Script-to-Storyboard Workflow for Short-Form Video Ads

Consuming video is easy.

Producing good video is not.

Writing a script, collecting footage, dealing with creators, then editing it into something that doesn’t look like a ransom tape - it’s a time tax.

AI video tools exist for one reason: to turn “idea” into “MP4” faster.

But there’s a catch.

Most “AI video generators” are really one of three things:

• Text-to-video labs (cool demos, sometimes chaotic outputs)
• AI video editors (make your existing footage easier to cut)
• Video ad factories (repeatable, on-brand, built for performance teams)

If you’re a DTC brand or agency, you don’t need a Cannes-winning short film.

You need 20-100 ad variations that look native, test fast, and don’t cost $200 per UGC video.

That’s the wedge for EzUGC: AI-powered UGC video ads for about $5/video, with consistent quality, real-looking AI avatars, and 32+ languages - created in minutes, not days.

The best tool isn’t the fanciest model. It’s the one that ships usable ads every week.

The quick picks (category + best for + pricing)

Below is the same high-level table you came for: what each tool is, what it’s best at, and what it costs.

Comparison table

How to pick an AI video tool (without wasting a week)

Most teams choose tools like they choose cereal: whatever looks fun on the box.

Pick based on the output you actually need.

If you need UGC-style video ads

You care about:

• Consistency (same hook style, same brand voice, same product claims)
• Speed (minutes, not days)
• Cost per iteration (you’re testing, not filming a documentary)

Traditional UGC often runs around $200/video once you factor in creator fees, revisions, and coordination.

EzUGC aims to make that closer to $5/video, with AI avatars that look real and can speak 32+ languages.

If you need cinematic text-to-video

You care about:

• Prompt adherence
• Motion quality
• Camera control

That’s where tools like Veo, Runway, Sora, Luma, and LTX Studio live.

If you need to edit existing footage faster

You care about:

• Transcription-based editing
• Auto cuts
• Repurposing into shorts

That’s Descript, VEED, OpusClip, Eddie AI, and friends.

The 18 best AI video generators in 2026 (what each is actually good for)

This list keeps the same lineup as the source, but with the context most roundups skip: what breaks, what’s great, and who it’s for.

1) EzUGC (best for performance UGC ads at scale)

If you’re running paid social, you don’t need “a video.”

You need a system that produces dozens of variants: new hooks, new angles, new languages, new CTAs - without the creator scheduling circus.

Where EzUGC wins

• Cost: traditional UGC is often around $200/video. EzUGC is about $5/video.
• Speed: generate ads in minutes, not days.
• Consistency: same on-brand structure, over and over.
• Global-ready: avatars that look real and speak 32+ languages.

Best for

• DTC brands
• Agencies
• Performance marketers testing creatives weekly

CTA: Create your first AI UGC ad at https://app.ezugc.ai

2) Google Veo

Veo is the “reliable quality” option in the text-to-video bucket.

It’s built for generating high-quality clips from prompts or images, with pricing that scales hard once you want fewer restrictions.

Best for: Creating reliable, high-quality videos from prompts or images

Pricing: Free credits monthly; $19.99/month for Pro with more credits and watermark; $249.99/month Ultra removes watermark and greatly increases limits

3) Runway

Runway is what you use when you want AI video to feel like a film tool, not a marketing tool.

It’s strong on generative editing and cinematic outputs - especially if you already think in timelines and shots.

Best for: Cinematic, film-style video creation and advanced generative editing

Pricing: Free plan with limited credits; Standard plan at $15/month with more credits, no watermark, and higher export quality

4) Sora

Sora’s pitch is narrative coherence.

Not just “make a clip,” but “make a sequence that feels like it belongs together.”

Best for: Turning stories and narratives into cohesive videos

Pricing: Included with ChatGPT Plus at $20/month (watermarked, 720p); Pro at $200/month removes watermark and increases quality and duration

5) Luma Dream Machine

Luma is for iteration.

You use it like a sketchpad: generate drafts, explore directions, then decide what’s worth polishing.

Best for: Brainstorming and iterating on creative video ideas

Pricing: Free plan with limited draft videos; Lite at $9.99/month; Plus at $29.99/month removes watermark and allows commercial use

6) LTX Studio

LTX Studio is for people who want control.

