How to Make Professional Motion Animated Videos with AI
Thanks for commenting “video”. This is the full breakdown of how I made the LLM explainer video, written so you can follow it even if you have never written a line of code.
What you need
- Claude (the desktop app works well), which writes the animation for you.
- HyperFrames, a free open-source tool that turns that animation into an MP4 video.
- ElevenLabs (optional), for a natural-sounding AI voiceover.
- Node.js, a free program HyperFrames needs to run. Download it from nodejs.org and install it like any normal app. Any version from 22 up works.
- FFmpeg, a free tool HyperFrames uses to build the final video file. If you don’t have it, Claude can install it for you during setup in Step 2.
- About 30 to 60 minutes for your first video.
How it works (no code needed to understand it)
Think of it as a three-step assembly line:
- You describe the video in normal English: topic, length, style, colours.
- Claude builds the scenes. It writes a web page where text, shapes and icons move on screen exactly like you described.
- HyperFrames records that page frame by frame and stitches the frames into a normal MP4 you can post anywhere.
Because the video comes from a page that Claude wrote, changing something is as simple as telling Claude “make the title bigger” or “slow down scene 2”. No timelines, no keyframes.
Step 1: Write your script first
Before touching any tool, write what the video will say. Keep it short: 30 to 45 seconds works best for Reels and Shorts. One idea per video.
Let Claude write the script
Ask Claude to “write a 40-second script on [topic], one short sentence per scene, in simple English”. Short sentences are what make animated videos feel sharp.
Step 2: Set up HyperFrames
Open Claude Code (it lives inside the Claude desktop app) and paste this:
Set up HyperFrames for me. Install the HyperFrames skills and create a new project called my-video. I am not technical, so explain what you are doing in simple words.
Behind the scenes, Claude will run the official setup commands (npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes --full-depth and npx hyperframes init my-video). You just approve each step when it asks. These “skills” teach Claude how to build video scenes correctly, which is why the results look polished instead of messy.
Step 3: Describe the video
This is the most important step. The more specific your description, the more professional the result. Use a prompt like this, and swap in your own details:
Using /hyperframes, create a 40-second vertical video (1080x1920) explaining [your topic]. Here is the script: [paste script]. Style: clean, minimal, off-white background, dark text, one orange accent colour, modern sans-serif font. Each sentence gets its own scene. Animate text sliding in smoothly, highlight the key word in the accent colour, and use simple icons and diagrams. Add captions.
Step 4: Add the voiceover
Generate your narration in ElevenLabs: paste the script, pick a voice, and download the audio file. Then tell Claude:
Add this voiceover file to the video and sync every scene to the narration. Add captions that match the words.
HyperFrames also has built-in text-to-speech if you want to skip ElevenLabs, but a dedicated voice tool usually sounds more natural.
Step 5: Preview and refine
Ask Claude to open the preview so you can watch the video before it is final. Then give feedback the way you would to a human editor:
- “The text in scene 3 is too small. Make it bigger.”
- “Slow down the transition between scene 2 and 3.”
- “Make the keyword orange.”
- “The ending feels abrupt. Add a call to action scene.”
Repeat until you are happy. Each change takes seconds.
Step 6: Render the final MP4
When it looks right, tell Claude:
Render the final video to MP4.
Under the hood this runs npx hyperframes render. You will get a normal video file you can upload to Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube.
What makes a video look professional
The tool matters less than these habits:
- One idea per video. If you need two ideas, make two videos.
- Few words on screen. Never show a paragraph. Show 3 to 6 words at a time.
- One accent colour. Use it only on the words that matter.
- One font family. Big, bold headings; lighter secondary text.
- Smooth, not flashy. Gentle slides and fades beat spinning and bouncing.
- Captions always on. Most people watch with sound off.
- Space to breathe. Leave empty room around text.
- Match visuals to voice. Whatever is said should appear on screen at the same moment.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Vague prompts. “Make a cool video about AI” gives generic results. Give topic, script, colours, font style and length.
- Skipping the script. Without a script, the animation has nothing to follow.
- Making it too long. Under 45 seconds keeps people watching.
- Changing everything at once. Ask for one or two fixes per message so you can see what worked.
- Not previewing. Always preview before rendering the final file.
Quick prompt template
Copy, fill in the brackets, and paste into Claude Code:
Using /hyperframes, create a [length]-second vertical video about [topic]. Script: [script]. Style: [background colour], [text colour], accent colour [colour], [font style]. Scenes: one per sentence, with smooth text animations, icons and simple diagrams. Add captions and sync to this voiceover: [attach audio]. Show me a preview first.
