AI video, for people who actually edit.
Deals and plan prices for the AI tools editors are adding to their workflow (generation, upscaling, AI panels inside After Effects and Photoshop), plus short tips that each link to their source.
Jump to tips ↓AI video deals & plans
Not listed yet: Kling, Luma Dream Machine, Hailuo/MiniMax, Higgsfield and CapCut Pro. We couldn't confirm a current sale price on their public pricing pages tonight, so they stay off until we can. "Annual billing" cards show everyday yearly pricing, not limited-time sales.
AI video tips that work right now
1. Image-to-video: describe the motion, not the picture
Your input image already sets the subject, lighting and style. Use the text prompt only for what should move: subject motion, camera motion, scene motion. Call the subject "the subject" or "she" so the model doesn't redraw details that are already there.
2. Start simple, then add one element per generation
Begin with a short prompt that has only the essential motion. Once that works, add camera movement, then scene motion, then style, one at a time, so you know which change broke a shot. Avoid conversational or command-style prompts ("please make…").
3. One camera move per shot
"Push in, pan left, tilt up and orbit" gives you wobbly footage. Pick one main move (push in, pull back, pan, tilt, track, orbit, static) and pair it with the subject's action, speed and framing. Need more? Cut to another shot.
4. Write multi-shot prompts like a shot list
Kling 3.0 can generate storyboards. Label each shot and give its framing, subject, motion and duration ("Shot 2, 3s: low-angle tracking shot, camera follows beside the runner"). The model keeps continuity across the cuts better than if you generate separate clips.
5. Lock consistent characters with references, not adjectives
For a recurring character, use reference or element-binding features and feed a character sheet (face close-up plus front, side and back views on one high-res image). Keep the camera at mid to close distance. Identity drifts most when the character turns around.
6. Draft cheap at low res, upscale only the keeper
Generate drafts at 480p, re-roll until you get the take, then upscale just that clip to 4K. It's widely shared on X this week as the way to stop burning credits, and the same "draft, then upscale" two-stage idea is built into open pipelines like LTX Video.
7. Upscale for the shot type, then finish in your NLE
For faces, text, logos and products, use a faithful upscaler (Topaz recommends Starlight Precise). Use a creative upscaler only for wide, stylized or very soft shots. Topaz can export 10-bit ProRes, which gives you room to grade the AI clip in Resolve or Premiere so it matches your real footage.
This week in AI video
Every issue has a short AI video section: new models, price changes, and one workflow tip you can use in Resolve, Premiere or AE.