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Previous: Understanding AI Video Technology
Series 1: Complete Beginner's Journey Part 2 of 5

Setting Up Your First Project: Platform Navigation and Essential Settings

Now that you understand the technology, it's time to get hands-on. This comprehensive walkthrough guides you through every screen, button, and setting you'll encounter when creating your first AI video project. By the end, you'll navigate the platform like a pro.

13 minute read
Beginner Level
Updated February 2026

Opening the platform for the first time can feel overwhelming. Buttons everywhere, menus you don't understand, settings with technical names—it's normal to feel lost. But here's the good news: the interface is actually quite logical once you understand what everything does. This guide takes you through every element systematically, so in just 15 minutes, you'll feel completely comfortable.

We'll walk through the actual process of creating a project from start to finish, explaining every decision point along the way. Think of this as sitting next to an experienced user who's showing you exactly what to click and why.

1 Dashboard and Interface Overview

When you first log in, you land on the Dashboard—your home base for all video creation activities. Let's break down every section you'll see and what each one does.

Main Dashboard Layout

A Top Navigation Bar

Left Side:

  • • Platform logo (click to return home)
  • • Main menu button (☰)
  • • Search bar (find projects)

Center:

  • • "Create New Video" button
  • • Quick access shortcuts

Right Side:

  • • Notifications bell
  • • Help/Support button
  • • Account menu (profile picture)

B Left Sidebar Menu

Dashboard

Overview of all your projects and recent activity

My Projects

All your saved video projects (drafts and completed)

Templates

Pre-made project templates for different use cases

Avatars

Browse and preview available avatar options

Voices

Listen to and select voice options

Settings

Account preferences, billing, and platform settings

C Main Content Area

This central area changes based on which menu item is selected. On the Dashboard, you'll see:

Recent Projects

Quick access to your last 5-10 projects with thumbnails and status

Quick Stats

Total videos created, credits remaining, storage used

Getting Started Guide

Tutorial videos and helpful tips for beginners

Platform Updates

News about new features, avatars, and improvements

Pro Navigation Tip

Keyboard shortcut: Press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac) to open the quick command palette. This lets you jump to any section or create new projects without clicking through menus—power users create videos 40% faster using keyboard shortcuts!

2 Creating Your First Project: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Let's create your first project together. I'll walk you through every single step, explaining what each option means and which choices work best for beginners.

1

Click "Create New Video"

You'll find this prominent button in multiple locations: the top navigation bar, the dashboard center, and the sidebar menu. Click any of them—they all do the same thing.

What Happens Next:

A modal window appears with three options:

A

Start from Scratch

Blank project—you choose everything manually. Recommended for learning.

B

Use a Template

Pre-configured settings for specific use cases (marketing, training, etc.)

C

Duplicate Existing

Copy settings from a previous project (only appears if you have existing projects)

👉 For this tutorial: Select "Start from Scratch" so you understand every option. Once you're comfortable, templates save time for routine videos.

2

Name Your Project

The first field asks for a project name. This is purely for your organization—viewers never see this name.

Naming Best Practices:

✅ Good Names:

  • • "Product Demo - Feb 2026"
  • • "Training Module 1"
  • • "Social Media Intro v2"
  • • "Client Testimonial - Smith"

❌ Avoid:

  • • "Video 1" (too vague)
  • • "asdftest" (meaningless)
  • • "NEW VIDEO!!!!" (unprofessional)
  • • Leaving it blank

Why it matters: Once you have 20+ projects, clear names help you find the right one quickly. Include dates, version numbers, or client names for easy sorting.

3

Select Video Orientation

Choose the aspect ratio that matches where your video will be published. This is a critical decision that affects the entire composition.

16:9

Landscape (16:9)

Standard widescreen format

Best for:

  • • YouTube videos
  • • Website embeds
  • • Presentations
  • • Training courses
9:16

Portrait (9:16)

Mobile-first vertical format

Best for:

  • • TikTok / Instagram Reels
  • • YouTube Shorts
  • • Snapchat
  • • Mobile apps
1:1

Square (1:1)

Perfect square format

Best for:

  • • Instagram Feed posts
  • • Facebook posts
  • • LinkedIn videos
  • • Email newsletters

Important: Cannot Change Later

Once you select an orientation and start working, you cannot change it without creating a new project. Choose carefully based on your primary distribution platform!

4

Choose Project Location/Folder

This optional dropdown lets you organize projects into folders. For your first video, you can skip this—the project saves to your main workspace by default.

💡 Organization Tip: After you create 5-10 videos, come back and create folders like "Social Media," "Client Work," "Internal Training," etc. You can move existing projects into folders anytime from the "My Projects" screen.

5

Click "Create Project"

Hit the blue "Create Project" button at the bottom of the modal. The system creates your project workspace and loads the main editor interface.

What You'll See Next:

The editor interface loads, showing these main sections:

1 Script Editor (left side) - Where you write your text
2 Preview Window (center) - Shows how your video will look
3 Settings Panel (right side) - Avatar, voice, and styling options
4 Control Bar (bottom) - Save, preview, and generate buttons

3 Understanding Quality Settings: What Each Option Actually Means

Before generating your video, you'll configure quality settings. These determine file size, rendering time, and visual/audio quality. Here's what each setting does and when to use which option.

Video Resolution

1080p (1920×1080) - Full HD

Recommended for Most Users

Standard high-definition quality that looks great on all devices and platforms.

Best for:

  • • YouTube videos
  • • Website embeds
  • • Social media
  • • General purpose

Trade-offs:

  • • File size: ~30-50MB per minute
  • • Render time: 2-3 minutes per minute of video
  • • Upload time: Fast on most connections

4K (3840×2160) - Ultra HD

Premium Option

Maximum quality for professional productions and future-proofing.

