AI video automation

AI video automation: what the agent does and what you decide

The agent handles the production steps. You keep the decisions that need your judgment.

  • Reads your sources and drafts the script and scenes
  • Applies your brand kit, voice and layout preset
  • You decide the facts, the words and the release
A video operations lead smiling to camera in a branded video Pictory's AI video agent built from her sources

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What is AI video automation?

In Pictory 3, AI video automation means the AI video agent handles the production steps inside a video project. It reads your sources, drafts the script and scenes, proposes visuals, applies your brand and voice choices, and builds a preview. You make the decisions that need judgment.

This page covers the steps the agent takes over inside each video project, and the decisions that stay with you.

See the AI video agent page for everything it accepts, or follow the agentic AI video workflow step by step.

A woman relaxing with tea as two monitors assemble finished videos in matching brand colors

Preview builtReview it before you generate

The automation is a loop, not a one-way trip. The agent does a round of work, you review it, and the agent revises until the video is right.

  1. YouBriefDescribe the video and add your sources.
  2. AgentPlanReads the brief and proposes the story and scenes.
  3. AgentBuildDrafts the script and builds a preview.
  4. YouReviewCheck the script, scenes and preview.
  5. AgentRefineMakes the changes you ask for.
The AI video agent loop: you brief the agent, the agent plans the story and builds a draft, you review it, and the agent refines it as you ask. Repeat until it is right, then generate the video.

Who does what

What does the AI video agent automate?

The agent automates the repeatable production work: turning a source into a story, laying out scenes, proposing visuals, applying your voice, brand kit and layout preset, building the preview, and making the changes you ask for. The table splits the work stage by stage.

What the AI video agent does and what you decide, stage by stage
StageThe agent doesYou decide
Brief and sourcesReads your idea, script, URL, documents, deck or recording.What to cover and what to leave out, which source takes priority, and whether narration stays word for word.
SetupAsks the five setup questions and offers Decide for me.The voiceover, visual sources, aspect ratio, layout preset and brand kit.
Script and scenesDrafts the story and proposes a visual for each scene.Whether facts, names, dates and numbers match your source, and how the video opens and ends.
Voice and audioGenerates narration with the AI voice you chose.Pronunciation, pauses and music, and when to select Apply Changes.
Look and brandApplies the chosen brand kit and layout preset.Which kit, fonts and logos to use, and whether the result looks right.
Preview and editsBuilds the preview and makes focused chat and Edit scene changes.What to change, and whether each change worked.
Final fileRenders the downloadable video when you generate.When to select Generate video, and whether the downloaded file is ready to share.

Features

AI video automation: brand kits, your own script and final review

Brand kits and layout presets

Keep every video on brand

Save your brand in a brand kit, then choose it during setup or apply it from Branding in the editor. A kit can hold colors, fonts, logos, intros, outros and defaults for voice and music, so each new video starts from the same look.

  • Build a kit by hand, from a website URL or from uploaded brand guidelines (PDF, DOC or DOCX)
  • Upload brand fonts in TTF, OTF, WOFF or WOFF2, and choose a layout preset during setup
  • Set a default kit and it is suggested for your own future videos
  • Brand kits, uploads, custom avatars, cloned voices and music each have their own sharing controls
Creating and applying brand kits in Pictory Academy

Your script

Keep your script word for word

To keep a script word for word, tell the agent to use the text as the narration and not paraphrase it. If you want the words rewritten, say so explicitly.

  • Keep visual instructions separate from the spoken words
  • Fix how names and terms are spoken, and add pauses
  • Ask the agent to rewrite the words whenever you want a new version
Editing with the AI video editor in Pictory Academy

Final review

Review stays with you

The decisions that depend on your knowledge stay with you: what the video should say, whether it is accurate, how it should sound and look, and when it is finished. Nothing becomes a downloadable file until you select Generate video.

  • Compare facts, product names, dates and numbers with your approved source
  • Play the preview from start to finish, then decide when to generate
  • Play the downloaded file before you share it
See where you step in

Example

Example: a standard operating procedure as a training video

Start with the document you already trust. Add it as a source, then tell the agent which sections to use, how much to condense, and what takes priority. The agent drafts the scenes. You check that the steps still follow your procedure, then play the preview and refine.

A brief for a document source

Tell the agent what to keep

“Create a two-minute training video from chapters 2 and 3. Exclude the appendix. Keep the procedure steps in their original order and preserve product terminology.”

Length
Two minutes
Source
Chapters 2 and 3
Order
Original procedure order
Terminology
Product terms preserved

More AI video features

Your complete AI video generation tool

  • AI avatars

    Add a talking presenter, or a digital twin of you.

  • Captions

    Accurate, synced captions in your brand style.

  • Translation

    Captions and voiceover for every market.

  • Text editing

    Edit the transcript to edit the video.

  • Team workspaces

    Share projects and brand kits with your team.

  • Brand kits

    Your logo, fonts and colors on every video.

AI Studio

Create any image or video you need with generative AI

The latest image and video models, built into the editor. Open Visuals, then AI Studio, describe it, and drop it straight into your scene.

  • A white vase on the left and the same vase turned purple on the right, after the prompt "Make it purple"

    Generate and edit images

    Describe it, or edit an existing image with a prompt.

  • The same woman in a forest and on a city waterfront at sunset, matched to her reference photo

    Keep characters consistent

    Use reference images to keep the same person or product in every scene.

  • A male barista talking to the camera in his cafe, with a play button and audio waveform

    Create video clips with sound

    Generate clips with audio. Yes, characters can talk.

