Create your first AI video

Step by step: sign in, write a prompt, pick a model, set aspect ratio, duration and resolution, generate, and download your first AI video on Sunra.

This is the fastest path from a blank page to a finished clip — about a minute from prompt to playback. You'll sign in, describe a shot, pick a model, set a few options, and generate. Every step below maps to something you'll see on screen, so keep the video generator open in another tab and follow along.

1. Sign in

Generating requires an account, so sign in first. It's free and instant with an email code or Google — no password to remember.

Note

Signing in is free and you get free daily credits the moment you're in — no card required. Browsing Sunra is open to everyone; only the Generate button asks you to sign in.

2. Open the video generator

Go to the video generator and stay on the Create Video tab. The whole tool fits in one panel:

The Sunra video generator — the Create Video tab, with the model picker, Start/End frame slots, prompt box, and the aspect-ratio, duration, resolution, and audio controls along the bottom.

Model picker (top) — the engine that renders your clip.
Start / End frame — optional images to animate (covered below).
Prompt box — where you describe the shot.
Aspect ratio, duration, resolution, audio — the controls along the bottom row.
Generate — shows the credit cost before you commit.

3. Write a prompt

Describe the subject, the action, and the setting in a sentence or two, then name the camera move:

A golden retriever puppy runs across a sunlit beach toward the camera, sand kicking up behind it, waves rolling in the background. Slow tracking shot, warm late-afternoon light.

Tip

Name exactly one camera move ("slow push in", "orbit left"). Vague prompts produce vague, drifting motion. For the full method — shot grammar, structure, and common fixes — read Prompting for video.

4. Pick a model

The picker is a row of chips. Each model has a personality:

Seedance 2.0 — fast and expressive, vertical-first. A great default for social clips.
Veo 3.1 — strong realism with the best camera direction and native audio.
Kling 3.0 — precise motion, lip-sync, and multi-shot storytelling.
Sora 2 — standout physics and texture realism.

Not sure? Start with the default and switch later — the same prompt carries across models, so it's cheap to compare.

5. Set aspect ratio, duration, resolution

Aspect ratio — 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for TikTok / Reels / Shorts, 1:1 for feed.
Duration — the options depend on the model.
Resolution — defaults to 720p; the available steps depend on the model.
Audio — if the model supports it, leave the audio toggle on to get sound generated with the picture.

Tip

Keep your first clip short and at the default resolution. Short renders are faster and cheaper, so you can iterate on the prompt a few times before committing to a long, high-res version.

6. Generate

Press Generate. The clip renders in the background — you can keep editing or start another while you wait.

Note

The credit cost is shown on the Generate button before you commit. If a render fails or you cancel it, the credits are refunded automatically — you only pay for clips you actually get. See Credits & plans.

Prefer to animate an image?

There's no separate mode — Sunra infers it from your inputs. Upload a Start frame and the model animates your image as the first frame (image-to-video). Add an End frame for a start→end morph. Attach reference images and capable models do reference-to-video instead.

7. Download or keep going

When it's done, download it, or send it onward:

Sequence and re-run shots in Flow, or build a multi-shot piece in Studio.
Add a voiceover, music, or sound effects in the audio studio.
Drop it on a Canvas board beside other takes to compare.

Tips for a better first result

Change one thing at a time between attempts so you learn what each word does.
If the motion looks busy, simplify — fewer subjects, one clear action.
When you've got a prompt that works, save it; small wording tweaks carry across models.

Ready to go deeper? Text-to-video basics covers the four input modes, and Prompting for video covers shot grammar end to end.