In Only 2 Hours, I Created a Near-Pro-Level Video for $4

Not long ago, animation was a craft reserved for specialists — drawn by hand or designed with expensive software that required years of training. Today, things have changed dramatically. In just two hours, I created a unique, funny animated video with a catchy soundtrack — all I spent was $4. The revolution in AI tools is nothing short of astonishing.

TL; DR - Here is the video; tell me what you think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKMnUJ4wMnI

What once demanded expertise and deep pockets is now accessible to anyone with a computer and a couple of free hours. It’s an exciting shift but also a little unsettling.

AI is reshaping creative fields at a breathtaking pace. Writers, artists, musicians, and coders are feeling the pressure as automation edges into their domains. The barriers to entry have crumbled, allowing anyone to become a creator. But at what cost?

Experimenting With AI Animation

With two free hours in the evening, I set out to explore the world of AI-driven animation. My goal? To craft a promotional video for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy — something fun, engaging, and memorable.

I started with an old photo of myself and used ChatGPT to transform it into a Muppet-style character.

Then, I asked the AI to generate multiple poses of this character while keeping the background consistent, giving me a solid set of frames to work with.

To bring these still images to life, I turned to a model called minimax/video-01-live, which stitched them into smooth, short video clips.

With my visuals in place, I needed audio to match. ChatGPT helped me write hip-hop-inspired lyrics that fit the vibe of the animation, and Suno handled the performance and recording of the track.

Here is the full track: https://suno.com/song/44411f7a-2902-47c6-a37a-0a305b7811ce?sh=ykmwh2YmQGGX1HRT

Sounds good?

Finally, all that was left was assembling everything. I fired up iMovie on my old MacBook Pro and pieced it together. In no time, I had a polished, professional-looking animated video — crafted entirely from AI-generated assets.

The Future of Creativity: A Double-Edged Sword

The result? Surprisingly good. I had made something visually appealing and entertaining without traditional animation skills or a hefty budget. This experience isn’t just a testament to AI’s power — it highlights the democratization of creativity itself.

These tools are out there. They’re cheap, fast, and accessible. The question isn’t whether AI can replace human creativity but rather how we will choose to use this newfound power.

So, what do you think? Are we witnessing the golden age of AI-powered creation — or a seismic shift that threatens creative professions as we know them?

I used the following tools to make it:

• ChatGPT
• Minimax/video-01-live
• Suno