How to use AI in your video projects – Top AI tools for video creators

AI tools are rapidly becoming part of modern video production workflows. From brainstorming story ideas and generating visual references to speeding up editing and creating AI video clips, creators are now using AI across almost every stage of the creative process. According to Envato’s State of AI in Creative Work report, creatives are increasingly using AI as part of their everyday workflow to experiment faster, explore new ideas, and spend more time focusing on storytelling and creative direction.

Today’s AI video tools can help with everything from scripting and concept development to voiceovers, music, editing, and visual effects. Tools like AI-powered contrast enhancer features can help improve footage quality, while generative AI platforms now make it easier than ever to create videos from simple prompts and visual ideas.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best AI tools for video creators right now, including tools for AI video generation, editing, audio, creative brainstorming, and visual development.

AI for creative brainstorming and story ideas

Artificial Intelligence has rapidly evolved in recent years, and its applications have extended into various industries—AI in the film industry has been a big topic, for example.

Starting with rough ideas

Many creators now use AI tools at the planning stage of a project, even before the editing begins. AI tools can help creators explore different creative directions.

For YouTube videos, that could mean trying different opening hooks or thumbnail concepts. For marketing projects, it might be exploring different campaign ideas, visual styles, or tone variations before production starts.

Exploring visual directions

Image-generation tools have also become popular for concept work. Rather than endlessly digging through reference images online, creators can quickly try out different moods, lighting setups, art directions, or scene ideas while shaping the look of a project.

Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, Envato GraphicsGen, and Envato ImageGen are some of the more commonly used tools for this.

Generating story and shot ideas

Text-based tools such as ChatGPT can also help generate rough story ideas, shot lists, title variations, or different narrative approaches.

A simple prompt like:

“Create three cinematic YouTube intro concepts for a cyberpunk travel vlog filmed in Tokyo at night.”

can quickly produce several directions to build from.

The same applies to trailers and visual development work. For example:

“Generate five visual themes for a fantasy game trailer inspired by Studio Ghibli and dark medieval art.”

AI for visual exploration and style references

AI-generated references are now commonly used during pre-production rather than only during final rendering. Creators are using them to help shape the visual side of a project before filming, animation, or editing begins.

This can include building rough moodboards, testing colour scripts, exploring costume concepts, or trying different framing and composition ideas for key shots.

Exploring different looks quickly

Rather than fully building out every concept from the start, creators can use AI tools to compare a few different visual approaches first and develop the ideas that seem to work best.

For example, a creator might test:

• warm versus cold lighting setups
• different thumbnail styles for YouTube
• multiple environment designs for a short film
• alternate costume ideas for characters
• cinematic framing variations for important scenes

Top AI tools for video creators

There are now quite a few AI tools designed specifically for video creation. Creators are now using them for everything from short social clips and animated sequences to rough concept videos and cinematic experiments.

Below are some of the most commonly used AI video tools right now.

1. Envato AI Video Generator

Launched early in 2025 AI Video Generator is our cutting-edge AI tool which leverages Google’s video generation model, Veo 3.1. This latest version of Veo is, frankly, blowing the internet’s collective mind:

As an Envato subscriber you have total access to this tech thanks to AI Video Generator. Use AI Video Generator to create stunning video clips with one of two methods:

• Text-to-Video: Transform text prompts into stunning video clips with just a few clicks. Imagine typing “a mischievous puppy wandering through a 50’s diner” and watching it come to life in seconds!
• Image-to-Video: Secondly, take photos from the Envato library or generate images using ImageGen and bring them to life with simple motions like tilt, pan, and zoom, or even more impressive animations that take physics into account.
• Presets Library: This new feature adds a range of built-in camera movements that can be added straight into a generation. Things like dolly zooms, sweeping drone shots, and rough handheld movement.
• Character Consistency: One of the ongoing challenges with AI video generation is keeping characters visually consistent across multiple shots. Using the Change Subject tool, you can use your own characters to replace the ones that have been generated.
• Character Speech: AI Video Generator can produce fully synchronized audio that aligns with visual motion. Supporting things like narration, SFX, character speech and ambient environments.

As mentioned, AI Video Generator is available to Envato subscribers (along with a bucket-load of other AI tools like AI ImageEdit, MusicGen, and VoiceGen) so go and check it out now!

