01
Prompt or first frame
Start from words, or hand the agent a still to use as the opening frame of the shot.
AI Video Generator that Hands You an Editable Timeline
Describe a shot or start from a still image. The agent generates footage and drops it into a project, so the next step is editing — not downloading files and starting over somewhere else.
Generation steps show their credit cost before they run.
Generation is the first draft, not the last step
02
Directed by conversation
Ask for another take, a different mood, or a shorter beat. The agent keeps the project context.
03
Straight onto the timeline
Generated clips land in your edit, ready for cuts, captions, music, and voiceover.
Where generated footage helps
Fill the shots you could not film.
Product b-roll
Generate a mood shot around a real product still.
Short-form hooks
Open a Short with a striking generated first second.
Narrated explainers
Pair generated visuals with a text-to-speech voice.
Generate and edit in three steps
- Step 1
Describe the shot
Or upload the image to animate.
- Step 2
Review the take
Ask for changes in plain language.
- Step 3
Edit and export
Cut, caption, and voice it on the timeline.
Explore more StarCut tools
From the guides
- How-toHow to make a product video with AI (without a film crew)Brief, draft, and polish a product or SaaS explainer video in the browser with StarCut's agent and timeline.
- GuideHow to choose an AI video editor in 2026: generators, editors, and agentsA neutral framework for comparing AI video tools: one-shot generators, template editors, transcript editors, and agent + timeline editors like StarCut.
- StudioEdit video in the browser: a zero-install StarCut workflowA browser video editor is useful when the cut stays editable. StarCut puts the agent, the timeline, and the generated media in one project you can reopen.
AI video generation questions
Does generation cost credits?
Yes. AI generation steps show the credit cost before they run; timeline editing itself does not spend credits.
Can I animate my own image?
Yes. Upload a still and ask the agent to use it as the first frame of a generated shot.
Do I get a project or just a file?
A project. Generated clips sit on a timeline you can keep editing.
Related tools
See AI motion graphics, product video maker, and text to speech.
Generate your first shot
Describe it. Then edit it like real footage.