Produce an AI Video Ad for Social Media

Direct and produce a 15-second AI video ad in 9:16 format using Higgsfield.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every time you scroll through your phone, the posts that stop your thumb are almost always short-form video. Whether it's for Mascot Steel's fabrication services or The Chai Soc's next hangout, being able to produce that content yourself is a massive edge.

In this project, you will produce a 15-second AI-generated video ad for one of your real organizations. You'll write the creative brief, design a visual storyboard, direct cinematic AI video scenes, and assemble a polished ad ready for social platforms.

What You'll Build

Picture opening your phone and watching a polished 15-second video ad for Mascot Steel or The Chai Soc that looks like it was directed by a professional, knowing you built the concept, wrote the hook, designed every scene, and directed the camera without filming a single frame.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A creative brief and 15-second ad script written with Claude, structured around the 3-second hook framework that 63% of top-performing ads use, tailored to your organization.
A visual storyboard designed in Canva Pro that maps out each scene with shot descriptions, camera directions, and text overlay placement before you generate a single frame.
A finished 15-second video ad produced in Higgsfield Cinema Studio 3.5, with cinematic camera settings, consistent characters, and genre-driven pacing, ready to post on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts.
Secret Mission: Create a second hook variation for the same ad body and compare which opening stops the scroll better.

Are there any prerequisites?

This project builds on the Brand Identity and Social Media Campaign project in Canva Pro. You'll need active subscriptions to Higgsfield Plus (1,200 credits/month), Canva Pro, and Claude Pro.

Before We Start

Before we dive in, let's lock in what you're about to build and why it matters.

This is your moment to commit to the project ahead and connect it to the career direction you're pursuing.

Write Your Creative Brief and Script

Short-form video ads live or die in the first three seconds. Before you open any video tool, you need a clear concept for your ad.

Without one, you'll burn through your Higgsfield credits generating random clips with no direction. A creative brief locks in who the ad is for, what it says, and how the viewer should feel.

In this step, get ready to:

Develop a creative brief for your organization using Claude, defining target audience, core message, and emotional tone.
Write a 15-second ad script in three acts: Hook, Context, and CTA (Call to Action).
Write text overlay copy for each scene that works for viewers watching with sound off.

Open Claude and develop your creative brief

Open claude.ai in your browser.
Click Continue with Google or Continue with email to sign in to your Claude Pro account.
Start a new conversation by typing your first prompt in the chat box.

What is a creative brief?

A creative brief is a short document that answers four questions about your ad: what product are you selling, who is it for, what should they remember, and how should they feel.

Professional ad agencies write one before every campaign. It prevents the team from jumping straight into production without alignment on the concept.

Prompt Claude to develop a creative brief for your organization. Think about what makes it unique and what would catch someone's eye on social media.

Decide how you'd like to approach this. You can write your own prompt or use the example below.

✔️ I'll give it a go!

Write your own prompt asking Claude to help you build a creative brief for your organization. Make sure your brief covers these four elements:

Your organization's name and a one-sentence description of what it does or offers (something visually interesting for video).
Target audience: age range, interests, and their key pain point or desire.
Core message: the single idea the viewer should take away.
Emotional tone: how the ad should make the viewer feel.

ⓧ Maybe a little help...

Paste this prompt into your Claude conversation, replacing the example with your own organization:

I'm creating a 15-second video ad for social media. Help me develop a creative brief for my organization.

My organization: [Pick one and describe it in a sentence, e.g. "Mascot Steel is a family-owned steel fabrication and supply company in Sydney with 40+ years of experience" or "The Chai Soc is a university society where people hang out, sip Indian chai, play games, and have a good time"]

Include:
1. A one-sentence description of the organization that's visually interesting for video
2. Target audience: age range, interests, and their key pain point or desire
3. Core message: the single idea the viewer should take away
4. Emotional tone: how the ad should make the viewer feel

Keep the brief concise. I'll use it to guide my script and storyboard next.

This prompt asks Claude to build the four pillars of your creative brief (organization, audience, message, and tone) using real details from your workplace or volunteer group.

Review Claude's creative brief and confirm it defines the product, target audience, core message, and emotional tone.
If anything feels generic or vague, keep iterating with Claude until the brief feels sharp and specific.

Claude's brief not quite right?

If the product feels too generic for video, ask Claude to make it more visually distinctive. You need something that looks interesting on camera.

If the audience or tone is vague, ask Claude to narrow down to a specific persona and a single concrete emotion.

Need help refining your brief?

Write your 15-second ad script

Your ad needs a three-act structure: Hook (0-3 seconds), Context (3-10 seconds), and CTA (10-15 seconds). Each act fits into a tight time window, so every word counts.

