Hey everyone! ๐
I want to share how I went from spending $20/month on AI video tools to generating the same quality videos for $0.15 each.
If you've ever wanted to create AI-generated videos but felt priced out by OpenAI Sora or Runway, this is for you.
๐ธ The Problem: AI Video is Expensive
Creating promotional videos has always been costly:
| Option | Cost |
|---|---|
| Freelancer/Agency | $500+ per video |
| OpenAI Sora | $20/month (limited) |
| Runway Gen-3 | $0.50+ per clip |
| Pika Labs | $0.40+ per clip |
I needed videos for my projects, but couldn't justify these costs for experimentation.
๐ฏ The Solution: Kie.ai API
Then I discovered Kie.ai โ they provide API access to Sora 2 at a fraction of the cost:
Cost Comparison
| Service | 15-second video |
|---|---|
| OpenAI Sora | ~$2-5 |
| Runway Gen-3 | $0.50+ |
| Kie.ai Sora 2 | $0.15 |
That's 100x cheaper. Same model, same quality.
๐ ๏ธ What I Built
Instead of just using the API manually, I built a complete pipeline:
๐ Describe your business
โ
๐ค Claude AI generates storyboard (4 scenes)
โ
๐ฌ Kie.ai Sora 2 renders each scene
โ
๐ FFmpeg merges everything
โ
๐ฅ 60-second promo video
Total cost for a 4-scene promo: ~$0.63
Compare that to $500+ with traditional methods.
fracabu
/
kie-ai-app
Automates the entire process of generating promotional videos, from AI-powered storyboard creation to video generation with Kie.ai Sora 2 and final merging.
Kie Ai App
Automates the entire process of generating promotional videos, from AI-powered s
๐ฌ๐ง English | ๐ฎ๐น Italiano
๐ฌ๐ง English
Overview
Automates the entire process of generating promotional videos, from AI-powered storyboard creation to video generation with Kie.ai Sora 2 and final merging.
Quick Start
git clone https://github.com/fracabu/kie-ai-app.git
cd kie-ai-app
๐ฎ๐น Italiano
Panoramica
Automates the entire process of generating promotional videos, from AI-powered storyboard creation to video generation with Kie.ai Sora 2 and final merging.
Avvio Rapido
git clone https://github.com/fracabu/kie-ai-app.git
cd kie-ai-app
Tech Stack
Python
License
MIT
โจ Why Kie.ai Works
๐ Key Benefits
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Same Quality | Uses actual Sora 2 model |
| Pay Per Use | No monthly subscription |
| Simple API | Just 3 endpoints |
| Fast | 2-5 minutes per video |
| No Watermark | Professional output |
โ๏ธ How the API Works
The API uses a simple async pattern:
-
Create Task โ Get
taskId -
Poll Status โ Wait for
success - Download โ Get video URL
That's it. Three calls, one video.
๐ Quick Start
git clone https://github.com/fracabu/kie-ai-app
cd kie-ai-app
pip install -r requirements.txt
Add your API keys to .env:
KIE_API_KEY=your-key
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your-key # for Claude storyboards
Run it:
python video_generator.py
๐ฆ What's in the Repo
| Script | What it does |
|---|---|
app.py |
Streamlit web dashboard |
video_generator.py |
Full pipeline with Claude storyboards |
genera_da_storyboard.py |
Generate from existing storyboard JSON |
merge_videos.py |
FFmpeg merge utility |
๐จ Available Models
| Model | Use Case | Cost |
|---|---|---|
sora-2-text-to-video |
Text to video | $0.15 |
sora-2-image-to-video |
Animate images | $0.15 |
sora-2-pro-* |
Higher quality | $0.75+ |
๐ My Results
I've generated 50+ videos for various projects.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total spent | ~$15 |
| Videos generated | 50+ |
| Traditional cost | $2,500+ |
| Savings | $2,485 |
๐ก Pro Tips
-
Write Cinematic Prompts
- Include camera angles, lighting, movement
- Specify "4K", "cinematic", "slow motion"
-
Watch for Gotchas
-
n_framesmust be string:"15"not15 - URLs expire in ~24h โ download immediately
-
-
Use Claude for Storyboards
- AI generates consistent scene prompts
- Adds only ~$0.03 to total cost
๐ Links
- ๐ GitHub: fracabu/kie-ai-app
- ๐ฌ Kie.ai: kie.ai
- ๐ค OpenRouter: openrouter.ai
๐ฌ TL;DR
- OpenAI Sora: $20/month
- Kie.ai Sora 2: $0.15/video
- Full 60s promo: ~$0.63
Stop overpaying. Check out the repo and start generating.
Have you tried AI video generation? What tools are you using?
Drop a comment โ I'd love to hear your experience!
If you found this useful, consider giving the repo a โญ and following for more AI tool builds!
Top comments (1)
The Streamlit UI was intentional โ built this as a fast API test, not a polished product. You could easily swap it for React + Tailwind if needed.
Anyone building something similar?