Script to video
Your script, narrated word for word and drawn as it is said.
Paste the words you want said. KolaVid narrates them exactly as written, in a natural female or male AI voice, and makes a whiteboard drawing for each point, revealed as the narrator reaches it. Your script is not summarised or rewritten. A free account makes one 2-minute video with no card.
How to turn a script into a video
- Check the length with the script length calculator: about 268 words make a 2-minute video in English.
- Sign up free, open the composer and paste your script.
- Choose a frame (16:9, 9:16 or 1:1), the length that fits your script, and a female or male voice in the script's language.
- KolaVid narrates the script word for word and draws one idea a board, each drawing appearing as it is said. It is usually ready in a minute or two.
- Download the MP4 or share a link.
What you get
| With KolaVid | |
|---|---|
| Start from | Your script, pasted into the composer |
| Narration | Word for word, as written, in a natural AI voice |
| Video | A whiteboard drawing for each point, appearing as the narrator says it |
| Frames | Landscape 16:9, vertical 9:16 or square 1:1 |
| Length | 1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes (free videos up to 2 minutes) |
| Voice | Female or male, in many narration languages, including Spanish and Portuguese |
| Captions | In the narration language: switch on with CC, download as .srt or .vtt, or burn into the MP4 |
| Price | Free: one 2-minute video, no card. Starter: $19.99 a month for 5,000 credits |
Whiteboard video uses one credit a second, so a 2-minute video is 120 credits.
What happens to your script
The narrator says your words exactly as you wrote them. KolaVid works out what each sentence is about and draws it, so a drawing appears at the moment its words are spoken, and every word written on the board is a word from your script.
Headings, scene notes and directions are not spoken. Leave them in if they help you write; only the narration is read aloud.
How many words fit
KolaVid's narrator says about 134 words a minute in English, pauses between scenes included: about 134 words for 1 minute, 268 for 2, 402 for 3 and 670 for 5. Spanish runs at about 122 words a minute. Paste your script into the free script length calculator to see how long it runs before you make the video.
Tips: writing a script that draws well
- Write for the ear. Short sentences, about 11 words each, are easier to follow and give each drawing its own moment.
- Write the way you speak. Contractions such as "it's" and "don't" sound natural; long asides in brackets sound like someone reading.
- Announce each new idea plainly, as in "The second reason is cost." It tells the listener that something new has started.
- Make each sentence about something you can picture. "The pump pushes water up the pipe" gives a drawing; "this has several important implications" gives none.
- Keep one point to a paragraph. A listener cannot scroll back, so each point needs to land before the next one starts.
- Put the key term in the sentence that introduces it. Words on the board come from your script, so the word you want written is the word you write.
- Write numbers the way they should be heard. "$52.50" is spoken as five words; round a figure when the exact amount does not matter.
- Spell out an abbreviation the first time it appears. A listener cannot look it up halfway through a sentence.
- Trim the script to the length you choose. The calculator gives the word count; leave about 5% spare for pauses.
- Start with the question or the problem, not "In this video...". The first sentence is when most viewers decide whether to keep watching.
- End on the one line you want remembered, such as the rule, the answer or the next step.
- Write in the language of the video and choose a voice in that language. The script is narrated as written, not translated.
- Read it aloud once with a timer. Lines that make you stumble will sound stiff in any voice.
- Split a script longer than 5 minutes into parts. Two short videos, each ending where the next begins, are easier to finish than one long one.
Is my script narrated word for word?
Yes. The narrator says your words exactly as written, and drawings are made to match. Headings, scene notes and directions are not spoken.
How many words do I need for a 2-minute video?
About 268 words in English and about 244 in Spanish. The script length calculator works it out for any length.
How long can the video be?
1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes. Free videos are up to 2 minutes; paid plans go up to 5. Split a longer script into two videos.
Can I choose the voice?
Yes. Choose a female or male voice and the narration language in the composer. Spanish and Portuguese are among the many languages offered.
Can I change a line after the video is made?
Yes. Open the video and press Edit: rewrite what the narrator says in any scene, redraw a board, change a word on the board or switch the voice. You pay only for the scenes made again, and every version is kept.
Is it free to try?
Yes. A free account comes with 120 credits, enough for one 2-minute video, with no card. Free videos carry a small KolaVid mark.