How To Create a Video Using Sora

Apr 25 / Ashley Gross

Overview

Creating videos used to require cameras, actors, editing suites, and lots of time. But now, with the arrival of Sora, OpenAI’s groundbreaking text-to-video model, that’s changing fast.

Whether you’re a content creator, marketer, educator, or just curious, Sora gives you the power to turn simple text prompts into stunning videos — instantly.

This guide walks you through:

  • What Sora is
  • What you’ll need

  • How to create a video step-by-step
  • Optional enhancements
  • Practical applications and a real-world example

What Is Sora?

Sora is an AI model developed by OpenAI that generates high-quality videos from text descriptions. It understands natural language prompts and transforms them into dynamic, visually rich video scenes up to 60 seconds long.

Key Features:
  • Realistic environments and character animations
  • Stylized or cinematic effects
  • Complex scenes with camera movements and lighting
  • Up to 60-second video generation (depending on access)
  • Suitable for storytelling, marketing, education, and prototyping


Currently, access is limited to selected testers, but OpenAI is gradually expanding availability.

What You’ll Need

1. Sora Access

If you don’t have access yet, you can sign up for the waitlist.

2. An OpenAI Account

You’ll need a verified OpenAI account to log in and access the tool.

3. A Good Prompt

Sora works best when you describe exactly what you want to see — scene, characters, motion, mood, camera angle, and style.

Step-by-Step: How To Create a Video with Sora

Step 1: Log In to Sora

• Open the Sora website and sign in with your OpenAI credentials.
If you’ve been accepted, you’ll be directed to the Sora dashboard.

Step 2: Write Your Prompt

A prompt is what guides Sora’s output. Think of it like directing a short film using only words.

Example Prompt:

A serene lake at sunrise, surrounded by mountains, with fog rolling over the water. Cinematic lighting, drone shot slowly moving upward.

Tips for Writing Prompts:
  • Be specific about setting, lighting, objects, and motion
  • Use verbs like “zoom in”, “slow motion”, “panning left”
  • Mention styles: “anime-style,” “film noir,” “realistic 4K”

Step 3: Adjust Settings (If Available)

Depending on your access tier, you might be able to choose:

  • Video duration (5–60 seconds)
  • Aspect ratio (landscape, portrait, square)
  • Style or tone (realistic, animation, painterly, cinematic)

Step 4: Click Generate

Once your prompt and settings are ready:

  • Hit Generate
  • Wait as Sora processes (anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes)

Step 5: Review and Refine

  • Watch the generated video
  • If it doesn’t match your vision, tweak your prompt and try again.
  • Once satisfied, click Download

Optional Enhancements

After downloading your video, you can enhance it further using video editing tools:

  • Add music or voiceover (CapCut, Adobe Premiere, Canva)
  • Insert text overlays or logos
  • Stitch multiple Sora clips together for longer scenes
  • Use color grading for a cinematic feel

Practical Applications

Sora isn’t just cool tech — it has powerful real-world use cases:

1. Marketing and Ads
Quickly create promo videos, product teasers, or branded shorts.

2. Education
Generate visual explanations of scientific concepts or historical reenactments.

3. Film and Game Pre-visualization
Directors and developers can prototype scenes before production.

4. Social Media Content
Create aesthetic or storytelling content for platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Case Study: A Travel Influencer’s Drone Scene

Prompt Used:
A bird’s-eye view of the Amalfi Coast during sunset, with boats moving across the water, glowing golden hour light, cinematic feel, 4K quality.

Result:
Sora generated a 30-second video that looked nearly indistinguishable from drone footage. The influencer used it in an Instagram reel to preview a travel series — without ever flying a drone.

Impact:
The reel gained over 100,000 views in a week and sparked collaborations with tourism brands.

Best Practices for Creating Stunning Sora Videos

If you want to get the best results with Sora, follow these best practices:

1. Think Like a Director

Frame your prompt like a movie scene — what’s in the foreground, what’s moving, what’s the mood, and how the camera moves.

2. Focus Your Prompt

Keep your request focused on one strong, clear visual idea. Overloading the prompt with too many actions or subjects can confuse the model.

3. Use Specific Language

Be precise with details:
 • “A misty forest at dawn with sunlight filtering through the trees” is better than “a forest scene.”

4. Set the Style and Tone

Decide early if you want it realistic, cartoonish, cinematic, dreamy, gritty, etc., and say it in your prompt.

5. Add Motion

Words like “drone shot,” “panning left,” “zooming into the horizon” help Sora build more dynamic and professional-looking videos.

6. Iterate Strategically

Don’t change everything at once. If the first result isn’t perfect, tweak one thing at a time — lighting, angle, or motion — then re-generate.

7. Polish It Post-Generation

A simple round of editing — adding music, tightening the cut, adjusting color — can turn a good Sora clip into a great final product.

Try writing your vision and let Sora bring it to life!

Sora is revolutionizing how we create content. From solopreneurs to big studios, the ability to generate video with just a few words opens up incredible possibilities.