2. Runway ML

Runway ML is a game-changing creative toolbox that gives artists, designers, and developers the freedom to explore the mix of artificial intelligence and artistic expression. Crafted as a platform that places the potential of AI models right into the hands of designers, it has become a hit in the creative world.

At its core, it offers various pre-trained models that creators can harness for diverse creative projects, encompassing multiple features, including image generation, style transfer, text generation, and much more. 

One of its standout features is its real-time, interactive nature. The platform allows for easy exploration of parameters and immediate visual feedback, enabling users to iterate and refine their creations on the fly.

Another appealing aspect is its commitment to fostering a supportive community. Users can access tutorials, documentation, and a dedicated community forum to share ideas, seek guidance, and showcase their projects. This collaborative environment encourages the exchange of knowledge and inspiration.

3. Google Veo

Google Veo is one of the latest large-scale AI video generation models focused on realistic cinematic footage and natural motion. It has become especially well known for its camera movement, scene consistency, and ability to interpret detailed prompts.

Creators are already using Veo for concept sequences, short films, visual experiments, and cinematic storytelling workflows. Some of it’s strengths include:

• Cinematic Generation: Veo focuses heavily on realistic movement, environmental detail, and cinematic shot generation, making it useful for short films, concept sequences, and visual experiments.
• Prompt Interpretation: The model is capable of handling more detailed prompts, allowing creators to experiment with lighting, camera angles, environments, and scene direction more precisely.

4. Kling AI

Kling AI is mainly known for stylized video generation and cinematic-looking motion. It’s become especially popular for fantasy visuals, dramatic edits, and short clips built around atmosphere and visual style.

• Text-to-Video: Kling can generate short clips from written prompts. A lot of creators use it for fantasy-style scenes, music-video ideas, dramatic edits, and quick visual concepts.
• Image-to-Video: You can also upload still images or artwork and turn them into moving shots with camera movement and animated effects.
• Character Consistency: One thing creators often mention with Kling is that it can sometimes hold character designs together more reliably across multiple shots, especially when combined with reference images and image-generation workflows.
• Visual Development: Some creators also use Kling while figuring out the overall look of a project. It can be useful for testing moods, lighting ideas, environments, or rough cinematic sequences before production starts properly.

A lot of creators use Kling for concept trailers, music edits, and social videos where the overall look matters more than realism.

5. Adobe Firefly

Adobe Firefly is Adobe’s generative AI platform connected to tools like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. It’s being used more frequently during editing, visual development, and pre-production workflows.

• Generative Editing: Features like Generative Fill allow creators to quickly test changes, expand scenes, or experiment with different visual directions.
• Workflow Integration: Because Firefly sits inside Creative Cloud workflows, it fits naturally into existing editing and motion design pipelines.

6. Adobe Premiere Pro

Talking about Adobe, here’s an example of how the apps can work when paired with AI extensions and plugins! Adobe Premiere Pro unlocks enhanced capabilities for editing and post-production. One of the newest options is Envato’s Premiere Pro plugin, an extension that augments the existing features of Premiere to streamline tasks and enable more efficient and imaginative visual editing. 

Let’s delve into some of its advantages.

• Automated Transcription. You can automatically transcribe audio tracks in Premiere Pro. This feature simplifies creating subtitles and searchable metadata. It’s also useful for creators looking to automatically caption videos with precision and minimal manual input.
• Smart Clip Organization. Premiere Pro can examine clips and assign relevant tags automatically, making it simpler for editors to locate and structure them within extensive media collections.
• Content Recommendation. AI can analyze the content and suggest related assets, such as stock footage or music tracks, that would complement the project.
• Image and Object Recognition. Some extensions can analyze video frames to identify objects, faces, or text within the footage. This can be useful for tracking specific elements or automating certain editing tasks.
• Enhanced Color Correction. Color grading extensions can analyze footage and suggest color correction adjustments based on recognized visual elements. 

7. Pika

Pika is commonly used for animated clips, stylized visuals, and fast-moving short-form content. The platform is especially popular for social videos and experimental edits.

Pika is often used for TikTok edits, looping animations, and visual experiments where creators want something fast and heavily stylized. Some of its features include:

• Text-to-video generation
• Animated visual styles
• Image-to-video workflows
• Stylized effects
• Social media content creation

8. Luma

Luma is designed for generating motion-heavy scenes and cinematic AI clips from prompts and images. Creators often use it for concept visuals, environment shots, and AI filmmaking experiments.

