ShortMake review

What ShortMake is

ShortMake is an AI video generator for faceless short-form content. You type an idea, and it writes a script, generates the visuals, adds an AI voiceover and subtitles, and renders a vertical video for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels or Snapchat. ShortMake says most videos are done in under 7 minutes.

It does not train its own video model. The pricing page lists Google Veo 3.1 and Sora 2 on every paid plan, and the homepage names Google Veo 3, Kling AI and Wan AI. ShortMake’s job is to wrap those models in a one-idea, one-video workflow.

The company behind it is SHORTIA LLC, named in its terms. The site runs in English and French and leans on a Discord community for support. Its own numbers do not agree: the hero says “Used by +200,000 Creators,” and further down the same page says “Join 10,000+ content creators.”

Lately ShortMake has added two story-focused products. AI Series brings in Shorty, an AI director that builds recurring-character series. AI Fruit Videos is a template for the fruit-drama trend that has taken over faceless TikTok.

Who it is for

ShortMake fits you if:

• You want to start a faceless channel and have never edited a video.
• You have ideas but no time to write, record a voiceover and edit in CapCut.
• You want to try story formats such as fruit dramas, animal stories or clever babies.
• You want recurring characters across a series without managing reference images yourself.
• You want to try video models like Veo and Sora without separate subscriptions.

Skip it if:

• You need many videos a month on a small budget. Starter covers about ten one-minute videos.
• You want to use your own voice. Cloning is “coming soon.”
• You want to repurpose your own long videos into clips. ShortMake creates new videos from ideas. A clipper such as OpusClip or Klap suits that job.
• You need a mature product with clear refund terms. ShortMake’s terms still call it beta and rule out refunds on credits.

How it works

Idea to video

The core flow is four steps, as ShortMake lays it out:

1. Type your idea. A sentence or two about the video. ShortMake budgets 30 seconds for this.
2. AI writes the script. It turns the idea into a narration script.
3. Choose a voice and style. Pick one of the AI voices and a visual style. Paid plans add “realistic” voices: 4 on Starter, 10 on Creator, 20 on Pro.
4. AI renders the video. Visuals, voiceover and subtitles come together into a 9:16 video. ShortMake says this takes about 5 minutes.

Subtitles come in 23 styles, and ShortMake makes a point of letting you customise how they look. One testimonial on the homepage says subtitle customisation gives the videos “a unique style.”

AI Series and Shorty

AI Series is the newer, more ambitious part of the product. Shorty is described as “your AI director.” You talk to it like you would a real director, and ShortMake says it:

• Writes the story, with a hook, lines and a twist you can change.
• Creates the characters and keeps them. Same faces, same voices, episode after episode.
• Draws the storyboard and shoots the episode with voices and music.
• Makes part 2 in one click, picking up where part 1 ended.
• Watches a TikTok you paste in, frame by frame, and suggests an inspired series or a remake.

Formats include fruit drama, clever babies, cute animals, 3D stories, trailers and story-driven ads. The example episodes on the page run from about 20 seconds to 1 minute 25 seconds.

The remake option deserves a warning. Rebuilding another creator’s TikTok can break platform rules on unoriginal content and the original creator’s rights. Use the “inspired series” route and make the story your own.

A typical first series

If you want to try the series workflow on the free tier, a sensible order is:

1. Pick one format, such as cute animals or fruit drama, and stick with it for a few episodes.
2. Write a one-line premise with a clear conflict. “A strawberry accuses her roommate of stealing her yogurt” is ShortMake’s own example.
3. Read Shorty’s script before anything renders. Fix the hook and the twist in text, where changes are free.
4. Let it shoot part 1, then watch the characters closely. If faces or voices drift, regenerate before you build on them.
5. Post part 1, and only make part 2 if viewers ask for it. Every sequel spends credits.

Treat this as a way to learn the tool, not a promise of results. Shorty’s character memory is ShortMake’s claim, and it is the first thing to check.

AI Fruit Videos

The fruit stories page is a template for one niche: anthropomorphic fruit in soap-opera plots. You describe a concept and ShortMake writes a dramatic script with dialogue and twists, then generates images. Each scene is editable before the video renders, which is useful because it lets you fix a bad image before you spend credits on video. ShortMake says you can publish in 40+ languages.

Output quality

We have not tested ShortMake hands-on, so quality claims here are ShortMake’s or its users’.

The footage quality depends on the model underneath. Veo 3.1 and Sora 2 are strong models, and ShortMake puts both on every paid plan. Older-style videos made from AI illustrations with voiceover will look different from full AI video, so check which mode each format uses.

What its own testimonials say, read carefully:

• Rendering styles vary. One user says there are “still a few improvements possible on some rendering styles.”
• Customisation is limited. Another says it is “just missing a few customization options.”
• Support is responsive. Several mention fast answers on Discord.

The time savings ShortMake advertises, 7 minutes against 2 hours by hand, assume you accept the first result. Plan on a revision or two for anything you care about, and remember that each regeneration uses credits.

Pricing

ShortMake runs on monthly credits. Its rule of thumb is that a 60-second video uses about 100 to 120 credits.

Every paid plan includes text to video, no watermark, HD quality, AI illustrations, Google Veo 3.1 and Sora 2. The plans differ in credits and the number of realistic voices.

Things the pricing page does not make obvious:

• The annual toggle is broken on Starter. It says “Annual 30% off,” but switching it showed Starter at $20.00 a month, one cent more than the monthly price. Creator dropped to $21.00 and Pro to $34.99, which are about 30% off. Check the total at checkout.
• The free tier is a mystery. ShortMake calls it generous but does not say how many credits you get.
• Ten videos is not a daily channel. Posting one minute-long video a day needs about 3,000 to 3,600 credits a month, which means Pro.
• Premium models probably cost more. ShortMake does not publish separate credit prices for Veo 3.1 or Sora 2. Expect the 100 to 120 credit estimate to apply to standard videos, and check costs inside the app before you rely on it.
• The format label has a typo. Plans list “TikTok format 9:15.” The AI Series page says 9:16, which is the real vertical format.
• Pop-up discounts. A countdown banner offers 20% off the “Premium Plan” for two hours. It restarted on every visit when we checked, so do not rush.

Refunds

ShortMake’s terms are blunt: once credits are added to your account, refunds are not possible. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. If you hit a problem with credits or the platform, the terms point you to [email protected] or the Discord.

Things to watch

• Beta terms. The terms, last updated February 2024, say ShortMake is in a beta phase and that features may contain bugs. They also limit the company’s liability for any damage from using the platform.
• No affiliate program. We found no public affiliate or referral program.
• Inconsistent user numbers. 200,000+ in the hero, 10,000+ further down. Neither is evidence of quality.
• Crowded category. ShortMake competes with AutoShorts, ShortsFaceless and Crayo, which all turn a prompt into a faceless short. ShortsFaceless even names ShortMake as a rival. Compare credit costs per finished minute, not plan prices, before you pick one.
• Your own content rules apply. ShortMake does not publish a content policy on its public pages beyond its short terms. Story formats built on real brands or famous characters are your risk, not ShortMake’s.

Verdict

ShortMake is an easy on-ramp to faceless short video. One idea becomes a scripted, voiced, subtitled vertical video, and the new AI Series with Shorty adds recurring characters and one-click sequels, which is what story channels need. Putting Veo 3.1 and Sora 2 on every paid plan is a plus.

The rough edges are on the business side. The free allowance is unpublished, credits are never refunded, the terms still say beta, and the annual price for Starter is higher than monthly. Start on the free tier, make one video and one series episode, and if you pay, choose monthly Starter until you know how many credits your format really uses.