Why the first 3 seconds matter

63% of top-performing TikTok ads deliver their core message within the first 3 seconds.

71% of users decide whether to skip in that same window. Your hook must land the core idea immediately.

In your Claude conversation, paste this prompt to generate your ad script:

Using the creative brief above, write a 15-second video ad script in three acts:

Hook (0-3 seconds): Deliver the core message immediately. No buildup, no setup. The viewer should understand what this ad is about within 3 seconds.

Context/Demo (3-10 seconds): Show the product in action. Describe the scene visually and highlight the key benefit.

CTA (10-15 seconds): Tell the viewer exactly what to do next.

For each act, include a scene description and any on-screen text or voiceover.

What does this prompt ask for?

The prompt structures the script so the core message lands in the first 3 seconds, the product demo fills the middle, and the CTA closes with a clear action.

The key instruction is "no buildup, no setup" in the Hook. Professional ads lead with the payoff, not with logos or slow intros.

Review Claude's script and confirm each act has a scene description and on-screen text.
If the Hook starts with setup or backstory, ask Claude to rewrite it so the core message lands first.

Script not landing the way you want?

If the script reads like a story with a slow buildup, ask Claude to start with the strongest visual or boldest claim from the brief.

Having trouble getting the right feel?

Write your text overlay copy

Text overlays are the words that appear on screen during your video. Many social media viewers watch with sound off, so these overlays carry the entire message.

In your Claude conversation, paste this prompt to create your text overlay copy:

Now write the text overlay copy for each scene:

1. Hook text (Scene 1): 7 words maximum. This is the first thing viewers read.
2. Benefit statement (Scene 2): One short sentence highlighting the key benefit.
3. CTA text (Scene 3): A clear, direct call to action.

These overlays must work on their own for viewers watching with sound off.

What makes effective text overlay copy?

The 7-word limit on the hook text forces clarity. If you can't say it in 7 words, your message needs more focus.

Each overlay should make sense without any audio. A viewer scrolling with sound off should understand the entire ad from text alone.

Review Claude's text overlay copy and confirm the hook line is 7 words or fewer.
Check that each overlay works as a standalone message without any audio context.

Before you start timing, do you think your full script fits within 15 seconds of natural reading?

Read your complete script aloud from start to finish while timing yourself with your phone's stopwatch.
Pay attention to whether the hook line finishes in under 3 seconds.

Your hook should land in about 2-3 seconds. The full script should fill approximately 15 seconds without rushing.

Script running over 15 seconds?

The most common fix is cutting filler words from the Context section. Ask Claude to tighten the copy and remove any words that don't earn their place.

If the hook line alone takes more than 3 seconds to say, it has too many words. Trim it to 7 words or fewer.

Still struggling with the timing?

Keep this Claude conversation open. You'll reference your brief and script throughout the rest of the project.

Your creative brief and script are locked in. Next, you'll design a visual storyboard in Canva Pro that maps out every shot before you open Higgsfield.

Design Your Storyboard in Canva

Your creative brief and 15-second script are ready, with text overlay copy planned for every scene. Now it's time to translate those words into a visual plan that maps out exactly what each scene looks like.

A storyboard bridges the gap between your script and actual video production. Without one, you'd open Higgsfield and start generating clips with no visual direction, burning through credits on shots that don't fit together. Professional video marketers storyboard every ad before production starts.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a 3-panel storyboard presentation in Canva Pro, with each panel containing a shot description, camera direction, and text overlay positioned in the safe zone.
Add visual reference images to each panel to guide your Higgsfield prompts later.
Export your storyboard as a PDF for side-by-side reference during production.

Create your storyboard panels in Canva Pro

Your storyboard needs three panels, one for each act of your ad script. You'll use a presentation template in Canva Pro where each slide becomes a planning panel.

Open your browser and go to canva.com.
Sign in to your Canva Pro account.
Click Create a design in the top right corner.
Type Presentation in the search field and select Presentation (16:9).

A blank presentation opens with one slide. This first slide becomes your Hook panel.

Each panel on your storyboard needs four pieces of information: a scene label, a shot description, a camera direction note, and the text overlay copy from your script.

Click Text in the left sidebar to open the text tool.
Add a heading to the first slide and type Scene 1: Hook (0-3s).
Add a new text block below it. Write a short shot description of what the viewer sees in this scene (for example, "Close-up of sparks flying from a steel laser cutter, blue workshop light" or "Friends laughing over steaming cups of chai at a table covered in board games").
Add another text block for your camera direction notes. Write the cinematic feel you want for this scene (for example, "Slow push-in, warm golden lighting, shallow depth of field").
Add one more text block with your 7-word hook line from your script. Position this text in the upper portion of the slide to represent where it will appear on screen.

