How to Use Sora to Generate AI Videos

Sora is OpenAI's text-to-video AI model that generates realistic videos from written prompts. The tool transforms detailed descriptions into high-quality video clips up to 60 seconds long with complex scenes, multiple characters, and accurate motion.

1. Access Sora through OpenAI's platform. Navigate to chat.openai.com and log in to your OpenAI account. Click the model selector dropdown in the top left and select 'Sora' from the available models. You need an active ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscription to access Sora.
2. Craft a detailed video prompt. Write a specific description of your desired video in the chat input. Include visual details, camera movements, lighting, and character actions. Describe the scene setting, time of day, weather conditions, and any specific visual style you want.
3. Set video parameters. Before submitting your prompt, click the settings icon to adjust video specifications. Choose your preferred aspect ratio (16:9 for landscape, 9:16 for vertical, or 1:1 for square). Select video duration between 5 and 20 seconds for optimal quality and processing speed.
4. Submit the generation request. Press Enter or click the send button to submit your prompt. Sora will display a progress indicator while processing your request. Generation typically takes 2-5 minutes depending on video length and complexity.
5. Review and download the generated video. Once generation completes, Sora displays a preview of your video with playback controls. Click the download button below the video player to save the MP4 file to your device. The video downloads at 1080p resolution by default.
6. Iterate and refine your results. If the video doesn't match your vision, create a new prompt with more specific details or different parameters. Reference elements you liked from the previous attempt and describe what you want to change. Sora learns from detailed feedback in subsequent prompts.