Sora 2 for Beginners: Make Your First AI-Generated Video

OpenAI's Sora 2 represents a massive leap in AI video generation. With just one prompt, you can create stunning videos complete with music, sound effects, and even speaking characters. This beginner's guide walks you through everything you need to know to start creating AI videos today.

Key Takeaways

Sora 2 is currently invite-only but will become publicly available soon

You can only generate 3 videos at a time – plan accordingly

Three ways to create: Remix existing videos, use Cameos (your likeness), or start from scratch

Cameo settings control who can use your likeness – keep private or make public

Videos include sound effects and music automatically – no additional editing needed

Downloaded videos have Sora watermarks – be aware for branding purposes

The democratization of video production is here – you can create mini-movies without any special tools

Getting Started with Sora 2

Accessing Sora 2

Go to sora.com

Log in with your ChatGPT account

If you have Sora 2 access, you'll be taken to the new interface

Without access, you'll see the previous version

The Interface

For You: Personalized video recommendations

Following: Videos from people you follow

Top: Most popular videos

Latest: Newest creations

The feed refreshes with new videos every time you visit, giving you constant inspiration.

Three Ways to Create Videos

Method 1: Remixing Existing Videos

The easiest way to start is by remixing videos others have created.

How to Remix:

Find a video you like

Click "Remix"

Enter your modification prompt

Wait for generation (a few minutes)

Example: Found a dog skateboarding video → Prompt: "Replace the dog with a black cat" → Result: Cat skateboarding video

Creative Remixes People Have Made:

Dog → Cat → Dolphin → Lobster with human feet → Crocodile

Pirate ships → Evil Pirates of the Caribbean style ships with dragons

Method 2: Using Cameos (Your Likeness)

Cameos let you put yourself (or others who've shared access) into AI-generated scenes.

How Cameos Work:

When you start typing a prompt, faces of available cameos appear

Click the person's cameo to include them

Write your scene description

Generate

Example Prompt: "Shanee Moret is sitting on a flying dragon flying over mountains that are snowy"

Important: Cameos don't look exactly like you or sound exactly like you – but they're getting closer with each update.

Method 3: Starting from Scratch

Create entirely new videos without remixes or cameos.

How to Create from Scratch:

Click "Describe your video"

Don't select any faces/cameos

Write your creative prompt

Generate

Example Prompt: "A coffee pot singing a song to encourage business owners to learn AI"

Result: A fully animated coffee pot with rhythm, rhyme, and a catchy tune – all from one prompt.

Method 4: Image-to-Video

Turn static images into animated videos.

How it Works:

Click the picture icon

Upload your image

Describe how you want it animated

Generate

Example: Uploaded a photo of a cat on a patio table → Prompt: "Turn him into a podcaster" → Result: The cat animated and speaking podcast-style dialogue

Managing Your Videos

The Queue System

Videos take several minutes to generate

Maximum 3 videos generating at once

Check progress in your profile under "Drafts"

After Generation

For each video, you can:

Download: Save to your device (includes Sora watermark)

Post: Add to your public Sora profile

Delete: Remove if you don't like it

Remix Again: Further modify the result

Sharing Options

Copy link to share directly

Post to X, LinkedIn, or Reddit

Pro Tip: Download and upload natively to social platforms for better performance

Cameo Privacy Settings

Control who can create videos using your likeness:

Access Levels:

Only Me: Only you can generate your likeness (recommended for most)

People I Approve: Case-by-case approval

Mutuals: People you both follow

Everyone: Public access (use cautiously)

Setting Guardrails: If you open your cameo to others, you can:

Describe what your cameo DOESN'T allow

Set preferences for how your cameo appears

Save restrictions to protect your likeness

The Jake Paul Example

Jake Paul made his cameo public and generated 1 billion views in 6 days as thousands of people created videos with his likeness. High risk, high reward strategy.

Creative Possibilities

Mini-Movie Production

With the right prompts, you could create:

A 3-minute pirate war scene (30 videos)

Complete stories with consistent characters

Professional-looking graphics and effects

The Revolution: No graphic design skills required. No special software needed. Just prompts.

What Sora Handles Automatically

Sound effects matching the action

Background music

Character dialogue (with lip sync)

Scene transitions

Visual effects

Tips for Better Results

Be Specific: More detail = better results

Study Top Videos: See what prompts work well

Iterate: Remix your own videos to improve them

Think Culturally: What will resonate with your audience?

Focus on Storytelling: The tech is there – your creativity is the differentiator

The Bigger Picture

Sora 2 represents the democratization of video production. You can now:

Create professional-quality videos with zero technical skills

Produce content that would have cost thousands to make traditionally

Tell visual stories limited only by your imagination

Whether you're a business owner creating marketing content, a creator building an audience, or just someone who wants to experiment with AI, Sora 2 opens up possibilities that didn't exist even a year ago.

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Want a Sora 2 invite code? Connect with or message Shanee Moret on LinkedIn.

📺 Watch the full tutorial: Sora 2 for Beginners

🔔 Subscribe to Shanee Moret's channel for more AI tutorials: YouTube Channel