Why position text in the top two-thirds?

On 9:16 vertical video, the bottom third of the frame is covered by platform UI elements. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts all place captions bars, like buttons, and share buttons in that bottom zone.

Keeping your text overlays in the top two-thirds ensures viewers can actually read them. This is called the "safe zone" for vertical video.

Your first slide should now have a scene label, shot description, camera direction, and text overlay copy. Now build the remaining two panels.

Click + Add page at the bottom of the slide panel to create a second slide.
Label this slide Scene 2: Context/Demo (3-10s).
Add a shot description, camera direction notes, and your benefit statement text overlay, following the same layout as your Hook panel.
Click + Add page again to create a third slide.
Label it Scene 3: CTA (10-15s).
Add a shot description, camera direction notes, and your CTA text overlay copy. Keep the text in the upper portion of the slide, just like your other panels.

You should now have three slides in the left panel, each with a scene label, shot description, camera direction, and text overlay. Click through all three to confirm.

What should I write for camera directions?

Think about how you want each scene to feel visually. Describe the camera movement (static, slow pan, push-in), the lighting mood (warm, cool, dramatic), and the framing (close-up, medium shot, wide establishing shot).

You'll map these notes to specific Higgsfield Cinema Studio settings in the next step. For now, focus on capturing your creative intent in plain language.

Add visual references to each panel

Visual references capture the mood, lighting, and color palette you want for each scene. These images guide your prompts when you generate video in Higgsfield later.

Click on your first slide (the Hook panel).
Click Elements in the left sidebar.
Search for images that match the mood of your Hook scene. Use terms related to your organization's setting or vibe (for example, "steel fabrication workshop" or "friends drinking chai together").
Click a reference image to add it to the slide, then resize and position it so it fits alongside your text notes without covering them.

Your Hook panel now has all four elements: scene label, shot description, camera direction, text overlay, and a visual reference image.

Click on your second slide (Context/Demo panel).
Search Elements for an image that captures the visual feel of your Context scene. Add it to the slide.
Click on your third slide (CTA panel) and repeat the same process, adding a reference image that matches your closing scene.

All three panels should now have a reference image alongside the shot description and camera notes. Click through each slide to confirm everything is in place.

Upload your own reference images

If you have specific images that better capture your vision, click Uploads in the left sidebar and drag your files from your device. Then place them on the relevant slide. Your own photos or mood board images often work better than stock results.

Export your storyboard as a PDF

With all three panels complete, export your storyboard so you can reference it side-by-side while working in Higgsfield Cinema Studio.

Click Share in the top right corner of the Canva editor.
Click Download.
In the file type dropdown, select PDF Standard.
Make sure All pages is selected so all three panels are included.
Click Download to save the file to your computer.

Before you open the PDF, think about what you expect to see. Three panels, each with five elements: a scene label, shot description, camera direction, text overlay, and a visual reference image.

Open the downloaded PDF from your computer.

You should see three pages, each with a shot description, camera direction note, text overlay copy, and a visual reference image. The text overlays should all sit in the top two-thirds of the frame.

PDF only showing one page?

Make sure you selected All pages in the download options, not This page. Go back to Share > Download and check the page selection before downloading again.

If your panels look blank or are missing reference images, confirm that the images fully loaded in the Canva editor before exporting. Help me troubleshoot my storyboard PDF export from Canva Pro.

Your storyboard is locked in and saved as a portable reference document. In the next step, you'll open Higgsfield Cinema Studio and build the character and location that bring these panels to life.

Build Your Character and Location in Higgsfield

Your storyboard is locked in and ready to guide every scene you build. Now you need to make sure the person and the place in your ad look the same across all three clips.

Without consistent assets, every scene you generate will have a different-looking character and a different setting. Higgsfield's Elements system solves this the same way a real production locks casting and location scouting before filming. You build a character and a location once, save them as reusable Elements, and every future shot references those locked assets.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a new Cinema Studio 3.5 project and build your ad's main character as a saved Element.
Generate and save a Location Element for your ad's setting.
Test visual consistency by generating a test image with your character placed in your location.

Open Higgsfield and create a new project

Before you can build any assets, you need a Cinema Studio project to hold them. Elements are project-scoped, meaning the character and location you create will live inside this project and carry into every shot.

Open your browser and go to higgsfield.ai.
Sign in with your Higgsfield Plus account.
Click Cinema Studio in the navigation.
Select version 3.5.
Create a new project. Give it a name that matches your ad concept (e.g. Mascot Steel Ad or Chai Soc Promo).