The platform focuses heavily on realistic motion and scene generation. Some of its capabilities include:

• Motion-based scene generation
• Cinematic AI clips
• Prompt-based video creation
• Environment generation
• Fast visual prototyping

9. FlexClip

FlexClip stands out as a user-friendly online video editor, empowering creators of all experience levels to craft stunning visuals. Here’s a breakdown of what FlexClip brings to the table:

• Template Powerhouse: FlexClip boasts a massive library of over 6,000 customizable templates. Whether you’re creating marketing content, social media posts, or personal stories, FlexClip offers a plethora of options to jumpstart your project. Simply choose a template, replace the placeholder elements with your own content, and you’re well on your way to a polished video.
• Rich Media Library: Access millions of high-quality video clips, photos, GIFs, and music tracks to elevate your project’s visual and auditory impact. No copyright worries here!
• Seamless Editing Tools: It offers a comprehensive toolkit for all your editing needs. With intuitive features, you can effortlessly trim and cut footage, record voiceovers, utilize the speed curve for smooth transitions, apply chroma, and much more.
• AI-powered Enhancements: FlexClip’s AI prowess extends beyond text-to-video. It also offers features like text-to-speech, which transforms written content into natural-sounding narration for your videos. Additionally, it can automatically generate subtitles for your footage, ensuring clear communication and increased accessibility.
• Multi-platform Export: It caters to various video sharing destinations. You can export the finished video in different resolutions and aspect ratios to perfectly suit your target platform, be it YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or any other social media channel.

FlexClip empowers you to create professional-looking videos without a hefty price tag or a steep learning curve. It’s a perfect choice for beginners, social media enthusiasts, and businesses seeking a user-friendly and efficient video editing solution.

10. Reallusion’s Character Animator

Character Animator by Reallusion breathes life into 2D characters via real-time animation. Recognized for its straightforward approach, it caters to both novices and seasoned animators alike. Its versatility extends across various creative domains, from animated narratives and explanatory videos to interactive live broadcasts and educational materials.

Some of its standout features include:

• Real-time Animation. It facilitates instantaneous character animation, allowing designers to oversee characters in real time through a webcam and microphone. This leads to organic and seamless motions that react to the animator’s gestures and expressions.
• Character Rigging. The software provides a simple yet powerful rigging system that allows you to rig characters quickly and easily. Rigging involves defining how various body parts – such as limbs and facial features – move and behave.
• Face Tracking. Furthermore, it can monitor facial expressions and motions, enabling the characters to replicate your feelings and actions. This function proves especially valuable when crafting expressive personas.
• Lip Syncing. The software includes automatic lip-syncing, synchronizing lip movements with recorded audio or live speech to simplify the process of creating realistic dialogue.
• Puppeteering. Puppeteering controls enable you to animate characters by manipulating specific components, like dragging the arms to create a waving gesture or nodding the head to emphasize a point.
• Interactivity. The software accommodates interactive elements, making it well-suited for live performances and streaming. Responses and actions can be initiated by simply pressing keys or buttons.

11. Topaz Video AI

Not every AI video tool is designed to generate footage from scratch. Some are used later in the process to clean up clips, improve quality, or prepare footage for final export. Topaz Video AI is one of the more commonly used tools for this kind of post-production work.

• Upscaling: Increase the resolution of older footage or compressed clips while recovering extra detail and texture.
• Frame Interpolation: Generate additional frames to create smoother movement or slow-motion shots.
• Noise Reduction and Stabilization: Clean up grainy footage and reduce unwanted camera shake during editing.

It’s also fairly common to see creators run AI-generated clips through Topaz afterwards to improve sharpness and overall image quality before the final render.

Harness the power of AI in your video projects today 

As the video creation landscape continues to evolve, harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence has become essential for staying competitive and producing high-quality content efficiently. These top AI features for video creators offer a glimpse into the exciting possibilities this technology brings to the creative world. From advanced editing software to ethical deepfake API that enables responsible facial manipulation, the range of AI-powered solutions continues to expand.

By integrating these tools into your workflows, you can unlock new levels of creativity, efficiency, and engagement, ultimately delivering captivating visuals that resonate with your audiences in today’s digital age. 

Don’t forget to head to Envato to explore a vast variety of video templates, stock videos, and even a selection of AI tools like AI Video Generator!