From Blog to Video

Creating videos from existing blog content has become a powerful way to reach audiences across different platforms. This post documents my first attempt at transforming a blog post into a video using AI tools and Descript. While the result wasn't perfect (I'd rate it about 1.5 out of 5), the learning process was valuable and established a workflow I can refine over time.

Step 1: Research on Video Script Templates

My journey began with deep research into video script structures. I initially hoped to find a straightforward template that would:

1. Provide a clear structure for video scripts
2. Offer a prompt format that could be used with AI tools
3. Create a script I could plug directly into a video creation tool

I used Google and ChatGPT to explore best practices, but found that most resources focused on general guidelines rather than actionable templates. The research did introduce me to the common two-column script format that separates visuals from audio—valuable information, but not immediately applicable with LLMs that process everything as language.

Step 2: Creating a Script Template with AI

After my initial research yielded limited results, I turned to Claude AI with a revised approach:

1. I asked Claude to create a "how to" video script template based on my research findings from ChatGPT Deep Research
2. Claude initially produced a two-column template (visuals | audio)
3. I requested a simplified single-column format that would work better for my needs

This approach gave me a workable script structure tailored to my content.

Step 3: Adapting the Blog Content to Script Format

With the template in hand, I integrated my blog content into the script structure:

1. I copied my blog content and the script template into a new Claude chat to combine them
2. Focused on preserving the core message while adapting it to spoken narrative

This process transformed my written content into something more suitable for video narration.

Step 4: Production in Descript

Once my script was ready, I moved to Descript for production:

1. Imported the simplified script into Descript
2. Added stock videos to complement the narration
3. Continually trimmed the content to make it concise
4. Removed references to visual and audio directions that weren't relevant to spoken script
5. Aimed for a two-minute video that preserved the key messages
6. Used an audiogram template as the foundation for my video

Descript's tools allowed me to sync the visuals with the narration and create a basic video experience.

Step 5: Publishing and Promotion

The final steps involved getting the video ready for my audience:

1. Uploaded the finished video to YouTube
2. Used ChatGPT to summarize key phases for the video description
3. Published and linked back to the original blog post

Reflections and Future Improvements

Being honest about the results, my first attempt wasn't great. I'd rate it about 1.5 out of 5—not the worse, but with significant room for improvement. The workflow itself was sound, but each step needs refinement:

• Better Script Adaptation: Focusing more on translating written content to spoken narrative. Templates will help here.
• Visual Planning: Developing a more intentional approach to visuals rather than adding stock images after the fact. Broll and using scene based creation such as Runway will be helpful.
• Narrative Flow: Creating better transitions and a more engaging story arc.
• Technical Execution: Improving audio quality and visual consistency

Conclusion

This first attempt at transforming a blog post into a video established a basic workflow I can build upon. Despite the low quality result, the process taught me valuable lessons about content repurposing across formats. Each new video will be an opportunity to refine this process and improve the quality of the output.

As with any new skill, the first attempt is rarely the best—it's simply the necessary first step in the learning process.

Here is the original blog post.

Here is the resulting video: