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Before we start creating videos, let’s get all your tools installed and connected. There are a few more tools than usual — but we will guide you through each one.
You will need: a laptop with internet access. No coding or video editing experience is required — we will guide you through every step.
1

Install Wispr Flow (optional)

This step is optional. Wispr Flow lets you speak instead of type — handy if you prefer talking over typing. Skip this step if you’d rather type your prompts.
Sign up using this invite link to get a free month of Pro: https://wisprflow.ai/r?CHAN115Both you and the tutorial author benefit — you get a free month of Pro, and they get a free month when you dictate 2,000 words!
  1. Sign up at wisprflow.ai/r?CHAN115
  2. Download and install the app for your operating system
  3. Configure settings — enable these options for the best experience:
    • Experimental > Command Mode — Enable advanced voice commands
    • Press Enter Command — Automatically press enter when you say “press enter”
    • Bulk Import — Import snippets and dictionary items
Wispr Flow is a voice-to-text tool that lets you dictate instead of type. It works in any application, including your terminal. Instead of typing a long prompt to Gemini CLI, you can just say it out loud. This is especially useful if you find typing slow or tiring.
2

Open your terminal

The terminal is a program where you type commands. It looks like a dark window with text — this is completely normal. Don’t be intimidated!
  1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard
  2. Type PowerShell
  3. Click Windows PowerShell in the search results
You’ll see a dark blue window with a blinking cursor. That’s your terminal!
The terminal is where you’ll type commands to install tools and talk to AI. You’ll be using it a lot in this tutorial — keep it open!
Later in this tutorial, you’ll need to open a terminal inside your project folder. Here’s how:Windows: Open the folder in File Explorer. Click the address bar at the top, type powershell, and press Enter. A terminal opens right in that folder.macOS: Open Finder and navigate to the folder. Right-click the folder and select “Open Terminal at Folder”. If you don’t see this option, you can open Terminal normally and type cd (with a space), then drag the folder into the Terminal window and press Enter.
3

Install Node.js

Already have Node.js? If you installed it for a previous tutorial, skip this step. Run node --version in your terminal to check — you should see a version number like v22.x.x.
Node.js is a free tool that lets you run Gemini CLI on your computer.
  1. Go to nodejs.org
  2. Click the big green LTS button to download the installer
  3. Open the downloaded .msi file
  4. Click Next through all the screens — the default settings are fine
  5. Click Install, then Finish
Open your terminal and type:
node --version
You should see a version number like v22.x.x. If you see an error, try closing and reopening your terminal, then run the command again.
4

Install your AI assistant

You have two options. Gemini CLI is free and works well. Claude Code is a paid alternative that Remotion officially recommends — it is more capable but requires a subscription.
Already have Gemini CLI? If you installed it for a previous tutorial, skip this step. Just run gemini in your terminal to check it still works.
Gemini CLI is Google’s free AI assistant. It runs in your terminal and helps you with tasks based on your descriptions.Open your terminal and type:
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
Wait for the installation to finish. Then start it by typing:
gemini
The first time you run it, Gemini CLI will ask you to sign in:
  • Choose “Sign in with Google”
  • A browser window will open — sign in with your Google account
  • Come back to the terminal when it says you’re connected
Free tier: 60 requests per minute, 1,000 requests per day — more than enough for this tutorial and everyday use.
This means Node.js isn’t installed correctly. Go back and reinstall Node.js. After reinstalling, close your terminal completely and open a new one before trying again.
Windows: Close PowerShell and reopen it by right-clicking and choosing “Run as Administrator”. Then try the install command again.macOS: Add sudo before the command:
sudo npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
Enter your computer password when prompted (you won’t see characters as you type — that’s normal).
Type /quit to exit Gemini CLI for now. We will start it again after setting up the video project.
5

Get your ElevenLabs API key

You need an ElevenLabs API key to generate voiceover audio and sound effects. This is free — you just need to create an account.
1

