What "Claude video generator" actually means
People search for a Claude video generator expecting Claude to output a video file the way an image model outputs a picture. It does not work that way. Claude is a language model: it reads and writes text, including code. It has no built-in video output.
What it can do is write a precise plan for a video, and that turns out to be the hard part. A good short video needs a hook in the first line, facts that are true, a beat structure that keeps people watching and visuals that land on the right word. Claude is very good at all four. A renderer can then follow the plan exactly, drawing type, lines and charts frame by frame. That is the whole design of Video Studio.
WhatToUpload is an independent product built on Claude. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic.
Who does what inside a render
Each part of the pipeline is handled by the tool that is best at it. Nothing is hidden: this is the full list.
| Step | Done by | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Script | Claude | A tight script with the hook first, built from facts you can check |
| Storyboard | Claude | Every word, shape, chart and beat, with its timing |
| Voiceover | ElevenLabs | A natural narrator voice with word-level timings |
| Captions | Our renderer | Captions placed from the voice's own word timings |
| Animation | Our renderer | Every frame drawn as code in the chosen style |
| Music and sound | Our mixer | A music bed and sound effects on the key beats |
Why plan with Claude and draw with code
The alternative is to ask a video model to generate every frame. That gives you rich, cinematic footage, but it is weak at what explainers and story videos depend on: legible words, exact numbers and a character who looks the same in every shot.
Drawing as code flips those strengths. Type is set in real fonts, so it never melts. A graph is plotted from the numbers in the script, so the curve is right. A stick figure keeps its hands. And because Claude chose every element, the visuals match the words being spoken, beat for beat.
Doing it yourself with Claude Code
Plenty of developers build this themselves: Claude Code writing animation code for a renderer, a text-to-speech API for the voice, and a script to stitch it together. It works, and if you enjoy the engineering it is a great project.
What Video Studio saves you is everything around the idea: the styles already designed and tuned for vertical video, captions synced to the voice automatically, music and sound mixed, every frame checked, renders queued, and failed renders refunded rather than debugged. You type a topic instead of maintaining a pipeline.
Topics Claude storyboards well
Claude does its best work when there is a real story or a real mechanism to explain. Specific topics beat broad ones, and anything with a number gives it something to animate.
- History turned on one detail: "The Titanic binoculars nobody had the key to".
- Near misses: "The 1983 Soviet false alarm that almost started a war".
- Money mechanics: "How compound interest turns small savings into a lot".
- Engineering failures: "The Mars probe lost to a units mix-up".
- Behaviour: "Procrastination is not laziness, it is avoiding a feeling".
- Maths you can feel: "What 1% better every day adds up to in a year".
How to make a video with Claude in Video Studio
Describe the topic
Type one specific sentence. Include a number or a twist if there is one; Claude builds the script around it.
Choose a style and a length
Kinetic type, Ink stickman or Diagram explainer, 30 or 60 seconds. The credit cost appears before you render.
Claude writes, the renderer draws
Claude writes the script and storyboard, ElevenLabs voices it, and the renderer draws and mixes the video in about 3 minutes.
Download the MP4
A 9:16 video with voice, captions, music and sound, ready to upload to YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels or TikTok.
Styles and what each video costs
Prices are fixed per style and length, shown before you render, and charged only for a finished video: a failed render refunds its credits automatically.
