Are you frustrated with the free AI video generator you’ve been using? Relax — we’ve got you covered. In this tutorial-style post, we’ll walk you through the best free AI video generator for YouTube Shorts, and introduce you to four more powerful (and free) AI tools that will help you create professional, short-form video content with ease.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced creator, this guide will show you how to bring your ideas to life — step by step.

Step 1: Write Your Script with ChatGPT

Let’s begin where every great story starts — with a script. I wanted to create a 3D Pixar-style animated short story series for kids. The idea? A five-part YouTube Shorts series (30 seconds each) about a little girl named Lily who dreams of adventurous places.

Why ChatGPT?
Because it turns your ideas into structured stories — even if you're not a seasoned writer. I used it to brainstorm and develop the plot and then personalized the script with my own creative touch. For example, the first episode was titled “Jungle Safari.”

Once the script was ready, I had ChatGPT generate a highly detailed prompt to describe Lily — a six-year-old girl — in a way that fits a Pixar-like 3D animated scene in the jungle. This prompt would be used in the next step: creating the visuals.

Step 2: Generate Consistent Character Images with ImageFX

I used Google Labs' ImageFX — a free text-to-image AI tool — to bring Lily to life visually. After pasting in the detailed prompt, ImageFX gave me four highly accurate image variations of Lily.

Pro Tip: Save the seed number by clicking the lock icon. This ensures you can generate consistent character images across scenes.

To streamline my workflow, I pre-generated Lily’s images for every major scene, like:

• Lily in her bedroom

• Lily walking in the jungle

• Lily meeting a monkey

• Lily finding a golden flower

Just remember to tweak the prompt slightly for each scene. For example, I used: “Lily walking in the jungle” or “Lily at home in her room.”

Step 3: Animate with Hilu AI – The Best Free AI Video Generator for Shorts

Now it’s time to animate! I used Hilu AI, a fantastic free AI video generator that works incredibly well for YouTube Shorts.

For each scene:

• I uploaded the character image

• Added a prompt (like “a tracking shot of a girl walking and talking while leaving her bedroom”)

• Selected the 3D character model

• Let Hilu AI work its magic

Hilu AI offers:

• 1,000 free credits on signup (no payment info needed)

• 100 additional free credits daily

• Rendered videos include a watermark (free version)

Each animation deducted 30 credits, so it’s more than enough to build a full short series.

Some example scenes I created:

• Lily leaves her bedroom

• Lily walks through the jungle

• Lily meets a monkey

• Lily discovers a golden flower

• Lily returns home with the flower

The animations even included cool AI touches — like a giraffe turning its head toward Lily, or the monkey grabbing her hand. That’s the power of AI.

Step 4: Edit and Add Effects in CapCut

After generating the animated clips, I imported them into CapCut, a free, beginner-friendly video editor. I simply dragged and dropped each clip onto the timeline in sequence:

1. Lily in her bedroom

2. Outside her home

3. In the jungle

4. Meeting the monkey

5. Spotting something exciting

6. Finding the golden flower

7. Back home with the flower

Then, I added free transitions and visual effects to bring her personality to life — think hearts and stars that matched her “charming and adventurous” vibe. The result? A short, engaging 37-second video perfect for YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels.

Final Thoughts & Tips

Using AI tools like ChatGPT, ImageFX, Hilu AI, and CapCut, you can go from idea to published short video — for free and with ease. A few quick reminders:

• Use ChatGPT to write and edit scripts.

• Use ImageFX to generate consistent visuals.

• Use Hilu AI to animate those visuals.

• Use CapCut to finalize and enhance your video.

• Match effects to your story to keep your audience engaged.