How to create AI videos using OpenAI's Sora: A step-by-step guide

OpenAI’s Sora AI has quickly become a popular tool for generating short videos, with internet users creating clips featuring public figures, including the AI company’s CEO Sam Altman. These videos, often up to 20 seconds long, follow user prompts closely and maintain visual quality. Sora allows both text- and media-based inputs to produce unique video content. With growing interest from creators, the tool is now available to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business users. This guide explains how anyone can use Sora to generate videos, along with tips for editing, saving, and troubleshooting.

How to generate videos on Sora

• Access Sora: Log in to ChatGPT and open the Sora Video Editor.
• Enter Prompt: At the bottom of the screen, type your video description in the input field. You can also upload an image or video by clicking the + icon.
• Adjust Settings: Select aspect ratio, resolution, duration, and number of variations.
• Generate Video: Click submit. Video processing may take up to a minute. Track progress via the top-right icon.
• Review & Edit: Hover over your video preview in the library to watch all variations. Click any video to edit, re-cut, remix, blend, or loop.
• Save & Share: Favorite, share via link, or download in MP4. Use the three-dot menu to organize, report, or delete videos.

Features of Sora

• Storyboard Editing: Set video frames by timestamp and adjust pacing with drag-and-drop cards.
• Re-cut & Remix: Trim, extend, or create new videos based on existing content.
• Blend & Loop: Combine elements from different videos or create seamless loops.
• AI-Powered Widgets: Add AI-generated effects, captions, and transitions.
• Unlimited Access: ChatGPT Pro and Plus users can create videos without restrictions while adhering to terms of use.

Availability of Sora

OpenAI’s Sora is available in several countries worldwide, allowing users to generate short AI-powered videos. Some of the countries where Sora is accessible include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India. Availability may vary depending on local regulations and OpenAI account type.

FAQs

Who can use Sora? ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business users. Enterprise and Edu accounts are not eligible.


Video length & quality: Up to 20 seconds at 1080p for Pro users; Plus users can generate up to 10 seconds at 720p.


Why is my video slow to generate? Clear browser cache, try a different browser or device, check network/VPN, and verify OpenAI’s status page.


Can I share my video? By default, videos appear on the Explore community feed, but sharing can be turned off in Settings.


API access: Currently, Sora is not available via API.