within a minute or two.

  1. 01

    Write a prompt

    Describe the shot you want in plain English: who is on screen, what they are doing, and how the camera moves. That is your prompt.

  2. 02

    Pick a model

    The model is the engine that renders your clip. Better engines cost more per second; faster ones cost less. This choice is the focus of today's AI video course lesson.

  3. 03

    Get your video

    The model returns a short clip. Same prompt, different model, different result — which is exactly why choosing well matters.

Throughout this AI video course we reuse one simple prompt, so every sample video below is a fair, apples-to-apples comparison. Copy it and follow along.

Course promptLone Hiker Revealed at the Edge of a Colossal Canyon
Prompt
Crane shot starting low on a lone hiker and ascending high above, revealing they are standing on the edge of a colossal, mist-filled canyon at sunrise, epic fantasy style, awe-inspiring, soft morning light.
Try It Yourself
Lesson 1 · Flagship

The flagship models: best quality, highest price

If quality is everything for your project, start here. These two models top every AI video course ranking right now — they follow prompts closely, render realistic motion, and generate sound. The trade-off is simple: you pay the most per second of video.

Veo 3.1

$0.40 / second

Google's flagship and the safest all-round pick. Veo 3.1 nails physics, lighting, and lip-synced audio, and it follows long, detailed prompts better than anything else we have tested. When a clip has to look professional on the first try, this is the one.

Generates audio
Multi-shot scenes
Max clip length8s

Same prompt, this model's result

Try this model

Seedance 2.0

$0.15 / second

ByteDance's flagship is the storyteller of the group. Seedance 2.0 can cut between multiple camera angles inside a single generation, which makes it great for short narrative clips and ads. Slightly cheaper than Veo 3.1, with quality that often matches it.

Generates audio
Multi-shot scenes
Max clip length10s

Same prompt, this model's result

Try this model
Lesson 2 · Mid-range

The mid-range pick: open-source quality at $0.10 a second

Wan 2.7 sits between the cheap budget tier and the premium flagships. It covers most visual-only projects without the price tag of Veo or Seedance, and a large open-source community keeps improving it.

Wan 2.7

$0.10 / second

A community-backed open-source model with a fast generation loop. Wan 2.7 handles motion-heavy prompts well and has no proprietary lock-in. No audio, but it is the go-to pick for high-volume visual clips where cost matters.

Generates audio
Multi-shot scenes
Max clip length~5s

Same prompt, this model's result

Try this model
Lesson 3 · Budget

The budget pick: Google audio for five cents a second

Veo 3.1 Lite is the cheapest way to get a clip with native audio. At $0.05 per second it is half the price of Wan 2.7 and a tenth of Veo 3.1 — useful for drafts, high-volume runs, and any project that needs sound but not perfection.

Veo 3.1 Lite

$0.05 / second

Google's entry-level model with native audio included. Veo 3.1 Lite keeps the same strong prompt understanding as the flagship at a fraction of the cost. Start here for social clips and publishable drafts before deciding whether to spend more.

Generates audio
Multi-shot scenes
Max clip length8s

Same prompt, this model's result

Try this model
Cheat sheet

How to choose: three simple rules

Keep these three rules from this free AI video course in mind and you will rarely overpay for a clip.

  • Match the model to the stakes

    Client work and final cuts deserve a flagship. Social posts do fine on mid-range. Experiments belong on the budget tier.

  • Check the feature boxes first

    Need sound? Clips longer than 8 seconds? Multiple camera angles? Filter by features before you compare prices — a cheap model that can't do the job costs more than an expensive one that can.

  • Draft cheap, finish expensive

    Iterate on your prompt with the fast budget model, then rerun the final version on a flagship. You get top quality for a fraction of the usual cost.

Up next

Lesson 2: learn to write prompts that work

You now know how to pick a model — the first skill in any AI video course. The second is writing prompts the model can actually follow. Our free prompt guide breaks the formula into five simple blocks with copy-ready examples.

Continue to the prompt guideBrowse the prompt library

AI video course FAQ