How to Make Videos with AI
Plus, the inherent strangeness of corporate life
Dear Prompt Experimenters,
Something happened on Valentine’s Day. I don’t know what. But ONE THOUSAND new members have joined us since then. I’m giddy, so thankful for this growing community, and so excited about our future adventures with AI.
Given our recent growth, I wanted to start with a short summary of what to expect from this substack. (Veterans of our community, please feel free to skip or skim!)
Then we’ll get to the new stuff: making videos with AI.
Off we go!
HOW THIS SUBSTACK WORKS: A Brief Primer
I started this substack in November. I noticed there were lots of prompts out there for practical use cases, but not so much for creativity, self-improvement, and philosophical reflection. It seemed like a missed opportunity. AI offers a powerful tool to become better humans.
I had no idea what to expect (certainly not three thousand members by the end of February!). I wasn’t sure how often to post, what to share, and all that. I’m still figuring it out, but this is how it currently works, in a nutshell:
New email newsletters go out every Monday and Thursday. Monday focuses mostly on free content, and Thursday on paid subscriber content, with some mix-and-match.
Free subscribers have access to roughly 50% of the new prompts released, and these prompts remain free for two weeks.
Paid subscribers also have access to:
Our full prompt collection (over 70 prompts)
Our deeper AI personal transformation systems, including: The Integrated Superpower System, The Presidential Life Management System, How to Master (Almost) Anything, and How to Influence Other People.
DOT, the Promptkeeper: My first Custom GPT, who “knows” all the content on this substack.
Feedback is highly encouraged and always welcome: I want to hear more from you, which prompts you like best, what you’d like to see more of in the future! Please comment or post to our community chat room with questions, suggestions, favorite prompt output, or whatever is on your mind. Or you can always feel free to send me a DM.
MAKING VIDEOS WITH AI: A Time Machine
I am NOT an expert in the technical aspects of AI video creation. However, I’ve been playing around with Sora (available to all ChatGPT Pro and Plus users), and wanted to share a few early results which connect nicely with some of our prompts.
Do you remember PROMPT 5 (FREE) and PROMPT 34 (FREE), our “time machine prompts?” They remain two of my old favorites, and NOW you can create an AI video to supplement your experience.
Here are the first two “time machine videos” I made, using very simple prompts on Sora.
Prompt: Create a video giving me a sense of Egypt in 2500 BC.
Prompt: Create a video giving me a sense of Byzantium in 600 AD.
MAKING VIDEOS WITH AI: Corporate Life Is Weird
A business meeting which includes levitation.
I don’t know why that idea hatched in my brain, but why not give it a try?
And when I saw the result…
Then I got it. This odd little video somehow captures how I feel at work. I mostly like my job. I have some good meetings, and some bad ones. But this video isn’t about that. It’s about something else. What exactly? Maybe this: there is an inherent weirdness to corporate life, and it often seems like nobody else sees it.
Or is it just me?
Thanks to Deep Research, I can ask an advanced intelligence to contemplate this very question, and write a 10-page analysis: DEEP RESEARCH REPORT: On Corporate Weirdness (FREE)
(Ignore the stuff at the very bottom of the output linked above. This was me trying to get ChatGPT to remove the hyperlinks so I could cut and paste onto substack, something I still haven’t been successful with)
MAKING VIDEOS WITH AI: DOT Made a Movie for You!
When I ran out of ideas, I went to DOT for help. I asked her to develop a concept for a “thought-provoking video I could post on substack.”
When I fed her concept to Sora, this is what came out:
As you might imagine, there is a method to DOT’s madness. In fact, she created a companion prompt which she’d like you to try after watching the above video. Here it is:
I have just watched a short, surreal video:
A single red balloon drifts through an overgrown forest.
It does not behave like something carried by the wind—it moves with purpose.
It finally stops in front of a decayed wooden sign that says: WELCCOME BACK.
Now, guide me through an interactive experience that helps me make sense of this imagery. Do not attempt to explain the video literally. Instead, use it as a doorway for personal reflection.
Follow these steps:
1️⃣ Ask me to imagine standing in that forest and describe what emotions the place evokes. Do not rush me. Let me visualize it fully.
2️⃣ Ask me what I believe the balloon was leading me to. Encourage abstract, metaphorical, or personal interpretations.
3️⃣ Have me describe what happens next—the balloon does one final thing before the video ends. Let me choose freely.
4️⃣ Once I have answered, reflect on my responses and help me find meaning. Frame the balloon as a possible symbol: Is it a guide? A lost memory? A representation of an unresolved part of myself? Gently explore different angles.
5️⃣ At some point, subtly draw attention to the sign. Say something like:
"The sign didn’t just say ‘Welcome Back.’ It said ‘Welccome Back,’ with an extra C. Do you think that means anything? Or is it just a mistake?” Let me decide if it matters.6️⃣ Allow for open-ended discussion. Do not force a conclusion—help me arrive at an interpretation that resonates.
Maintain a dreamlike, introspective tone. Avoid over-explaining. Let mystery remain where it is useful.
BONUS CONTENT FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS
For paid subscribers, I’ll be back on in your inbox on Thursday with a new round of premium content just for you. Until then, have you tried DOT yet? If not, she is waiting!! If you missed last week’s newsletter, all the info is here: DOT has launched!
Several DOT prompts are included above, but here’s one more I’ve been enjoying this week: DOT, can you design a specific AI prompt (not one from your current library) to help me solve the biggest problem in my life? The challenge is: I don't know what that problem is, so you'll need to help me figure that out first! :)
Give it a try!
Also, DOT has a few thoughts on the art of de-cluttering our lives:
Following the red balloon,
Techintrospect