HeyGen (AI avatars and talking head videos)

0) Quick Fact Sheet (3-second summary)

• Best for: talking-head / presenter videos with an AI avatar for marketing, onboarding, and sales
• Difficulty: Low → Medium (easy to start, “good” results need a bit of prep)
• Pricing: Paid plans are where it becomes usable at scale (free/trial is for testing only)
• Key feature: avatar + voice + lip-sync pipeline that ships “good enough” fast

1) The “Real” Why (what this replaces)

HeyGen exists to kill the slowest part of video production: recording yourself (or hiring talent) every time you need a short explainer, ad, or onboarding clip. Without a tool like this, teams either:

• record again and again (camera, lighting, retakes, editing), or
• ship boring slides-only videos that don’t convert.

HeyGen’s value is simple: turn a script into a human-presenting video quickly, especially when you want consistency and speed more than cinematic realism.

2) Is this for you? (fit check)

✅ Best fit

• You make repeatable videos: product updates, feature launches, training, FAQ, onboarding
• You want “camera presence” but don’t want to record weekly
• You need to localize into multiple languages without hiring new speakers
• You’re okay with “polished corporate” look (not documentary realism)

❌ Waste of money

• You need film-level realism or emotional acting
• Your content relies on spontaneous improvisation
• You want a perfect match to your real face/voice with zero uncanny moments
• You can’t spend time on scripting and shot planning (AI video still needs planning)

3) Core Logic (how pros actually use it)

Pattern A — Speed (ship fast)

1. start from a proven template
2. use a short script (60–120 seconds)
3. keep visuals simple: big text + clean b-roll
4. publish, measure, iterate

Pattern B — Quality (reduce “AI vibe”)

1. rewrite the script for spoken delivery (short sentences)
2. choose an avatar that matches brand tone
3. add deliberate pauses and emphasis
4. do a final human review for weird mouth/word timing

Pattern C — Hack (localization)

• One master script → translate → generate multi-language variants
• Keep visuals identical so the brand stays consistent
• Only swap voice/language + captions

4) The “Golden” Workflow (copy-and-follow)

Step 1. Prepare the input (script)

• Write like you speak: short sentences, fewer commas.
• Target 120–180 words per minute (faster sounds rushed).
• Avoid brand-new product names with weird spelling—add a phonetic hint if needed.

Step 2. AI delegation (the magic)

• Choose avatar + voice that matches your audience (friendly vs corporate).
• Add captions early (it also exposes awkward phrases).

⭐ Key parameters (don’t skip)

• Sentence length: keep most lines under ~12–16 words
• Pacing: insert short pauses between ideas (you’ll “feel” more human)
• Name pronunciation: test your brand/product names first, then lock the wording

Step 3. Human refinement (where you must intervene)

• Fix: awkward phrasing, long clauses, dense jargon
• Watch for: mouth mismatch on uncommon words, acronyms, or numbers
• If a line looks off, rewrite it simpler rather than trying to “tweak settings”

Step 4. Output (export without regret)

• Export the same version in:
  • 16:9 for YouTube / website
  • 9:16 for Shorts/Reels/TikTok
• If you publish on multiple platforms, keep the core video identical and only change framing/captions.

5) The “Secret Sauce” (underused features that matter)

• Templates: Use one branded template for the first 10 videos. Consistency beats novelty early.
• Caption-first editing: Captions aren’t decoration; they reveal pacing problems and weak sentences instantly.
• Brand-safe visuals: Keep background and color palette consistent—reduces “random AI feel.”

6) Pricing Reality (don’t get surprised)

• Free/trial is usually only enough to validate the workflow.
• The real cost isn’t just the plan; it’s time spent rewriting scripts to sound natural.
• Best value is when you:
  • produce many similar videos (training/marketing ops), or
  • need multiple languages (localization).

Money-saving rule:

• Don’t generate long videos first. Make 30–60s tests until the “tone + pacing” is locked.

7) Common Pitfalls (top 3)

1. Writing like an essay → results sound robotic
2. Trying to fix everything in settings instead of rewriting the script
3. Overpromising realism (AI avatar is a tool, not a human actor)

8) The Verdict (one-line conclusion)

If you need repeatable presenter videos at speed (marketing, onboarding, internal training), HeyGen is a practical cheat code. If you care about cinematic realism, use a real camera workflow—and only use HeyGen for fast variants and localization.