Why Cinema Studio 3.5?

Cinema Studio 3.5 has the full director's panel with Genre, Color Palette, Camera MoveSet Style, Lighting, Camera, Lens, Focal Length, and Aperture settings. It also includes the Elements system for saving reusable characters and locations, and a built-in Claude Chat AI Director that can help break your script into shots.

You should now be inside your new Cinema Studio 3.5 project with an empty workspace.

Don't see Cinema Studio 3.5?

Make sure you are signed into your Higgsfield Plus account. Cinema Studio 3.5 requires an active subscription. If the version selector does not appear, refresh the page or try logging out and back in.

Help me access Cinema Studio 3.5 in Higgsfield.

Build your ad's main character

Your storyboard PDF describes the character who appears in your ad. Now you will translate that description into a consistent AI-generated character that Higgsfield can reproduce across every scene.

Open your exported storyboard PDF side-by-side with Higgsfield so you can reference your character description.
In the Image section of Cinema Studio, switch to Character mode.

You will see a set of options for defining your character's identity. Configure each one to match the person in your ad concept.

Set the Genre to match the tone of your ad (e.g. General for a lifestyle ad, Drama for an emotional ad).
Set the Era to match the time period of your ad's setting.
Set the Archetype to define the character's role or personality type.
Under Identity, set the gender, race, and age that fit your creative brief.
Under Physical Appearance, define the build, height, eye color, and hair.
Set the Outfit to match what your character wears in the ad.
Click Generate to render your character.

Higgsfield generates a character image. Review it against your storyboard references. If the character does not match what you had in mind, adjust the settings and generate again.

Once you are happy with the result, save the character as an Element. This locks the character's face, build, and outfit so Higgsfield can reproduce them in every future shot.

What is an Element?

An Element is a reusable asset in Cinema Studio 3.5. Characters, Locations, and Props can all be saved as Elements. Once saved, they are scoped to your project and carry into every shot automatically.

When you generate video later, you reference your saved Elements by clicking @ Elements under the prompt field or typing @ in the prompt. This is how Higgsfield keeps your character looking identical across scenes.

Your Character Element should now appear in the Elements panel of your project.

Character doesn't match your vision?

Be more specific with the Physical Appearance and Outfit settings. Vague descriptions lead to inconsistent results. Try describing specific details like hair length, clothing color, or distinguishing features.

Help me refine my character in Higgsfield Cinema Studio.

Generate and save your location

Your character needs a consistent environment to appear in. Without a saved Location Element, each scene would generate a different background, breaking the visual continuity of your ad.

In the Image section, switch from Character mode to Location mode.
Write a short prompt describing the environment for your ad. Be specific about the atmosphere, lighting, and spatial details. Reference your storyboard's visual references for guidance.

Write a specific location prompt

Instead of writing "a workshop", try "a sprawling steel fabrication workshop with overhead cranes, blue sparks from a laser cutter, fluorescent lighting, and stacks of structural beams in the background." Or instead of "a hangout spot", try "a cozy university common room with mismatched cushions, steaming cups of chai on a low table, and fairy lights strung along the wall." The more spatial and atmospheric detail you give, the better Cinema Studio can produce depth and lighting automatically.

Click Generate to render the location.
Review the result. If the location does not match the mood or setting from your storyboard, refine your prompt and regenerate.
Save the approved location as a Location Element.

Your Location Element should now appear alongside your Character Element in the Elements panel.

Location looks flat or generic?

Add spatial depth to your prompt. Mention foreground objects, background features, and lighting direction. Cinema Studio uses these cues to create environments with real depth, not flat backdrops.

Help me write a better location prompt for my ad.

Test character and location consistency

You have two locked Elements. Before moving on to video generation, you need to confirm they work together and that your character looks the same when placed inside the location.

Still in the Image section, select your saved Character Element and your saved Location Element as references.
Write a simple prompt placing your character in the location, or leave the prompt empty. Cinema Studio automatically selects the camera angle and lighting when you provide both Elements.
Click Generate to render the test image.

Before you look at the result, take a moment to predict what you expect to see. Does the character's face match the original Element? Are the outfit and build consistent? Is the location recognizable?

Compare the test image to your original Character Element. Check that the face, outfit, and build are consistent.
Confirm that the location in the test image matches the Location Element you saved.

If the character drifts visually (different hair, outfit change, face shape shift), regenerate the test. Occasional drift is normal. The important thing is that the overall identity is recognizably the same person in the same place.

Why test before generating video?

Video generation costs credits. Each 5-second clip at 720p costs approximately 7 credits. If your character and location do not match in a still image, they will not match in video either. Catching inconsistencies now saves you from burning credits on clips you cannot use.

