How a YouTube Creator Made 50 Videos in 1 Week with Sora 2
Marcus Chen (@TechExplorer, 180K subscribers) used to publish 2-3 videos per week. Last month, he experimented with Sora 2's batch generation and hit 50 videos in 7 days. Here's how he did it—and what it cost.
đź“Š Results at a Glance
Videos Created
50
Total Cost
$280
Average Time/Video
18 min
Channel Growth
+12K
The Challenge: Tech News Moves Fast
Marcus runs a tech explainer channel covering AI tools, software updates, and gadget reviews. His biggest problem? News cycles are 24-48 hours. By the time he filmed, edited, and uploaded, the story was already old.
"I was spending 4-5 hours per video: writing scripts, filming myself talking, adding B-roll, editing. By day 3, nobody cared about the topic anymore."
He needed a way to produce high-quality videos in under 1 hour while keeping production value high. Traditional screen recording wasn't engaging enough. Stock footage looked generic. Sora 2 became his solution.
The Workflow: 18 Minutes Per Video
Step 1: Script Generation (3 minutes)
Marcus uses ChatGPT to generate 60-second video scripts based on the day's tech news. He feeds it article links and asks for "YouTube Short format, hook + 3 key points + CTA."
Example Prompt:
"Turn this article into a 60-second YouTube script with a hook about why this matters to developers. Include 3 bullet points and end with a question to boost comments."
Step 2: Sora 2 Generation (12 minutes)
He converts script key points into Sora 2 prompts. For a video about "Claude AI's new coding features," his prompts were:
- Scene 1 (5s): "Close-up of hands typing code on a glowing laptop, dark modern office, cinematic lighting"
- Scene 2 (10s): "Screen recording of AI writing Python code, cursor moving fast, terminal output scrolling"
- Scene 3 (5s): "Person nodding at camera with impressed expression, clean background, soft lighting"
Total generation time with Sora 2 Pro: 8 minutes for all 3 clips (processed in parallel). He stitched them in CapCut's timeline—no complex editing needed.
Step 3: Voiceover & Upload (3 minutes)
Marcus records his voiceover directly in CapCut's mobile app, syncs it to the video, and exports. Total time from script to published video: 18 minutes.
đź’ˇ His Secret: Batch Processing
Instead of making 1 video at a time, Marcus generates 10 sets of clips every morning (30 clips total, ~25 minutes). Then he assembles 10 videos in the afternoon. This reduces context switching and speeds up the entire process.
The Costs: $280 for 50 Videos
| Expense | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sora 2 Pro | $200 | 1 month unlimited |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20 | For script generation |
| CapCut Pro | $10 | Monthly subscription |
| ElevenLabs (optional) | $50 | AI voiceover (he stopped using this) |
| Total | $280 | $5.60 per video |
Previous workflow cost: $40/video (freelance editor on Fiverr). His new workflow saves $1,720 per 50 videos while being 5x faster.
The Results: +12K Subscribers in 30 Days
Marcus published 50 videos in November (vs. 10-12 in October). The impact:
- Subscriber growth: +12,400 (vs. +2,800 previous month)
- Total views: 1.8M (vs. 480K)
- Average watch time: 48 seconds (80% retention on 60s videos)
- Revenue: $3,200 AdSense + $1,800 sponsorships = $5,000 total
⚠️ The Algorithm Boost
YouTube's algorithm favors consistent uploaders. By going from 2-3 videos/week to 7-10, Marcus triggered YouTube's "active creator" boost, which increased impressions by 340%.
Lessons Learned: What Worked & What Didn't
âś… What Worked:
- Short videos (60s): Easier to generate and edit, higher completion rates
- Batch processing: Generate 10 videos' worth of clips at once
- Generic prompts: "Modern office" and "cinematic lighting" worked better than hyper-specific descriptions
- Storyboard mode: Pre-planning 3-scene structure saved iterations
❌ What Didn't Work:
- AI voiceovers: Audience complained they sounded "robotic"—switched back to his own voice
- 20-second clips: Took 3x longer to generate with minimal quality gain for his use case
- Complex scenes: "Person wearing VR headset in a futuristic lab" often failed—simpler prompts were more reliable
Can You Replicate This?
Marcus's workflow works best if you:
- Create short-form content (under 90 seconds)
- Cover fast-moving topics where speed matters more than perfection
- Have $200/month to invest in Sora 2 Pro (required for batch generation speed)
- Can commit to daily uploads to trigger YouTube's algorithm boost
Not ideal for: Long-form tutorials, cinematic vlogs, or content where your face/personality is the main value. Sora 2 excels at B-roll and visual storytelling, not replacing human hosts.
🎯 Marcus's Advice:
"Start with 10 videos. See if your audience responds. If engagement stays high, scale to 30-50. Don't go all-in until you've tested the format. Also, keep your personality—AI is just the B-roll engine."
Try It Yourself
Want to replicate Marcus's workflow? Start with our guides: