I do a mix of creative coding, editing, and motion design, and I’ve been experimenting with AI video generators to see if they can streamline idea development or reduce the grunt work in early stages. I’ll share a bit of my experience:

Pollo AI

What it does: Combines image + video generation with prompt-based motion tweaking

Gimmicks: Lets you mix effects with randomness across multiple AI models

Best for: Sketching motion ideas, quirky social content, fast iterations

My take: Surprisingly fun. Exported a base clip from After Effects, added an explosion in Pollo, and the result was weirdly usable. Definitely more of a sandbox than a pipeline tool.

Runway ML

What it does: Text-to-video (realistic styles) and video-to-video with style transfer

Gimmicks: Great for generating B-roll or filler shots with a cinematic aesthetic

Best for: Quick conceptual visuals to build around

My take: Not production-ready yet, but great for moodboarding or visual brainstorming. I’ve dropped clips into Figma or rough cuts when blocked creatively.

HeyGen

What it does: Script-based AI avatars with multilingual voice

Gimmicks: Voice cloning + presenter animation

Best for: Tutorials, demo videos, temp placeholders for client work

My take: Used this to simulate a presenter while waiting for voiceover feedback. Helped me build a full demo without delay. More internal-use than final delivery.

Luma AI (Dream Machine)

What it does: High-quality text-to-video with natural lighting + grounded motion

Gimmicks: Fake camera moves and physics that actually look decent

Best for: Mocking up environments, prototyping sci-fi/fantasy shots

My take: I used it to generate a spaceport establishing shot—looked better than most paid stock. Ideal for early concept viz or previsualization.

Pika Labs

What it does: Animate text, images, or video with stylized outputs

Gimmicks: Fast, in-browser or Discord-based experimentation

Best for: Motion sketches, quick concept drafts

My take: I treat this like a sketchbook. Great for throwing visual ideas around before diving into full code or composition

As someone who has decided I now want to make some short stories and funny impossible videos, what would be some websites that are easy to use for beginners and also give tons of freedom if they pay with a subscription.

I would like to start and am fine paying just would hope not to pay an extreme amount such as $1000+. Thank you

Anyone know a solid text-to-video tool that doesn’t charge you for every single generation—only to hit you with another paywall when you try to make edits?