  • A hiker on a mountain summit above the clouds, with a filmstrip showing the clip being extended
    Original clip, frame 1: sunrise over the clouds beside a mountain ridgeOriginal clip, frame 2: a hiker with a red backpack climbing toward the summitOriginal clip, frame 3: clouds below the rocky ridgeExtended clip, new frame 1: the sun low over a sea of cloudsExtended clip, new frame 2: the hiker standing on the summit with both arms raisedExtended clip, new frame 3: clouds rolling past the far ridges

    Extend any clip

    Keep any clip going with a new prompt, even one you uploaded.

  • Four versions of a corgi puppy in a knitted scarf on lilac, mint, peach and yellow backdrops, with one selected

    Get four options at once

    Generate up to four versions and keep the best one.

  • A website, a document and a logo feeding a brand kit of colors and a font, which is applied to a violet and yellow product video frame

    Stay on brand

    Bring in your brand from a website, a document or a logo, and it is applied to every scene.

Choose your model

Pick a model for stills or 5 to 10-second clips.

Also in AI Studio: Nano Banana Lite for images and Omni Flash for video.

Use cases

Who is using AI video automation?

  • A quality manager holding a procedure binder, with the procedure turned into a training video by Pictory's AI video agent
    Operations

    SOP to training video

    Add the procedure as a source, say which sections to use, and review the steps before the preview.

  • A learning and development specialist in a training room, with a lesson made on her brand kit by Pictory's AI video agent
    Learning

    Lessons that share one look

    Apply the same brand kit, voice and layout preset to every lesson in a series.

  • A support team lead with a headset around his neck, with a help article turned into a how-to video by Pictory's AI video agent
    Support

    Help articles as how-to videos

    Paste a help article link and say what to cover, then review the story before it renders.

  • An internal communications manager in a meeting room, with a company update video made from a deck by Pictory's AI video agent
    Internal comms

    Company updates in one look

    Turn a slide deck into a narrated update, with your brand kit applied from the first draft.

Why Pictory

Loved by creators, trusted by enterprise teams

From solo YouTubers to global L&D teams. Read the case studies

  • 4.6 / 5

    Average rating on G2, plus Capterra’s Best Ease of Use award for 2025.

    • Capterra Best Ease of Use 2025 badge
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    • Software Advice Front Runners 2025 badge
    • GetApp Category Leaders 2025 badge
  • 20,000+

    companies and institutions creating video with Pictory.

  • SOC 2

    and GDPR compliant, ready for enterprise security reviews

    AICPA SOC sealISO 27001 sealGDPR

Case studies

Teams that scaled video with Pictory

  • Whirlybird Labs logo over a bright glass office

    “Pictory is the easiest, most efficient way to get from an idea in text to multimedia imagery on the screen. It’s the critical component to get us out of death by PowerPoint.”

    Jason Hoss, Founder & CEO
    Read the Whirlybird Labs case study
  • VRC Investigations logo over a woman leading a meeting

    “Pictory helps us consistently deliver the high-quality videos we’re known for, content we’re proud of and our clients are proud to use. They always get a five-star response.”

    Curtis Whitfill, VP of Continuing Education
    Read the VRC case study
  • AppDirect logo over a presenter showing a chart to his team

    “82% of our 10,000+ partners keep coming back to our training videos even though they aren’t mandatory courses. That’s how we know the content’s working.”

    David Landsberger, Director of Partner Enablement
    Read the AppDirect case study
  • NetRock Custom Cybersecurity logo over a team working at their computers

    “It increased subscriber growth by 78% and cut my video creation time from a couple of hours to a few minutes. It’s been a godsend.”

    Christian Wentz, Owner
    Read the NetRock case study
  • Online Super Tutors logo over a tutor presenting a lesson

    “Through Pictory videos, leads up by 500%, video production costs are down 90%.”

    Andrew Reid, Founder
    Read the Online Super Tutors case study
  • Game of Yield logo over a man working at his computer

    “We only launched our new app a few months ago and already have over 500 subscribers. People come back regularly to watch more videos made with Pictory.”

    Dr. Yuri Kotik, Founder
    Read the Game of Yield case study

See all case studies

Enterprise

Enterprise video at scale

Custom plans, onboarding and support for company-wide rollouts.

  • SOC 2 and GDPR compliant
  • Custom plans and personalized onboarding
  • Shared brand kits and team workspaces
  • Dedicated support

FAQ

FAQ: AI video automation

Can’t find your answer? Contact our team.

The agent reads your sources, drafts the script and scenes, proposes visuals, applies your voice, brand kit and layout preset, builds a preview, and makes the changes you request. These are the production steps inside a video project. You review the result and choose when to generate the final video.

Yes. You review the script and each scene’s visuals before the preview, play the preview, and check the downloaded file. The agent works from your brief and source, so compare facts, names, dates and numbers with your approved material before you share the video.

Yes. Upload your brand guidelines as a PDF, DOC or DOCX, extract a kit from your website URL, or set one up by hand. Then choose the kit during setup. Check a few scenes afterward, since some layout presets keep their own fonts and colors.

Yes. Paste the script and write that it must be used word for word as the narration, without paraphrasing. Keep visual instructions separate from the spoken words. If you later want the words changed, ask the agent explicitly to rewrite them.

Accuracy, tone, pronunciation and release timing stay with you. You decide what the video says, whether facts and numbers match your source, how names are spoken, and when the video is ready. Nothing becomes a downloadable file until you select Generate video.

Inside a Pictory 3 project. You start a video with a brief, review it, and generate it. The agent handles the production steps in between.

AI creation, AI revision, AI voices, AI Studio, transcription, avatars and video generation use AI Credits. You can check your balance and usage history from the header.

Keep going with the Pictory 3 AI video agent

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