Shot-by-shot storyboarding is the point - you’re not just prompting, you’re directing.

Best for: Extreme creative control with shot-by-shot storyboarding

Pricing: Free trial with credits; Lite plan at $15/month with higher monthly credits

7) Adobe Firefly

Firefly’s edge is the boring stuff that matters: commercial safety.

If you work in a brand environment where legal reviews everything, this category matters.

Best for: Commercially safe AI video generation

Pricing: Free limited generations; Firefly Standard at $9.99/month for credits and full AI access (IP indemnification requires proper plan)

8) Descript

Descript is the “edit video like a doc” tool.

If your bottleneck is cutting talking-head footage, transcription editing is still the fastest way to move.

Best for: Editing video by editing the script

Pricing: Free plan with limited transcription; Hobbyist plan at $24/user/month removes watermark and boosts export quality

9) Wondershare Filmora

Filmora is a traditional editor with AI features bolted on - in a good way.

If you want familiar editing with some AI assists, it’s a reasonable middle ground.

Best for: Polishing videos with AI tools in a traditional editor

Pricing: Free limited plan; paid plans start at $49.99/year, with AI credits in higher tiers

10) VEED

VEED is built for speed and repurposing.

Think: subtitles, quick trims, social formats, and getting from long to short without hating your life.

Best for: Faster content production and repurposing

Pricing: Free plan with watermark; Lite plan at $24/month removes watermark and increases export quality

11) Capsule

Capsule is workflow-first.

If you have a brand team, templates, approvals, and repeatable formats, this is the lane.

Best for: Streamlining branded video production workflows

Pricing: Free plan available; Enterprise pricing not publicly listed

12) Eddie AI

Eddie is about rough cuts.

You dump in long footage and ask it to find something coherent - fast.

Best for: Getting a rough cut from long footage in minutes

Pricing: Free plan with watermark; Plus plan at $25/month with limited exports

13) OpusClip

OpusClip is for turning a podcast or webinar into a pile of shorts.

It’s not magic. But it’s faster than doing it manually.

Best for: Extracting viral clips from long-form video

Pricing: Free plan with monthly credits and watermark; Starter plan at $15/month removes watermark and unlocks advanced tools

14) InVideo AI

invideo AI is a prompt-to-social-video suite.

It’s geared toward getting something publishable quickly, especially for marketers who don’t want to edit from scratch.

Best for: Creating social media videos from a prompt

Pricing: Free plan with limited minutes and watermark; Plus plan at $35/month removes watermark and increases limits

15) Vyond

Vyond is animated character video territory.

If your brand wants explainers, training, or internal comms with characters, this is a known option.

Best for: Creating animated character videos from prompts

Pricing: Free trial with watermarked output; paid plans start at $99/month

16) Synthesia

Synthesia is the classic “realistic avatar presenter” tool.

Great for corporate explainers. Less great if you’re chasing raw, TikTok-native UGC vibes.

Best for: Creating videos with realistic digital avatars

Pricing: Free plan with limited minutes; Starter plan at $29/month with more video time and avatar features

17) Live Avatar by HeyGen

This is the interactive avatar angle.

Real-time avatars are a different category - more like a digital host than a generated clip.

Best for: Interactive, real-time digital avatars

Pricing: Free plan with limited credits; Essential plan at $99/month with higher limits and multi-user support

18) revid.ai

revid.ai is template-driven social content.

If you want AI to fill in the blanks of a proven format, templates beat blank canvases.

Best for: Using AI-powered templates for social content

Pricing: Free plan with limited features and no exports; Hobby plan at $39/month

19) Pictory

Pictory is about transforming existing content into videos.

If you already have blog posts, scripts, or long recordings, it helps turn that into something watchable.

Best for: Transforming existing content into polished videos

Pricing: Plans start at $23/month; higher tiers increase video and transcription limits

A contrarian take: most teams don’t need “better AI video”

They need more iterations.

The winning ad is usually version #37 - not the first “perfect” one.

That’s why the economics matter.

Paying $200/video trains you to ship fewer bets.

Paying $5/video trains you to test like a scientist.

If you’re making UGC ads, start here

If your job is to ship performance creative consistently, skip the cinematic rabbit hole.

Use a tool built for ads.

Create your first AI UGC video with EzUGC here: https://app.ezugc.ai