Automating Short Videos

Creating short-form content at scale requires automation. Let's explore the tools and workflows that turn one piece of content into many, and help you maintain a consistent posting schedule without burnout.

The Automation Mindset

From Manual to Automated

Manual workflow:

Think of idea → Write script → Record → Edit →
Add captions → Export → Post
Time: 1-2 hours per video

Automated workflow:

Generate ideas (AI) → Generate scripts (AI) →
Avatar or template → Auto-edit → Auto-caption →
Schedule → Post automatically
Time: 10-15 minutes per video

What Can Be Automated

Fully automatable:

• Idea generation
• Script writing
• Captions
• Thumbnail creation
• Posting/scheduling

Partially automatable:

• Video creation (with avatars/templates)
• Editing (with AI assistance)
• Trend research (with alerts)

Requires human input:

• Quality review
• Brand voice consistency
• Strategic decisions
• Trend selection

Tools for Automation

Content Repurposing Tools

Opus Clip

• Automatically clips long videos
• AI finds engaging moments
• Creates vertical shorts
• Adds captions

Vidyo.ai

• Similar to Opus Clip
• Chapter detection
• Social media optimization
• Batch processing

Descript

• Edit long-form by transcript
• Export clips easily
• Auto-reframe feature

Template-Based Creation

Canva

• Video templates
• Drag and drop
• Text animations
• Quick customization

InVideo

• AI-assisted video creation
• Template library
• Text-to-video features
• Brand kit support

Kapwing

• Browser-based editing
• Templates for social
• Team collaboration
• Auto-subtitle

Scheduling Tools

Buffer/Hootsuite/Later

• Schedule across platforms
• Best time recommendations
• Analytics
• Team features

TikTok Creator Tools

• Native scheduling
• Draft saving
• Analytics built-in

Workflow 1: Long-Form to Short-Form

Turn one long video into multiple shorts.

Step 1: Create Long-Form Content

Record a 10-30 minute video on your topic:

• Podcast episode
• YouTube video
• Webinar recording
• Interview

Step 2: AI Clip Extraction

Use Opus Clip or similar:

1. Upload long video
2. AI analyzes for engaging moments
3. Automatically creates 10-20 short clips
4. Each clip has captions

Step 3: Review and Select

AI isn't perfect. Review clips:

• Does it make sense standalone?
• Is the hook strong?
• Is it complete (not cut mid-thought)?
• Does it represent your brand well?

Step 4: Enhance (Optional)

For best clips:

• Improve captions styling
• Add B-roll overlays
• Include call-to-action
• Add branding elements

Step 5: Schedule

Spread clips across days/weeks:

• Don't post all at once
• Mix with other content types
• Track which clips perform best

Result: 1 long video → 10+ short videos

Workflow 2: Avatar-Based Content Machine

Create talking head content without filming.

Step 1: Batch Script Writing

Generate scripts with AI:

Prompt: "Write 10 short-form video scripts about
[your topic]. Each script should be:
- 20-30 seconds when spoken
- Start with attention-grabbing hook
- Deliver one clear valuable point
- End with engagement prompt
Format as numbered list."

Step 2: Avatar Production

In HeyGen/Synthesia:

1. Create project for first script
2. Generate video
3. Duplicate and change script for next
4. Batch generate all videos

Time per video: ~5 minutes setup + generation time

Step 3: Polish in CapCut

Quick enhancements:

• Add trending music (low volume)
• Style captions
• Add text overlays for key points
• Include end card with CTA

Step 4: Schedule and Post

Use scheduling tools to spread posts.

Result: 1 hour of work → 10 finished videos

Workflow 3: Trend Reaction Machine

Quickly create content around trending topics.

Step 1: Trend Monitoring

Set up alerts:

• Google Trends for your topic
• TikTok trending sounds
• Twitter/X for breaking news
• Industry news feeds

Step 2: Rapid Script Generation

When trend hits:

Prompt: "A trend is happening: [describe trend].
Write a 30-second script reacting to this from
the perspective of [your expertise]. Make it
timely and valuable."

Step 3: Quick Production

Choose fastest method:

• Avatar (no filming needed)
• Talking head (if you're ready)
• Text-on-screen with voiceover

Step 4: Immediate Post

Trends are time-sensitive:

• Post within hours, not days
• Use relevant hashtags
• Engage with comments quickly

Advanced Automation: API Integration

Custom Automation Pipelines

For serious scale, build custom workflows:

// Pseudocode automation pipeline
async function createDailyContent() {
  // 1. Get trending topics
  const trends = await getTrends(yourNiche);

  // 2. Generate scripts
  const scripts = await generateScripts(trends);

  // 3. Create videos
  for (const script of scripts) {
    const video = await heygenAPI.createVideo({
      script: script,
      avatar: defaultAvatar,
      voice: brandVoice
    });

    // 4. Add captions
    const captioned = await addCaptions(video);

    // 5. Schedule
    await schedulePost(captioned, optimalTime);
  }
}

Tools for Building Pipelines

Zapier/Make:

• Connect apps without code
• Trigger-based automation
• Visual workflow builder

n8n:

• Open-source alternative
• Self-hosted option
• More complex workflows

Custom code:

• Maximum flexibility
• Requires development skills
• Most scalable long-term

Quality Control in Automation

The Review Gate

Always include human review:

Generate → Review → Approve → Post
              ↓
           Reject → Revise → Review again

Quality Checklist

Before approving any automated content:

• Hook is strong
• Content is accurate
• On-brand messaging
• No awkward AI artifacts
• Captions are correct
• CTA is clear
• Appropriate for platform

Batch Review Sessions

Instead of reviewing one by one:

1. Generate a week's content
2. Set aside review time
3. Approve/reject all at once
4. Schedule approved content
5. Revise rejected content

Maintaining Authenticity

The Human Touch

Even with automation:

• Occasional personal content: Not everything AI
• Respond to comments: Real engagement
• Adapt to feedback: Evolve based on audience
• Show personality: Don't be generic

Disclosure Considerations

If using AI avatars:

• Some creators disclose
• Some treat avatar as character
• Know your audience expectations
• Follow platform guidelines

Measuring Automation ROI

Time Savings

Track before/after:

Task	Manual Time	Automated Time
Script writing	30 min	5 min
Video creation	60 min	15 min
Captioning	20 min	2 min
Posting	10 min	1 min
Total per video	2 hours	23 minutes

Output Increase

With same time investment:

• Before: 3 videos/week
• After: 15+ videos/week

Quality Comparison

Monitor metrics:

• Engagement rate
• Follower growth
• Comments sentiment
• Overall reach

Automation should maintain or improve quality, not sacrifice it for volume.

Key Takeaway

Automation is about working smarter, not replacing creativity. Use AI and tools to handle repetitive tasks—scripting, basic editing, captioning, scheduling—while you focus on strategy, quality control, and authentic engagement. Build workflows that create leverage: one piece of content becomes many, one hour of work produces a week of posts. In the next lesson, we'll explore repurposing content across formats and platforms.