How to Create an Animated Video with AI
Generate animated video from text prompts — or build your own AI video tool as a product.
AI video generators can turn a text prompt into a short animated clip in seconds. The tools are impressive and improving fast. But there is also a real product opportunity: building a niche AI video tool for a specific audience — explainer videos, product demos, social ads — that the general-purpose tools do not serve well.
Best AI tools for this
Pick the tool that matches your goal — each takes a different approach.
Runway Gen-3 generates high-quality video clips from text prompts or images. Best for abstract, artistic, and cinematic animations. Widely used by creative studios and indie filmmakers.
How to use Runway →Kling AI (by Kuaishou) generates impressive 5–10 second video clips from text or image prompts. Often produces more realistic motion than Runway at a lower price point.
How to use Kling →Pika specialises in short, shareable video clips for social media. Fast generation, easy to use, and good at consistent character animation — great for product teasers and ads.
How to use Pika →Starter prompt — paste this right now
Paste each scene prompt directly into Runway, Kling, or Pika. Start with Scene 2 or 3 — they're the most distinctive and easiest for AI video to render well.
Write a detailed text-to-video prompt for an animated product demo video. Product: A mobile app called "FocusBlock" that blocks distracting apps for set time periods, shows a calm focus timer, and plays lo-fi music. Generate 5 separate video prompts (one per scene), each optimised for Runway or Kling: Scene 1 — Problem: A smartphone screen flooded with notifications — Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp — all pinging rapidly. The screen feels chaotic and overwhelming. Mood: frantic, overstimulated. Scene 2 — Open the app: A hand picks up the phone. The FocusBlock app opens — clean white UI, a large circular timer appears, soft glow animation. Mood: calm, purposeful. Scene 3 — Block activated: Apps fade away into grey locked icons. A "Focus Mode: 25 min" countdown appears. Mood: peaceful, in control. Scene 4 — Work in progress: Over-the-shoulder shot of someone typing at a laptop, phone face-down on the desk, lo-fi music visualizer pulsing gently at the bottom of screen. Mood: productive, focused. Scene 5 — Session complete: The timer hits zero, a green checkmark pulses, the phone screen shows "3 focus sessions today — great work." Mood: satisfied, accomplished. For each scene: write the exact prompt text, specify camera movement (static / slow zoom / pan left), and lighting mood. Keep each prompt under 80 words.
Product angle
Or build your own AI video tool
General-purpose video generators miss niche audiences: real estate agents who need property walkthrough videos, e-commerce brands who need automated product ads, educators who need whiteboard explainers. Browse ideas for building a niche AI video product below.
Browse AI video tool ideas →Also: create with AI