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HeyGen AI Avatar Video Generation

Jeff Bullas

This playbook provides a comprehensive, step-by-step tutorial on leveraging HeyGen AI, an advanced video generation platform.

You will learn how to create AI-generated videos efficiently, significantly reducing production time from hours to minutes.

1. Set Up Your HeyGen Account

  • Access HeyGen: Navigate to HeyGen via this link: https://www.heygen.com/
  • Sign Up: Click “get started for free” and sign up using your email, Google, or Apple account.
  • Verify Email: Go to your inbox, grab the verification code, paste it, and verify.
  • Create Password: Set your password, tick the box, and create your account.
  • Choose Plan: You’ll start on the free plan. To unlock custom avatars, voice cloning, and multi-language translation, consider upgrading to the Creator Plan ($288/year or $24/month).

2. Create Your AI Avatar

  • Option 1: Choose a Ready-Made Public Avatar:
    • Click “avatar” in the left-side menu.
    • Browse HeyGen’s library, previewing different looks, backgrounds, and how they sound.
    • If happy, click “create with AI Studio” to start building your video.
  • Option 2: Clone Yourself (Hyperrealistic Avatar):
    • Click “create new avatar” and choose “hyperrealistic avatar”.
    • Choose Method: You can upload a video recording (recommended for accurate voice, facial expressions, and speaking style cloning) or upload photos only (and pair with HeyGen’s AI voices).
    • Select Avatar Type: Choose between a still avatar (sitting or standing and talking) or a motion avatar (walking or moving around).
    • Record: Follow on-screen instructions, ensure good lighting and clear audio, and look directly into the camera.
    • Record Consent: Read the provided script aloud for consent validation.
    • Submit and Name: Allow AI to process, then name your new avatar.
  • Option 3: Generate an Avatar from a Prompt:
    • Click “create new avatar” and choose “generate”.
    • Input Details: Give your avatar a name, select age, gender, and ethnicity.
    • Describe Avatar: Use a text prompt (e.g., “a 40-year-old British guy who works in a pizzeria… with blue eyes and short brown curly hair”). You can use sample prompts for guidance.
    • Select Visuals: Choose landscape/upper body and a visual style (e.g., realistic, Pixar, cinematic, cyberpunk).
    • Generate Preview: Click “generate preview,” pick your favourite, or regenerate.
    • Add Voice: Let AI choose, or click “add voice” to select from AI-generated voices, upload your own for cloning, or use smart voice match suggestions.

3. Customise Your Avatar’s Looks and Motions

  • Create Avatar Looks:
    • Click “train model”.
    • Generate Look: Use a text prompt to describe your avatar’s appearance (e.g., “avatar in a kitchen with a pizza oven wearing a chef’s hat”). Keep prompts short and simple for better results.
    • Choose orientation (e.g., landscape) and pose (e.g., upper body) and style (e.g., Pixar).
    • (Optional) Upload product images if featuring them.
    • Click “generate looks”. You can create multiple looks for the same avatar.
  • Add Avatar Motions:
    • Select the avatar look you want to animate.
    • Click “add motion”.
    • Choose Motion Type: Select “consistent motion” for subtle movements or “expressive motion” for bolder actions that might match the script.
    • Prompt Motion: Enter a prompt for the desired action (e.g., “avatar drives down the street”).
    • Click “add motion” to apply.

4. Start Your Video Creation

  • Click “create video” and then “avatar video”.
  • Choose Starting Point: You can start from scratch, use a customisable template, upload a PowerPoint or PDF, or generate a script with AI.

5. Generate Your Video Script with AI

  • Choose “generate script with AI”.
  • Input Prompt/Link: Type in a prompt (e.g., “create a high energy 30-second promo for my pizzeria…”) or drop in a link to a blog post/article.
  • Select Language and Tone: Specify the target language (e.g., English) and desired tone (e.g., informative, entertaining, compelling, friendly, confident, upbeat).
  • Click “generate script.” The AI will draft a script, split into video scenes. You can edit or regenerate if needed.

6. Navigate the Video Editor Workspace

  • Once the script is generated, you’ll be in HeyGen’s video editor.
  • Left Menu: Access templates, layouts, avatars, script editing, text overlays, elements (video clips, images, background music), and assets (upload brand logos, product shots, B-roll).
  • Right Side: View your video preview.
  • Timeline: Below the preview, find the timeline split into scenes with avatar, scene, and script layers. A toggle ensures video clips match script length, and you can drag edges to adjust timing or add new scenes.

7. Customise Your Avatar in the Scene

  • Click on “avatar” in the left menu, select your scene, then choose the desired avatar look.
  • Adjust View Mode: Click the video preview, then the view mode icon to switch between closeup, full body, or circle view.
  • Remove Background: Hover over the icon next to view mode to remove your avatar’s background.
  • Reposition and Resize: Drag to reposition your avatar on screen and resize it.
  • Repeat these steps for consistency across scenes.

8. Edit Script and Customise Voice

  • Go to the “script” section in the left menu.
  • Edit Script: Click on any section to type and make changes directly in the script box.
  • Change Avatar’s Voice: Click the voice button to access HeyGen’s library of hundreds of voice options in different styles, languages, and accents.
  • Adjust Audio Settings: Click the three dots to adjust clarity, pitch, and volume. You can also increase the talking speed (e.g., to 1.2).

9. Translate Your Video (Optional)

  • Click the language icon in the script section.
  • Translate: Select your desired language (over 175 available) and preview the translated script.
  • Hit “apply” to translate your entire video. The translation quality for languages like Thai is noted as “surprisingly accurate and sounds really natural”.

10. Add Background Music and Other Elements

  • Go to “element” in the left menu, then scroll down to “music” and click “see all”.
  • Select Music: Listen to tracks and click one to add it to your video timeline.
  • Adjust Music: Select the music block, right-click to ensure it automatically eases in and out, and adjust the volume.
  • You can also add other elements like video clips and images, or upload your own assets (logos, B-roll) via the “asset” section.

11. Finalise and Export Your Video

  • Once happy with edits, click the “submit” button.
  • Set Details: Give your video a name, and double-check the resolution, frame rate, and format.
  • Watermark: If on a paid plan, switch off the toggle to remove the HeyGen watermark.
  • Click “submit.” HeyGen will process your video (usually takes a few minutes).
  • Access Final Video: Find your completed video under “videos” in your workspace.
  • Share/Download: You can either share by publishing and copying a link, or download the video directly to your PC.

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