| Style | Best for | 30 s video | 60 s video |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinetic type | Facts, money, history, hot takes | 26 credits | 42 credits |
| Ink stickman | Explainers, life lessons, how things work | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Diagram explainer | Science, maths, money and data stories | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Systems explained | How apps work, system design, tech explainers | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Avatar explainer | Tutorials, product walkthroughs, how-to | 45 credits | 75 credits |
| Comic book | Scary stories, mythology, legends, superhero-style origin stories | 85 credits | 160 credits |
| 3D cartoon | Acts of kindness, school drama, family stories, fables and lessons | 85 credits | 160 credits |
| Anime | Anime stories, school drama, rivals and friendship, fantasy adventures | 85 credits | 160 credits |
| Cinematic | History, heists, survival stories, famous mysteries | 85 credits | 160 credits |
| Dark fantasy | Mythology, legends and curses, scary stories, epic battles | 85 credits | 160 credits |
| Painterly | Bible stories, history, fables, mythology | 85 credits | 160 credits |
| Noir crime | True crime, heists, detective stories, unsolved cases | 85 credits | 160 credits |
| Flat cosmos | Space and science, biology and the body, how big or small things are, nature | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Clip collage | History and politics, how something happened, business stories, timelines | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Morph math | Maths and logic, how algorithms work, probability, physics | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Storytime | Funny true stories, fails and disasters, life lessons, weird history | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Market chart | Company growth, markets and prices, economics, money myths | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Countdown | Top 5 to top 10 lists, records and extremes, rankings, history's biggest | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Starry swirl | Space and the night sky, science, history, calm explainers | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Water lilies | Nature and biology, calm facts, gardens, wellness | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Pointillist | Perception and the brain, science, colour and light | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Golden mosaic | Gold, wealth and treasure, history, chemistry | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Tomb mural | Ancient Egypt, history, mysteries | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Renaissance fresco | Inventions and engineering, history, biographies | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Bauhaus | Design and technology, how things work, systems | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Pop art | Happy accidents and inventions, pop culture, brands | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Art nouveau | Paris and Europe, architecture, history | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Dunhuang mural | Silk Road and Asia, history, religion and culture | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Persian miniature | Ancient engineering, Middle East history, travel | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Night diner | Sleep and the mind, late-night science, city life | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Tilt-shift miniature | Cities and travel, logistics and transport, real estate, how a place works | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Brick toy | Kids and family, how things are built, startups and products, space and science | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Pop-up book | Stories and fables, kids and family, history, travel | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Newsreel | History, inventions, business origin stories, world records | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Impasto oil | Art and culture, history, emotional stories, cities at night | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Urban sketch | Travel and places, city guides, food and cafes, architecture | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Shadow puppets | Folk tales and legends, history, kids stories, moral lessons | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Low-poly island | Games and tech, world building, climate and nature, startups | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Isometric picture book | How things work, cities and buildings, jobs and industries, kids and family | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| HD-2D | Gaming, fantasy and legends, history as adventure, self-improvement quests | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| White model | Architecture and cities, urban planning, engineering, product design | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Sci-fi toon | Science and tech, weird facts, comedy explainers, gaming | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Glass product | Product launches, tech and gadgets, luxury, beauty | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Satellite briefing | Geography and borders, climate and disasters, mega projects, military history | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Archive light table | History, archives and discoveries, biographies, investigations | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| Microscope | Biology and health, science explainers, food and fermentation, germs and immunity | 45 credits | 72 credits |
| LiDAR scan | Cities and infrastructure, archaeology and ruins, engineering, disasters and change | 55 credits | 88 credits |
