# How to Make a Tiny Desk AI Video — Step-by-Step Guide

> Make a Tiny Desk AI edit with a source clip, a reference photo and a focused prompt. Learn how to prepare inputs and check identity, movement and audio.

URL: https://tinydeskaigenerator.com/how-to/
Updated: 2026-10-28

One clear face and a short, steady clip make a practical first test. Here is the workflow from source files to a finished edit.

## 1. Choose what you want to make

For an Outstanding-style recast, you are asking the model to change a performer inside an existing recording. You need a video-editing or motion-reference tool that accepts both video and images. A photo-to-video tool may instead invent a new performance. Check which workflow it supports before buying credits.

If you simply want a desk-concert atmosphere, choose a new scene. Your prompt can describe the room, cast and framing without asking it to reproduce a particular recording.

## 2. Prepare a short source clip

For a first edit, choose roughly five seconds with one clearly visible lead performer, a stable camera and no cuts. This is a practical starting point, not a universal model requirement. Use your own recording or footage you have permission to upload and edit.

Leave enough space around the face, hands and microphone. A tight crop that looks fine in the opening frame can cut off a gesture later. Check the entire clip before exporting it. Follow your chosen tool’s duration, resolution and file-size requirements.

## 3. Pick one reference photo

Use a sharp photo of one consenting adult. Even lighting, visible eyes and an unobstructed face make the intended identity easier to describe. Begin with a face angle close to the source rather than an extreme side profile. Our [photo guide](https://tinydeskaigenerator.com/photo-guide/) explains what to check.

## 4. Describe the change and the things to preserve

Identify the target by position, such as “the lead singer closest to the camera.” Ask to change that person while preserving the other musicians, background, clothing, gestures and camera. Avoid adding a new outfit, a new room and a new camera move to the same first test.

Use the [free prompt builder](https://tinydeskaigenerator.com/prompts/#prompt-builder) to prepare your brief. Paste it into a compatible video tool and attach your permitted files there. A prompt is a direction; it does not lock every pixel or guarantee the same face in every frame.

## 5. Review before making a longer version

- Identity: compare the beginning, middle and end with your reference photo.
- Motion: check that head turns, hand gestures and camera framing still serve the joke.
- Nearby details: look closely at microphones, fingers and other people’s faces.
- Sound: listen to the full export. Do not assume the original track or lip sync survived.If something goes wrong, change one input or instruction at a time. A wider crop may solve a disappearing hand; a clearer photo may help identity. Repeating the same request can cost another generation without fixing the cause.

## 6. Finish and share

Add a soundtrack you have permission to publish, then align the cut in your video editor. Watch the final exported file, including its first and last frames. Make it clear that your recast is AI-made, and do not present it as footage of a real event involving the replacement person.

What you can do here nowThe [video generator](https://tinydeskaigenerator.com/) shows current availability before you submit. You can also customize, copy and download a prompt for free without an account on our [prompts page](https://tinydeskaigenerator.com/prompts/).