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Make your first video

Make your first video in Cardboard: choose a Recipe or prepare your clips, write a prompt, refine the first cut and export the finished video.

Start with a recipe

Making your first video can be overwhelming sometimes, so the easiest way to create on Cardboard is with Recipes: a set of curated templates we've put together to get you to a great video as fast as possible. Simply pick one you like and make it yours.

If you would rather make your own montage from scratch, let's get you set up.

Step 01: Prepare

All you need to make a video on Cardboard is an idea. Choose the one that sounds like you and we will take it from there.

Gather these before you start.

  • Your idea. Have a clear idea of what your video is about.
  • A reference. Pick a video you like and want yours to resemble. This is the biggest differentiator, so it is worth a few minutes to find a good one.
  • Your music. A link to the track you want to use.
  • Your clips. Add them to the project.
  • If you don’t have clips and music, you can ask Cardboard to source B-rolls and generate music.

Step 02: Prompt

If you choose a Recipe, the prompt is baked into the template, but if you’re starting from scratch, this is how to get started.

  • What is the video about?Example: Our week in Lisbon, my first year running, the year my dog turned one
  • Reference 1 and what you like about itExample: A link, plus a note such as the warm color grade
  • Reference 2 and what you like about it (optional)Example: A link, plus a note such as the way the text is done
  • What should it feel like?Example: Warm and nostalgic, cinematic, high energy
  • MusicExample: A YouTube link. Leave empty to use the music from your reference
  • LengthExample: 15, 30 or 60 seconds
  • PlatformExample: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn

Once you have what you need, plug the info into the prompt and paste it into Cardboard:

Make a [length] montage about [subject] for [platform]. The feel is [feel]. Reference 1: [reference link] (what I like: [the text, the pacing]). Use this music: [music link].

If you don’t have any clips, add this line to the end:

I have no clips of my own, so source B-roll that fits the subject. Match the look and pacing of the reference, and keep the shots varied so no two in a row feel the same.

Step 03: Refine

Your first cut is only a draft. You can keep talking to the Cardboard agent, until you get the version you want.

Tips

  1. Change one thing at a time.

    If the pacing is off, fix that first.

  2. Say what to keep.

    Keep everything, but shorten the second half.

  3. Point to the exact moment.

    At 0:12, the shot of the beach.

To learn more about refining, read How to refine your edit.

Step 04: Export

When you are happy with your edit, press Export at the top. Choose the quality and format, then press Export.

Want to post on two platforms?

Once you have exported for one platform, paste this into the same project to get a version for another.

Reframe this video for [platform]. Keep the music and the opening shot, and keep the main subject in frame.

All done!

Congrats on your first video on Cardboard! The next guide covers how to prompt really well, so you can make literally any video you like.

How to prompt in CardboardStart from a recipe