| Riso print | Indie brands, lifestyle, zines, music | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Amber terminal | Tech history, hacking and security, developer tools, sci-fi | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Swiss grid | Design and architecture, brand stories, business explainers, events | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Case file | True crime, mysteries, funny investigations, pets and animals | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Game show | Quizzes and trivia, rankings, kids and family, year in review | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Blueprint | Engineering, how things work, inventions, hardware | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Gilded deco | Luxury and fashion, galas and events, jazz-age history, hotels and travel | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Chalkboard | Lessons and explainers, myth-busting, word origins, math and science | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Whiteboard | How-to explainers, online courses, business ideas, productivity | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Dark keynote | Product launches, tech and AI news, startups, SaaS tips | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Feed news | News explainers, money and markets, viral facts, data shorts | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| News bulletin | Weekly round-ups, breaking explainers, market updates, sports news | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Atomic fifties | How-to and set-up guides, home and cooking, retro brands, life hacks | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Rubber hose reel | Food and drink, retro brands, fun history, kids | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Silent intertitle | History stories, anniversaries, old inventions, comedy | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Ink wash | Philosophy and quotes, culture and history, calm explainers, poetry | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Woodblock wave | Travel, Japan and culture, nature and the sea, history | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Woodcut | Folk tales, dark history, craft brands, book stories | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Copperplate | Science and nature, museums and heritage, old maps and explorers, medicine history | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Travel poster | Travel and places, city guides, outdoors, events | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Sixties titles | Mysteries and heists, spy and war history, trailers, fashion | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Pictogram grid | Catalogues and countdowns, city and public services, step-by-step guides, brand facts | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Circuit board | Energy and electricity, chips and computers, supply chains, how the internet works | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Transit map | Cities and transport, growth over time, networks, travel tips | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Data story | Data journalism, economics, climate and science, health statistics | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Hologram HUD | Space and future tech, specs and comparisons, gaming, AI | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| 16-bit quest | Gaming, nostalgia, level-up and self improvement, fantasy and lore | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Neon night | Music, retro tech and games, night life, cars | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Stained glass | Legends and myths, medieval history, heritage, holiday stories | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Red paper-cut | Festivals and holidays, folk tales, greetings, food traditions | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Paper lightbox | Journeys and travel, bedtime and calm stories, places and memories, anniversaries | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Crayon book | Kids and family, bedtime stories, simple science, feel-good facts | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Watercolour journal | Nature and travel, food and gardening, wellbeing, science of everyday life | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| One line | Brand stories, life lessons, minimal ads, psychology | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Memphis pop | Lifestyle and design, pop culture, fun facts, fashion | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Agit-prop | Industry and labour history, big achievements, revolutions, manifestos | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Found tape | Mysteries and unsolved cases, creepy facts, internet legends, psychology | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Match analysis | Sports analysis, strategy and tactics, competition stories, business rivalries | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Night city | Cities and urbanism, economy and scale, commuting and work, night life | 30 credits | 48 credits |
| Isometric blocks | Process explainers, supply chains, how companies work, logistics | 30 credits | 48 credits |
Creator $19/month for 500 credits (about 19 videos), Pro $49 for 2,000 (about 75), Studio $99 for 4,500 (about 170). Counts assume 30 s Kinetic type videos. Cancel any time.
What it does not do yet
Worth knowing before you sign up. All of these are coming soon; none of them are live today.
- Auto-posting and scheduling to YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, on Pro and Studio. Today you download the MP4 and upload it yourself.
- Series and autopilot, where a new episode is made on a schedule without you starting each one.
- More styles beyond Kinetic type, Ink stickman and Diagram explainer.
- Other formats: Reddit stories, fake text conversations, brainrot and gameplay split-screen.
Questions
Can Claude generate videos?
Not directly. Claude writes text and code, not video files. It can write the script and the storyboard for a video, and a renderer can draw that storyboard into frames. Video Studio does both halves for you.
Is WhatToUpload made by Anthropic?
No. WhatToUpload is an independent product that uses Claude through Anthropic's API. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic.
Do I need a Claude account or an API key?
No. Claude runs on our side. You only need a WhatToUpload account and credits.
Does the video use AI-generated footage or faces?
No. Every frame is drawn as code: typeset words, ink lines, plotted graphs. There are no generated people and no AI faces.
Will the facts be right?
Claude builds the script from facts you can check and does not invent statistics. It is still worth reading the script before you post, as you would with any writer.
How much does it cost?
A 30 second video costs 26 credits in Kinetic type and 30 in the other styles; 60 seconds costs 42 or 48. Plans start at $19 a month for 500 credits, and the price shows before you render.
Can it post to my channels automatically?
Not yet. Auto-posting and scheduling to YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are coming soon, on Pro and Studio. Today you download the video and upload it yourself.