Best for:

  • • High-end presentations
  • • Large screen displays
  • • Archival/future-proof content
  • • Professional client work

Trade-offs:

  • • File size: ~150-200MB per minute
  • • Render time: 5-8 minutes per minute of video
  • • Requires fast internet for upload

720p (1280×720) - HD

Fast & Economical

Lower resolution for quick testing, drafts, or bandwidth-limited situations.

Best for:

  • • Quick drafts/previews
  • • Email embeds
  • • Low-bandwidth situations
  • • Testing scripts

Trade-offs:

  • • File size: ~15-20MB per minute
  • • Render time: 1-2 minutes per minute of video
  • • May look pixelated on large screens

🎯 Beginner Recommendation: Start with 1080p. It provides excellent quality, reasonable file sizes, and fast processing. You can always re-generate in 4K later if needed, since your project saves all settings.

Frame Rate (FPS)

Frame rate determines how many individual images display per second. Higher FPS creates smoother motion but increases file size.

30 FPS (Frames Per Second)

Recommended Standard

Standard video frame rate used by most platforms. Provides natural-looking motion for talking head videos.

Choose this for:

  • • All AI talking head videos
  • • Most social media content
  • • Standard web videos
  • • 99% of use cases

60 FPS (Frames Per Second)

Rarely Necessary

Higher frame rate creates ultra-smooth motion. Doubles file size for minimal benefit in talking head videos.

Only consider for:

  • • Gaming content (not relevant here)
  • • Sports/action footage (not relevant here)
  • • Specific technical requirements
  • • When client specifically requests it

⚡ Performance Note: Since AI avatars have limited movement (mostly talking and subtle gestures), 60 FPS provides no visible improvement over 30 FPS while doubling render time and file size. Always use 30 FPS unless you have a specific technical requirement.

Audio Quality (Bitrate)

Audio bitrate affects voice clarity and file size. Unlike video quality, audio differences are subtle at higher settings.

192 kbps

Recommended

High quality audio, indistinguishable from higher bitrates for speech. Perfect balance of quality and efficiency.

320 kbps

Maximum quality. Imperceptible difference for AI voice synthesis. Only use if required by specific standards or archival purposes.

128 kbps

Acceptable quality for most uses. Slight degradation may be noticeable on high-end speakers. Good for quick tests.

4 Workspace Organization Tips

As you create more videos, organization becomes critical. Here's how to structure your workspace for maximum efficiency.

Folder Structure Suggestions

📁 By Platform

  • • YouTube
  • • Instagram/TikTok
  • • LinkedIn
  • • Website

📁 By Content Type

  • • Product Demos
  • • Training Videos
  • • Marketing Content
  • • Customer Support

📁 By Client/Project

  • • Client A
  • • Client B
  • • Internal Use
  • • Templates

Naming Conventions

Include Key Information:

[Date]_[Type]_[Topic]_[Version]

Example: "2026-02-03_Tutorial_Setup_v2"

Use Consistent Dates:

YYYY-MM-DD format sorts chronologically

"2026-02-03" not "Feb 3 2026"

Version Control:

Add version numbers for iterations

v1, v2, v3 or _draft, _final, _approved

5 Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

⚠️ Mistake #1: Choosing Wrong Orientation

Starting a project in landscape (16:9) when you need vertical (9:16) for TikTok/Instagram Reels.

Solution: Before clicking "Create Project," confirm where the video will be published and select the matching orientation.

⚠️ Mistake #2: Not Saving Work Regularly

Assuming auto-save is enabled and losing hours of work when browser crashes.

Solution: Click "Save Draft" every 5-10 minutes. Use keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac) to save quickly.

⚠️ Mistake #3: Generating Before Reviewing

Clicking "Generate Video" without previewing script, checking avatar/voice selection, or reviewing settings.

Solution: Always use the "Preview" function before final generation. Review your entire script out loud, check avatar matches your brand, and confirm settings are correct.

⚠️ Mistake #4: Maxing Out Quality Unnecessarily

Always choosing 4K/60fps when 1080p/30fps would be perfect, wasting render time and storage.

Solution: Use 1080p/30fps as your default. Only upgrade to 4K when specifically required (client request, large screen display, archival purposes).

⚠️ Mistake #5: Poor Project Naming

Using vague names like "Video 1," "Test," "asdf" that become impossible to find later.

Solution: Use descriptive, consistent naming: "[Date]_[Purpose]_[Topic]" format. Future you will be grateful!

6 Understanding Limits and Quotas

Different subscription tiers have different limits. Understanding these helps you plan your video production workflow effectively.

Free Tier

Videos/month: 3-5
Max video length: 1 min
Max resolution: 720p
Watermark: Yes
Storage: 1 GB

Pro Tier

Videos/month: 30-50
Max video length: 10 min
Max resolution: 1080p
Watermark: No
Storage: 50 GB

Enterprise

Videos/month: Unlimited
Max video length: 30 min
Max resolution: 4K
Watermark: No
Storage: 500 GB

💡 Managing Your Quota Effectively

  • Check remaining credits in the top-right corner of dashboard before starting large projects
  • Use 720p for drafts to save credits, then regenerate finals in 1080p once script is perfected
  • Delete old projects you no longer need to free up storage space
  • Download important videos to local storage as backup; platform storage is for active work
  • Plan monthly quota around your content calendar to avoid running out mid-campaign

Up Next in This Series

Part 3: Choosing the Perfect Avatar and Voice

Now that you can navigate the platform and create projects, learn how to select avatars and voices that perfectly match your message and connect with your audience.

Continue Reading
Part 2 of 5