AI for Creators · Guide
Turn a Long Article Into a Short Video Script With AI
Adapt one useful idea for a vertical video instead of compressing every paragraph into rushed narration.
Choose one promise from the article, build a short sequence around it, and use AI to propose beats rather than summarize everything. Verify claims against the source, write visuals separately from narration, and produce accurate captions before publishing.
Choose one promise
A short video is not a fast reading of the article. Select one problem, one useful turn, and one action. Copy the exact source passages that support the point and list context that must not disappear. Ask AI for several audience-specific angles, then choose the one that matches the article rather than the most dramatic hook.
Build beats before sentences
Create a five- or six-beat outline: situation, friction, insight, example, boundary, next step. Give each beat a time budget and visual purpose. AI can propose alternatives, but the editor decides what the viewer needs in sequence. Remove any beat that merely repeats the headline.
Separate narration and visuals
Write what the viewer hears and what the viewer sees in separate columns. Use real screenshots or diagrams for factual product behavior; do not generate a fake interface. Plan a vertical crop, caption-safe area, and simple B-roll. YouTube’s own guidance recommends thinking through a shot list, including screen recordings or extra footage, before filming.
Verify and caption
Compare every claim, number, and quotation with the article source. Rewrite long clauses for speech without increasing certainty. Create synchronized captions that include meaningful spoken information and relevant sounds. Review names and technical terms manually. On-screen text can support the story, but it should not be the only place essential meaning appears.
Review on the real device
Watch once on a phone with sound off, once without looking at the screen, and once at normal speed. Check whether the promise is accurate, captions remain readable, and the final action is clear. Save the approved script, caption file, sources, and asset notes together so the video can be corrected when the article changes.
Example: convert a checklist article
An article about reviewing AI research contains eight steps, but the Short chooses one promise: do not let a search result become a citation. Beat one shows a confident answer; beat two asks where the claim came from; beat three opens the primary source; beat four compares the source with the answer; beat five labels the unresolved detail; beat six invites the viewer to keep a claim ledger. The script does not race through all eight steps. It links viewers to the full guide for the rest.
Write for speech
Replace nested clauses with short sentences and one idea per breath. Read the script aloud before recording. Keep product names, dates, and quotations exactly as verified, and show pronunciation notes when needed. Avoid filler hooks that delay the value. A clear opening identifies the problem and the promised outcome. A clear ending gives one next action rather than several competing calls to action.
Keep the adaptation linked to the source
Record the article version and passages used. If the article is corrected, search the script and captions for affected claims. Do not assume the video can be updated as easily as text; choose whether to edit, annotate, unlist, or replace it according to the platform and importance of the error. This link turns repurposing into a maintainable editorial workflow rather than a one-way content export.
Do not manufacture certainty for pace
Short formats reward compression, but a missing condition can change the advice. Keep the word that limits the claim—may, for this use, under this plan, after review—even if it costs a second. If the nuance cannot fit, choose a different point or direct the viewer to the full guide before making the recommendation. Speed is a production constraint, not permission to overstate.
Plan the edit as a sequence of proofs
For each beat, decide what the viewer sees that supports the narration: the source sentence, a real screen recording, a simple diagram, or the creator demonstrating the step. Avoid decorative footage that suggests evidence it does not provide. Mark where a cut, zoom, or caption helps attention and where the shot should remain still long enough to read. This plan lets the editor identify missing assets before recording and makes it easier to replace one weak beat without rewriting the entire Short.
Publish with a correction path
Link the full article in the description or accompanying page and keep the script version with the production files. If a material fact changes, decide whether to edit the source description, add a visible correction, unlist the video, or publish a replacement. The response should match the importance of the error and the platform’s actual controls. Record the action so a future editor can see which version remains current.
Sources and update note
Follow the linked official source before a product, price, plan, or policy decision.