🙋‍♀️ Character looks different in the test image?

Make sure you selected your saved Character Element as a reference, not a new prompt-based character. Click @ Elements under the prompt field and select from My Elements to reference the exact saved asset.

Help me fix character consistency in my test image.

Your Cinema Studio project now has two locked assets and a confirmed test image. This is your production foundation. In the next step, you will use these Elements to direct and generate the actual video scenes for your ad.

Direct and Generate Your Video Ad

Your character and location are locked in. You have a storyboard with shot descriptions, camera directions, and text overlay placements for every scene. Now it's time to move from planning to production.

This is where you'll feel the difference between typing a vague prompt and actually directing a scene. You'll choose the genre, lighting, camera movement, and lens for each shot, using your storyboard as the shot list.

In this step, get ready to:

Write your Hook scene prompt and configure every setting in the director's panel, from Genre and Lighting to Camera type and Aperture.
Generate all three scenes (Hook, Context/Demo, CTA) at 720p draft resolution, using the last-frame trick to maintain visual continuity between clips.
Re-generate your best scene at 1080p and download all three final clips.

Set up your Hook scene prompt and director's panel

Your Hook scene is the most important shot in the ad. It needs to stop the scroll in under 3 seconds. You'll configure every cinematic setting before generating a single frame, so the AI model gets clear visual direction from the start.

Open your storyboard PDF so you can reference it alongside your browser while working in Higgsfield.
In your Cinema Studio 3.5 project, switch to the Video section.
Add your saved Character Element as a reference for this shot.
Add your saved Location Element as a reference.
In the prompt box, write a scene description for your Hook based on Panel 1 of your storyboard.

What makes a good scene prompt?

The prompt carries the scene description. The director's panel settings carry the visual logic. Focus your prompt on what happens in the scene, not on camera style or lighting.

Describe the action, expression, or movement your character performs in the Hook moment.
Include specific details from your storyboard's shot description for Panel 1.
Keep it concise. Overly long prompts can override your Element references and produce inconsistent results.

Now configure the global project settings. These apply across every shot in your project, so you only set them once.

In the director's panel, set the Genre to match the emotional tone from your creative brief.
Set the Color Palette to match the visual mood of your ad.
Set the Camera MoveSet Style to match the camera direction from your storyboard's Hook panel.
Set the Lighting preset to match the atmosphere you planned for the scene.

What are the available director's panel options?

Use this reference to guide your choices. The global settings (Genre, Color Palette, Camera MoveSet Style, Lighting) apply to all shots in the project. The per-shot settings (Camera, Lens, Focal Length, Aperture) can be adjusted for each individual scene.

Genre: General, Action, Epic, Drama, Comedy, Horror, Noir.
Color Palette: Auto, Naturalistic Clean, Bleached Warm, Hyper Neon, Teal & Orange Epic, Sodium Decay, Cold Steel, Bleach Bypass, Classic B&W.
Camera MoveSet Style: Auto, Classic Static, Silent Machine, One Take, Epic Scale, Intimate Observer, Impossible Camera, Documentary Snap, Raw Chaos, Dreamy Flow.
Lighting: Auto, Soft Cross, Overhead Fall, Contre-jour, Window, Practicals, Silhouette.
Camera (per-shot): Raw 16mm, Fine Film, Clean Digital.
Lens (per-shot): Auto, Clinical Sharp, Extreme Macro, Anamorphic, Warm Halation, Vintage Haze.
Focal Length (per-shot): 8mm, 14mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm.
Aperture (per-shot): f/1.4 Wide Open, f/4 Moderate, f/11 Deep Focus.

Now set the per-shot camera settings for your Hook scene. These control the physical texture and depth of this specific clip.

Set the Camera type for this shot (e.g., Clean Digital for a polished commercial look, or Fine Film for organic warmth).
Set the Lens to shape the optical character of your shot.
Set the Focal Length based on how much of the environment you want visible (e.g., 35mm for a natural perspective, 50mm for a tighter portrait framing).
Set the Aperture to control depth of field (e.g., f/1.4 Wide Open to blur the background and isolate your character, or f/4 Moderate for a balanced look).

Why draft at 720p first?

At 720p, each 5-second clip costs approximately 7 credits. Drafting at lower resolution lets you iterate on prompts and settings without burning through your monthly credit budget. You'll upgrade your best scene to 1080p later in this step.

Set the aspect ratio to 9:16 (vertical format for social platforms).
Set the resolution to 720p.
Click Generate to create your Hook scene.

