On this page
Paste your script into ViCut or start from an idea, pick a voice and an 18–20 minute length, then review the storyboard scene by scene before you render. A 20-minute video costs about $9. ViCut has no free plan, and your first video won't be perfect. Plan to review it properly, because that's where you have the most control over quality.
Which mode should you use?
| Mode | You bring | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Script | Your edited script | You did lessons 1 to 3 | Length comes from your word count |
| Idea | A topic or brief | You want a sourced draft | Read and fix the draft before you continue |
| Voiceover | Your own recording | You want your voice on the channel | Record somewhere quiet |
If you wrote a script in lesson 3, use Script. If you only have an outline, use Idea and paste it in as your brief. The more of the thinking you've done before this step, the better the result.
In Idea mode, the brief does a lot of work. Compare:
| Weak brief | Better brief |
|---|---|
| "A video about the Boston molasses flood" | "The 1919 Boston molasses flood, told as a story of a company that ignored warnings. For viewers who love engineering disasters. Chapters: the tank, the wave, the trial, what changed. Open on the moment it burst." |
Which settings matter for a first video?
The defaults are fine for most of it, with one exception. Three choices are worth a moment:
- Length: 18–20 minutes. Long enough to tell a real story, short enough to review properly. Minutes are counted from the real length of the narration.
- Voice. There are 36 AI voices, or use your recording. Listen to a few and pick one you could stand hearing for 20 minutes. Stick with it, because a channel's voice becomes part of what viewers come back for.
- Web photos. Turn this off for your first video. It's on by default. See why below.
Before you press Generate, the line next to the button shows the length, credits and how long preparation will take. You can close the tab while it works. For a 25-minute video, expect about 15 minutes of preparation, 30–50 minutes reviewing the storyboard, and about 15 minutes of render. Your first video will take longer while you learn the tool.
What should you check on the storyboard?
The storyboard is where your video is decided. Press the space bar to play it: the spoken word is highlighted while the frames change. Swapping a frame costs nothing. Fixing it after the render means paying for the render again, so check first.
Use the Needs review filter, then watch it through.
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Red: no matching footage | The video can't render until this scene has a frame | Search with broader words, or upload your own |
| Amber: not sure this frame matches | It may show the wrong place, or the licence isn't confirmed | Keep it if it's right, or pick another |
| Same photo as another scene | Viewers would see it twice | Pick another |
| Very short or very long scene | Too quick to read, or one frame for too long | Merge or split |
"Rendering" means ViCut assembles the final video file from your storyboard. Then the mistakes no flag will catch, so look for these first:
- The right word, the wrong picture. A script says "Portland", and you get Oregon instead of Maine. Check every place and person.
- Wrong era. A 1919 story with a 1960s photo. Viewers in history niches will tell you in the comments.
- Generic filler. A stock shot of "people walking" while the narration names a specific town. Search for the real place instead: short words like a place and an object work best.
- Numbers on title cards. Names, dates and figures on screen should match your fact sheet.
Every scene has alternatives with their source and licence. If none fits, search the libraries yourself or upload your own photo or clip.
Where does the footage come from?
From Wikimedia Commons, Openverse, Pexels, Pixabay and historical maps, with each shot's source shown on the storyboard. One setting needs your attention.
So how do you decide?
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your first video, or a topic with plenty of archive and stock footage | Turn Web photos off. You lose little |
| A story about a real person or recent event, where stock can't show it | Web photos can help, but those images belong to someone else. Replacing them is the safer choice, and a rights holder can file a claim |
| Some shots you still want to keep | Decide one by one, knowing the risk |
What can actually happen? A Content ID claim usually means the owner takes the ad money or blocks that video, and it typically doesn't count against your channel. A copyright strike comes from a legal removal request: the video comes down, and three strikes can end the channel. That's why it's worth avoiding images you have no right to use.
Some libraries also require a credit. ViCut lists them on the finished video, so you can paste them into your description. Don't skip it.
What does it cost?
About 11 credits make one finished minute, and the cost is shown before you start. Thumbnails from video frames, subtitles, and the YouTube title, description and tags are free.
| Video length | Credits | About |
|---|---|---|
| 10 min | 110 | $4.50 |
| 20 min | 220 | $9 |
| 30 min | 330 | $13.50 |
That's at $0.42–0.45 per finished minute. A re-render charges the render part again (7 credits a minute), so it's cheaper to get the storyboard right first. A premium theme adds 1 credit a minute.
Two things to know before you pay. Unused credits don't carry over to the next month, so Starter suits one or two videos a month. And during the first 24 hours after your first payment, you can make one video at a time, which is a safety limit on new accounts. You can cancel anytime, and your plan works until the end of the paid period.
Is it worth paying for? That depends on your plan for the channel. If you're testing whether this is for you, one or two videos on Starter will tell you a lot, and you can cancel. It isn't worth paying for if you'd publish without reviewing: you'd be paying to make the kind of video YouTube doesn't monetize.
What should you do when it's rendered?
- Watch it through once, at normal speed, as a viewer.
- Download the MP4 and the SRT (subtitle file) now. Finished files are deleted 30 days after render on every plan.
- Open the video within two weeks if you want to keep editing it. After 14 days without opening, the editing files are removed.
- Write down what you'd do differently. It's your best note for video number two.
Make your first video for 25% less
ViCut has no free plan, so this is the step that costs money. Leave your email and your first month is 25% off for 72 hours.
Your first month is 25% off
Your code has ended.
These are the regular prices. ViCut has no free plan.
Render one video.
Open ViCut, paste your script and review the storyboard before you render. It doesn't have to be perfect.
- You review every scene before you render.
- Reply to any email: it goes to the founder.
- Cancel anytime.
Questions about this lesson
Is there a free plan?
No. Reading the course and signing up are free, but generating a video needs a plan. Starter is $25 for 55 minutes.
Is all the footage licensed?
No. Stock and archive shots are licensed. Web photos is on by default and can bring in unlicensed photos from news sites. They're marked on the storyboard, and you can turn Web photos off before you generate.
Can I change a shot after rendering?
Yes. Edit the storyboard and re-render, which charges the render credits again. Footage isn't charged twice.
How long does a video take?
Preparation and render run in the background, and the screen shows an estimate. You can close the tab.
Do unused minutes roll over?
No. Credits expire when a new billing period starts, so choose the plan that fits how many videos you'll really make.
Sources and further reading
- 1Disclosing altered or synthetic content · YouTube Help
Upload and monetization
A published video and your next 3 topics. 14 min.
