Sora is a service from OpenAI for AI-powered video generation. It allows you to create videos from text descriptions, images, or videos, offering convenient editing tools. A distinctive feature is the ability to customize videos using presets and to use the storyboard tool.
We have also prepared a video in which we take a detailed look at this web service Sora. In it, we share useful recommendations for creating effective prompts, try generating a few videos, and thoroughly explore the tools for this.
The service’s target audience is content creators who aim to quickly get creative videos without deep technical knowledge, as well as hobbyists who want to experiment with video generation. Typical use cases include creating promo clips, idea illustrations, social media content, or personal projects.
Key Features
- Video generation from text prompts, images, and videos
- A wide selection of styles for customizing videos
- A storyboarding tool for creating complex scenes
- Video editing through Re-cut, Remix, Blend, and Loop
- Support for up to 1080p resolution
- The ability to create custom preset styles
- A library for saving and organizing created videos
- An intuitive interface adapted for mobile devices
- The ability to use videos and images as the basis for clips
Sora provides video generation at various levels of complexity: from short clips to videos with more complex (to a certain extent) storylines. There are currently no mobile or desktop apps, but the service is adapted to run in a browser on different devices, including mobile.
Interface and Functionality Overview
The Sora interface is minimalist yet functional. The main page features only the logo, a video gallery, and a sign-in button.
After logging in, an input panel opens, along with a sidebar for navigating between different sections of the site, and a top menu with profile settings.
The site’s sidebar contains several sections, including Explore, where you can browse the latest and recommended works of other Sora users. There is also a personal library where all your videos and the materials used to create them are stored, with the ability to organize content into custom folders.
On the top bar, besides the logo, there is a context menu that changes depending on the active page, as well as the user menu hidden under the profile picture.
In the user menu, you can change your nickname and choose a light or dark theme. If needed, you can make your videos private and prevent them from being used to train AI models. Additionally, information about your subscription limits and quick access to helpful videos with examples of using Sora’s tools are available here.
Video Generation
In the simplest case, creating a video requires only a text prompt, which can be entered in any common language, including Ukrainian. To configure video parameters, use the special options located directly in the prompt input bar, which is available at the bottom of the screen on all service pages.
Note that changing generation options may alter the number of credits required. To find out exactly how many credits will be deducted from your balance, hover over the question mark icon.
If you want to make the results more predictable, you can upload an image or video as the basis for generation. To do this, click the plus button next to the text input field and select the desired file from your device.
Sora presets can be a helpful aid in achieving the desired result. They allow you to conveniently manage your video’s style. The service offers several built-in presets, and if they are not suitable, you can create your own.
Finally, Storyboard is a tool that facilitates creating videos with more complex scenes. To go to this tool’s page, click the corresponding button on the prompt input panel.
One of Storyboard’s main interface components is the video timeline, where key scenes can be arranged. They can be configured using text descriptions or media files. Place scenes close together for quick transitions, or leave more space for a smoother narrative flow.
Depending on settings and service load, video creation takes from a few seconds or more. You can check the video generation progress at any time by clicking the icon in the top right corner of the page.
Finished results are saved in the All videos section of your library, where they can be viewed. Additional options become available on the top bar of the site. Using them, you can mark a video as a favorite, share it, or download it in MP4 format. By using the three-dot menu, you can move the video to a specific folder, report an issue, or delete the file.
Below the video is the editing tools panel, which allows you to refine or modify your clip. With Re-cut, you can trim or extend specific segments and add new scenes. Remix lets you add new details or experiment with the visual style. The Blend tool helps smoothly combine different videos, creating soft transitions between scenes. And to loop a certain video section, use Loop.
Interestingly, these tools can also be used with public videos of other users located in the Explore gallery.
Pricing and Plans
Sora is available only to users with a ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) or Pro ($200/month) subscription. Plus users receive 1000 credits, enough to create 50 five-second videos at 480p resolution.
The Pro subscription includes 10000 credits, the ability to generate videos up to 20 seconds in 1080p, unlimited “slow” mode, and videos without watermarks.