Your Hook clip appears in the project. Review it against your storyboard. Does the character match your Element? Does the camera movement feel right for a scroll-stopping opener?

Character looks different from your Element?

Make sure your Character Element is added as a reference before generating. Without it, the model invents a new character.
Try simplifying your scene prompt. Detailed physical descriptions in the prompt can override the Element's saved appearance.
If the generation was blocked, remove any references that could be flagged as real faces or protected IP and try again.
My Higgsfield character looks different in the generated video than in my saved Element. What should I adjust in my prompt or settings?

Generate your Context/Demo and CTA scenes

One scene down, two to go. Your global settings (Genre, Color Palette, Camera MoveSet Style, Lighting) carry over automatically to every new shot. For each new scene, you only need to update the prompt and adjust the per-shot camera settings.

Use the last frame for scene continuity

After your Hook scene generates, take a screenshot of the last frame. Use it as the Start Frame reference for your Context/Demo scene. This locks the character's position and composition between cuts, creating smoother visual transitions.

If you're happy with your Hook clip, take a screenshot of its last frame to use as a continuity reference.
Write a new scene prompt for your Context/Demo scene based on Panel 2 of your storyboard.
Adjust the per-shot camera settings (Camera, Lens, Focal Length, Aperture) if your storyboard calls for a different shot style in this scene.
Add the screenshot of your Hook scene's last frame as a Start Frame reference for visual continuity.
Click Generate to create your Context/Demo scene.

Review the Context/Demo clip. Does it maintain the same visual style as your Hook? Does the character's appearance stay consistent?

Take a screenshot of the Context/Demo scene's last frame for the same continuity trick.
Write a new scene prompt for your CTA scene based on Panel 3 of your storyboard.
Adjust per-shot camera settings if needed for the CTA shot.
Add the Context/Demo scene's last frame screenshot as a Start Frame reference.
Click Generate to create your CTA scene.

You now have three draft clips. Review all three together. The character's face, outfit, and build should look consistent across every scene.

What if a scene doesn't look right?

Iteration is part of the process. If a clip doesn't match your storyboard's intent, try adjusting your prompt first. Small wording changes often produce significantly different results.

If the mood or camera feel is off, tweak the per-shot settings (try a different Lens or Focal Length) rather than rewriting the entire prompt. Each 720p draft only costs about 7 credits, so you have room to experiment.

Polish your best scene and download all clips

Your drafts are done. One more step before you leave Higgsfield. Upgrade your strongest scene to full resolution for a polished final version.

For a 15-second ad, the Hook is usually the scene worth polishing first. It's the one viewers see before they decide to keep watching.

Choose the scene you want to upgrade to 1080p (the Hook is a strong default choice).
Change the resolution setting from 720p to 1080p.
Keep all other settings the same as the draft version.
Click Generate to create the 1080p version.

What does 1080p cost?

Each 5-second clip at 1080p costs approximately 8 credits. That is only one extra credit per clip compared to 720p, for a significant quality upgrade in your final export.

Before you download, take a look at all three clips one more time. Do you think the three scenes will flow together as a cohesive 15-second ad when placed back to back?

Download your 1080p scene by clicking the download button on the clip.
Download the remaining two clips at 720p.
Save all three files to a folder you can find easily. You'll import them into Canva in the next step.

Check your downloads folder. You should see three video files in 9:16 vertical format: a Hook clip, a Context/Demo clip, and a CTA clip. Each is approximately 5 seconds long. The character and setting should look consistent across all three.

Can't find your downloaded clips?

Check your browser's default downloads folder. Higgsfield clips download as standard video files.
Sort the folder by date modified and look for the three most recent video files.
If a download did not start, return to your Cinema Studio project and click the download button on the clip again.
I can't find my downloaded Higgsfield video clips or a download didn't start. Where do they save and how do I retry?

Your three video clips are ready. In the next step, you'll bring them into Canva Pro to assemble the final ad with text overlays, turning raw footage into a finished scroll-stopping video.

Assemble and Add Text Overlays

Your three video clips are shot and downloaded, each with a consistent character and setting. Now it's time to assemble them into a finished 15-second video ad in Canva Pro.

Raw clips on their own are just pretty footage. Text overlays are what transform them into a scroll-stopping ad, especially since 85% of social media viewers watch with sound off.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a new Canva Pro video project in 9:16 format and import your three Higgsfield clips onto the timeline.
Add text overlay copy from your script to each scene, positioned in the top two-thirds of the frame.
Preview, adjust, and export your final 15-second video ad.

Create your video project and import clips

Your storyboard mapped out every scene, and your script defined the text overlay for each one. The first step is creating a video canvas sized for vertical social platforms.

