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Difficulty: ★★★★☆ Challenging · Estimated time: ~1.5 to 2 hours
You need a 30-second video introducing yourself for LinkedIn. You could spend hours learning video editing software, watching tutorials about keyframes and timelines, and still end up with something that looks amateur. Or you could just describe what you want — “a dark gradient background, my name fading in, a professional voiceover, a swoosh sound on each transition” — and let AI build it for you. That’s what we’re building. A workflow where you describe a video in plain English, and AI creates it — complete with animated text, professional voiceover, and sound effects. The result is a real MP4 file you can upload to LinkedIn, Instagram, or anywhere.
Tutorial led by Chan Meng — Senior AI/ML Engineer, open-source contributor, and former ByteDance developer. Chan has built 30+ live applications and specialises in AI-powered solutions. She is also a panel speaker at this event and the developer behind this website.

What you will build

Describe Your Video

Tell AI what you want — text, colours, animations, voiceover script — using natural language

AI Builds It

AI creates the video composition, generates professional voiceover audio and sound effects

Export to MP4

Render the final video and share it on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or anywhere

How it works

You describe what you want your video to look like. Your AI assistant (Gemini CLI or Claude Code) calls the ElevenLabs API to generate a voiceover and sound effects, then creates a Remotion video composition with animated text and audio. You preview it, refine it, and render the final MP4.

What you will learn

  • Describe a video in natural language and have AI build it for you
  • Get and use an API key — a transferable professional skill used across the tech industry
  • Generate AI voiceover audio from any text, in any of 32 supported languages
  • Create sound effects from text descriptions (swooshes, chimes, typing sounds)
  • Work with the describe-preview-refine loop — the same workflow professionals use
  • Render a finished MP4 video you can share anywhere
No video editing skills required. You will not open any video editing software. Your job is to describe what you want — the AI handles the rest. If you can describe a video to a friend, you can do this.

What kind of videos can you make?

Here are real examples — pick one for the tutorial, or come up with your own.

Personal Brand Intro

A 30-second “Hi, I’m [Name]” video for LinkedIn or your portfolio. Your name, tagline, key strengths, and a professional voiceover.

Event Invitation

Promote a meetup, workshop, or community event. Animated date, venue, and call-to-action with a chime sound effect.

Portfolio Showcase

Walk through a completed project. Animated bullet points listing what you built, tools used, and the outcome — with narration.

Social Media Tip

A short, punchy reel sharing a tech tip or motivational message. Bold animated text with voiceover — perfect for Instagram or TikTok.

Freelance Service Pitch

Promote a freelance offering. Service name, what you do, and contact info with a professional voiceover.

Thank-You Video

A personalised follow-up after a job interview or networking event. Warm voiceover, your name, and contact details.

Tools

Gemini CLI or Claude Code

Your AI assistant that runs in the terminal. Gemini CLI is free (1,000 requests/day). Claude Code is a paid alternative recommended by Remotion — more capable, same workflow.

Remotion

A framework that creates videos from code. You never write the code yourself — AI does it. Free for personal use.

ElevenLabs

AI voice and sound effects. Turn any text into professional voiceover or generate sound effects from descriptions. Free tier included.

Node.js

Required to run Gemini CLI, Remotion, and the ElevenLabs scripts. A one-time setup step.

Wispr Flow (optional)

Speak your prompts instead of typing them. Works in any application, including your terminal.

Cost

ToolCostNotes
Gemini CLIFree1,000 requests/day
Claude CodePaidRequires Max or Pro subscription. Optional alternative.
Node.jsFree
RemotionFreeFree for personal use
ElevenLabsFree tier10,000 characters/month (~5–8 min of speech)
Wispr Flow (optional)Free trialInvite link for a free month of Pro
Total$0Using Gemini CLI + free tiers

Prerequisites

A laptop with internet

Windows or macOS. No special hardware needed — rendering happens on your machine.

1.5 to 2 hours

Most of that is one-time setup. The actual video creation takes minutes. Take your time — there’s no rush.

Curiosity

No coding or video editing experience needed. If you have completed any earlier tutorial in this series, you are well prepared.
Ready to get started? Head to Set up your tools to install everything you need.