Create a free ElevenLabs account

Go to elevenlabs.io and click Sign Up. You can sign up with your Google account or email.
2

Find your API key

Once signed in:
  1. Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner
  2. Click Profile + API key
  3. Click Show next to your API key
  4. Click the copy icon to copy it to your clipboard
3

Save your API key somewhere safe

Paste your API key into a text file, a note, or anywhere you can find it again. You will need it during the tutorial.
Treat your API key like a password. Do not share it publicly, post it on social media, or include it in files you upload to GitHub. Anyone with your key can use your ElevenLabs account.
An API key is like a password that lets one program talk to another. When your AI assistant generates voiceover audio, it sends your text to ElevenLabs’ servers along with your API key. ElevenLabs checks the key to confirm it is you, then sends back the audio.You will see API keys used in many professional tools — learning to use one here is a transferable skill.
The ElevenLabs free tier gives you 10,000 characters per month — that is roughly 5 to 8 minutes of speech. For a 30-second promo video, you need about 75 to 100 words of voiceover. That means you can create dozens of videos per month on the free tier.The free tier also includes sound effects generation and access to a set of built-in voices.
The free API tier includes several built-in voices (like Rachel, Bella, Antoni, and others). The full voice library with 3,000+ community voices is available on the ElevenLabs website for browsing, but accessing them via the API requires a paid plan.Workaround: Browse voices at elevenlabs.io/voice-library to hear previews. For the API, use the built-in voices — they sound professional and work great for promo videos.
6

Create your video project

Now let’s create a new Remotion project — this is the framework that turns your descriptions into real video files.Run this command in your terminal:
Copy this command
npx create-video@latest
When prompted, choose these settings:
  • Project name: my-promo-video (or any name you like)
  • Template: Select Blank
  • TailwindCSS: Yes
  • Install Skills: Yes
What just happened? You created a new video project on your computer. Remotion is a framework that creates videos from code — but you will never write code yourself. Your AI assistant reads and writes all the code for you. The “Skills” you installed are documentation files that help the AI understand how Remotion works.
Then go into the project folder and install dependencies:
Copy this command
cd my-promo-video
Copy this command
npm install
Make sure Node.js is installed correctly — run node --version to check. If that works but npx fails, try closing and reopening your terminal. On Windows, you may need to run the terminal as Administrator.
Choose a different name, or delete the existing folder first. You can use any name you like — just remember to use that name instead of my-promo-video in the rest of this tutorial.
7

Start the video preview

Start the Remotion preview server so you can see your video as you build it:
Copy this command
npm run dev
This opens a preview window in your browser (usually at http://localhost:3000). You should see an empty video canvas.
Keep this terminal window running. The preview server needs to stay active while you build your video. You will open a second terminal window in the next step for your AI assistant.
Open your browser manually and go to http://localhost:3000. If you see an error, make sure the terminal shows “Server running” or similar — it may take a moment to start.
8

Start your AI assistant in the project

Open a new terminal window (keep the preview server running in the first one). Navigate to your project folder and start your AI assistant:
Copy this command
cd my-promo-video
Copy this command
gemini
Gemini CLI is now running inside your video project. It can read all the project files and create video compositions when you describe what you want.
Two terminals running at once: This is normal and expected. Terminal 1 runs the preview server (so you can see your video). Terminal 2 runs your AI assistant (so you can describe what you want). They work together — the AI writes code, and the preview shows the result in real time.

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Verify your setup

Run node --version in your terminal. You should see a version number.
Run gemini or claude in your terminal. It starts up and shows a prompt where you can type.
You have your API key copied and saved somewhere safe — a text file, a note, or your password manager.
The folder my-promo-video exists on your computer with project files inside.
Terminal 1 is running npm run dev and you can see the Remotion preview at http://localhost:3000.
Terminal 2 has your AI assistant (Gemini CLI or Claude Code) running inside the my-promo-video folder.
All set? Head to Create your first promo video to start building.