Switch back to Canva Pro in your browser.
Click Create a design in the top right corner of the homepage.
Click Custom size.
Enter 1080 for width and 1920 for height.
Click Create new design.

A blank vertical canvas opens in the Canva editor. This is your 9:16 workspace, the exact aspect ratio used by TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Why 1080 x 1920?

9:16 vertical is the standard format for short-form video on mobile. The 1080 x 1920 resolution matches the clips you exported from Higgsfield at 1080p, so nothing gets stretched or cropped.

Now bring in your video clips and arrange them in sequence.

Click Uploads in the left sidebar.
Click Upload files.
Select your three downloaded video clips (Hook, Context, CTA) from your computer.
Drag the Hook clip from the Uploads panel onto the canvas. It fills the first page on the timeline at the bottom of the editor.
Click the + button on the timeline to add a new page.
Drag the Context clip onto the new page.
Click + on the timeline to add one more page.
Drag the CTA clip onto the third page.

Your timeline should now show three pages side by side: Hook, Context, CTA. The total duration should be approximately 15 seconds.

Clips not appearing on the timeline?

Make sure you uploaded video files, not screenshots or images. Video files have extensions like .mp4 or .webm.
Each clip needs its own page on the timeline. If two clips ended up on the same page, undo with Cmd+Z (macOS) or Ctrl+Z (Windows) and try again.
My video clips aren't showing up on the Canva timeline. What should I check?

Add text overlays to each scene

Your clips are sequenced, but without text they are just footage. The text overlay is what delivers your message to the viewer, especially the ones watching on mute.

Have your script handy

Open your Claude conversation from Step 1 in a separate tab so you can copy and paste the text overlay lines for each scene. Your storyboard PDF also shows where each overlay should sit on the frame.

Start with the Hook clip, since the opening text is the most critical element of the entire ad.

Click the first page (Hook clip) on the timeline.
Click Text in the left sidebar.
Click Add a heading.
Type your hook line from your script (7 words or fewer).
Drag the text box to the upper portion of the canvas, inside the top two-thirds of the frame.
Increase the font size until the text nearly fills the width of the canvas.
Set the text style to Bold using the toolbar above the canvas.

Why keep text in the top two-thirds?

The bottom third of a 9:16 video is covered by platform UI elements. On TikTok and Instagram Reels, the captions bar, like button, share button, and comment icon all sit in that zone.

Any text placed in the bottom third gets hidden behind those controls. Keeping overlays in the top two-thirds ensures your message is always visible.

💡 Choose the right font

If you have brand fonts from your organization (e.g. Mascot Steel's website fonts or The Chai Soc's Instagram style), set them up in your Canva Brand Kit and use them here for consistency. Otherwise, pick a clean, bold sans-serif font. Viewers need to read it on a phone screen in under a second.

Click the Play button on the timeline to preview the Hook clip.

Your hook text should appear large, bold, and clearly visible against the video background within the first second of playback.

Now add text overlays to the remaining two scenes.

Click the second page (Context clip) on the timeline.
Click Text in the left sidebar, then click Add a heading.
Type your benefit statement from your script.
Position the text in the top two-thirds of the frame and style it to match your Hook text.
Click the third page (CTA clip) on the timeline.
Add a heading and type your call-to-action text from your script.
Position the CTA text in the top two-thirds and match the font style.

Click through each page on the timeline to verify that all three clips have text overlays visible in the top two-thirds of the frame.

Each scene should display its own text: the hook line on the first clip, the benefit statement on the second, and the call-to-action on the third.

Text not visible against the video?

If the text blends into the background, try changing the font color to white. You can also add a shadow or background highlight using the Effects option in the text toolbar.
Make sure the text layer is selected and positioned on the canvas, not dragged off-screen.
How do I make my text overlay stand out against a busy video background in Canva?

Preview and export your finished ad

Your ad has three scenes, each with text overlays. Before you export, you need to check three things: does the hook text appear within the first second, is all text readable at phone size, and does the pacing feel right across all 15 seconds.

Click the first page on the timeline so playback starts from the beginning.
Click the Play button to preview the full video from start to finish.

Watch the preview all the way through. Pay attention to whether the hook text appears immediately, whether each text overlay is large enough to read on a small screen, and whether the transitions between clips feel smooth.

If any text appears too late, select the text element on that page and check its animation timing. Remove any entrance animation delay so the text is visible from the first frame.
If any text is too small, increase the font size until it fills at least half the canvas width.
If the pacing feels off, adjust the duration of individual pages on the timeline by dragging their edges.

Once the preview looks right, export the finished video.

Click Share in the top right corner.
Click Download.
Select MP4 Video as the file type.
Click Download and save the file to your computer.

