I made a short film about faceless channels
Education
Introduction
In recent months, I've delved deep into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and noticed a recurring theme across various platforms and tools: everyone seems to be pitching something. If you're like me, you've likely encountered a common sight on AI websites—the pricing tab.
I firmly believe that products should not be sold before they are fully developed. With that in mind, I decided to explore the unsung potential of AI tools that are offered to us for free. Today, we will embark on a journey to create a truly automated AI-driven YouTube channel—one that is capable of producing and publishing content daily without any manual intervention from me.
First, let's address a term often associated with AI: automation. Many creators of AI tools emphasize automation, but upon closer examination, it's evident that human involvement is still necessary at every stage. While these tools can quickly generate images and scripts, they often fall short of true automation. My vision, however, is to establish a channel where AI can handle everything—from editing the footage and crafting titles and descriptions to uploading videos.
To kick things off, I made a list of components necessary for this project. Given my busy schedule producing videos for vidIQ, I knew I needed to leverage AI technology to edit my footage. I considered creating a nature channel, encouraging myself to take breaks outdoors to capture video content with my phone. However, I soon realized that stock footage could also suffice. The remaining steps were to draft titles and descriptions, design thumbnails, and schedule uploads.
With my idea outlined, I sought assistance from a friend experienced in coding. I turned to GPT, using my stream deck to facilitate communication. I started by drafting a detailed prompt outlining my objectives, which included creating specific folders on my desktop for video clips, sound effects, and animations, as well as a coding request to produce edited videos ready for upload.
After confirming that certain installations were completed, I launched into an intense coding montage that led to successfully editing videos in a format suitable for upload. Yet, to fulfill my vision, I needed to take real footage, incentivizing me to step away and film for the first time as part of my "daily footage break."
Upon recording the necessary footage, I realized I needed to add sound effects. After incorporating those, I planned an animation style reminiscent of classic video games—specifically Zelda—to overlay on the video. Once the animation was complete, the last challenge was to write code that would upload the finished product to YouTube automatically.
As I prepared to launch the upload portion of my project, I decided it was essential that my video titles and descriptions maintained a theme. I prompted GPT for suggestions and received a list of engaging phrases to accompany my content.
After many hours of coding, the moment finally arrived to execute the code and awaken the automation. However, despite following through with my plan, I discovered that the channel fell victim to shadow-banning—resulting in minimal visibility and viewership.
Nevertheless, this journey revealed a wealth of knowledge about AI-driven automation and its capabilities. I recognized that, while AI tools are beneficial, they cannot entirely replace the human element of creativity and engagement that defines content creation.
My experience also illustrated a particular irony: what I consider true automation might not align with YouTube’s algorithms, which seem unwelcoming to automated content. Ultimately, despite the disappointing results, I learned valuable lessons about the tools at our disposal and the importance of staying engaged in the creation process.
Will creators be replaced by AI? Probably not.
Keyword
automation, AI, YouTube, coding, video editing, content creation, shadow-banning, Adobe Premiere, nature channel, stock footage
FAQ
Q1: What is the main goal of creating an automated YouTube channel?
A1: The goal is to leverage AI to handle video production and uploads entirely independently, allowing more time for creators to engage in other activities.
Q2: What challenges did the creator face while setting up the automated channel?
A2: The creator faced challenges with shadow-banning that limited the visibility and viewership of the videos produced by the channel.
Q3: How did the creator ensure the content aligned with their vision?
A3: The creator wrote detailed prompts for GPT and designed engaging titles and descriptions with thematic relevance, while also incorporating personal footage and animations.
Q4: What lesson did the creator learn from this experience?
A4: The creator learned that true automation in content creation might not be compatible with platform algorithms, and that the human element of creativity is irreplaceable.