Before you play the exported video on your phone, take a moment to predict what you expect. Will the hook text grab attention in the first second? Will the transitions between scenes feel smooth or jarring?

Transfer the exported video to your phone (use AirDrop, email, cloud storage, or a messaging app to send it to yourself).
Play the video on your phone and watch it at arm's length.

The hook text should appear immediately and be readable without squinting. The full video should run approximately 15 seconds with smooth transitions between the three scenes.

Why check on your phone?

Your ad will live on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts. Every viewer will see it on a phone screen, not a laptop. Text that looks fine at desktop size can be unreadable on a 6-inch display. Watching it on your phone is the only way to catch sizing issues before you post.

🙋‍♀️ Video looks blurry or wrong size?

Double-check that your project dimensions are 1080 x 1920 (width x height), not 1920 x 1080. Swapped dimensions produce a horizontal video instead of vertical.
If the video looks pixelated, make sure you selected MP4 Video as the export format and did not reduce the quality slider.
My exported Canva video looks blurry or has the wrong aspect ratio. How can I fix this?

Secret mission

Create a Hook Variation

Professional video marketers never ship a single hook. They test multiple variations against the same ad body to find the one that stops the scroll. In this mission, you'll create a second hook for your ad and compare which opening hits harder.

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your project assets, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely. This project consumed approximately 150-250 Higgsfield credits from your monthly 1,200 allocation, and all other resources are saved within your existing subscriptions at no additional cost.

Resources you used:

Higgsfield Cinema Studio project with saved Character Element, Location Element, and generated video clips (including Hook variation).
Canva Pro storyboard presentation (3-panel presentation with shot descriptions and visual references).
Canva Pro video project V1 (original hook version of the ad).
Canva Pro video project V2 (hook variation version of the ad).
Claude Pro conversation containing your creative brief and ad script.
Local files: downloaded video clips, storyboard PDF, and exported video ads (V1 and V2).

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you plan to reuse your Character and Location Elements for future campaigns or want to revisit your storyboard as a template.

Your Higgsfield Cinema Studio project stays in your dashboard with all saved Elements and generated clips ready for future use.
Your Canva Pro storyboard and video projects remain in your Projects folder. You can duplicate the storyboard for your next campaign.
Your Claude Pro conversation with the creative brief stays in your sidebar for reference.
Your local files (clips, storyboard PDF, exported videos) remain wherever you saved them on your device.

What about my Higgsfield credits?

The credits you spent on video generation are already consumed and cannot be recovered. Higgsfield credits do not roll over month-to-month, so there is no ongoing cost from keeping your project assets saved.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

No action needed. All your assets persist in Higgsfield, Canva Pro, and Claude Pro until you are ready to return.

Your Higgsfield Character and Location Elements are saved and can be pulled into future Cinema Studio projects.
Your Canva storyboard and video projects stay in your Projects folder, ready to edit or duplicate.
Your Claude conversation is accessible from the sidebar whenever you return.
Your local video files and storyboard PDF remain on your device.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project assets from Higgsfield, Canva Pro, Claude Pro, and your local device. Your spent credits cannot be recovered regardless of whether you delete the project.

In Higgsfield, open your Cinema Studio dashboard. Find the project you created for this ad, then delete it. This removes your saved Character Element, Location Element, and all generated clips.
In Canva Pro, go to your Projects folder in the left sidebar. Find your storyboard presentation, right-click it, and select Move to trash. Repeat for your video project V1 (original hook) and video project V2 (hook variation).
In Claude Pro, find the conversation containing your creative brief in the left sidebar. Hover over the conversation name, click the three-dot menu, and select the delete option.
On your device, locate and delete your downloaded video clips (Hook V1, Hook V2, Context/Demo, CTA), the storyboard PDF, and both exported video ad files (V1 and V2) from your Downloads folder or wherever you saved them.

Nice Work!

Nice work! You just went from a blank page to a finished 15-second AI video ad, without ever picking up a camera. Every frame was directed, generated, and assembled using the same workflow professional video marketers use.

You've learned how to:

Write a creative brief and a 15-second ad script structured around the 3-second hook framework, using Claude as a creative collaborator.
Design a storyboard in Canva Pro and use it to direct AI video in Higgsfield Cinema Studio with intentional cinematic choices like genre, lighting, camera movement, and lens settings.
Assemble a finished video ad with text overlays optimized for silent viewing on social platforms, exported in 9:16 vertical format ready for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
Secret Mission: Created a second hook variation and learned the modular hook-testing workflow that professional video marketers use to find winning ads.

Ready to quiz yourself?