Reel Maker is the skill I use to make my own Reels and Shorts. You type one line, like "make a reel about why airline food tastes bland," and it:
- Asks a few quick questions (style, angle, your handle), then writes a scene-by-scene script with a hook that works with the sound off.
- Shows you the script, each line next to its visual, and waits for your edits before recording a word.
- Records the voiceover and animates every scene with sound effects, camera moves, and synced captions.
- Scores its own motion and pacing, fixes the weak scenes, and renders a 1080×1920 MP4.
Who it's for
Creators and builders who'd rather post every day than spend an evening in an editor. If you can describe the reel, you can make it.
What you get
- 30 scene types. Seventeen of them are full-frame mockups: a reel playing on a phone with comments popping in, a Claude Code session, a crowded editing timeline, an analytics dashboard, a lock screen filling with notifications, and more.
- 3 styles. Editorial (paper and ink), depth (glass cards in 3D), and sketch (notebook and handwriting). Re-render any reel in another style.
- A host that talks. A code-drawn presenter who lip-syncs, blinks, points, and waves, so every reel has the same recognizable face.
- Real photos and footage. Free Pexels stock, plus AI images and B-roll from Google on your own key.
- Platform-safe layouts. Text stays clear of Instagram, TikTok, and Shorts buttons and captions.
Keys: recommended, not required
It works out of the box with a free voice that runs on your computer. Two keys make a big difference, so I highly recommend both:
- ElevenLabs gives you a much better voice and captions synced to the exact word.
- Google Gemini unlocks AI images and B-roll clips for the things no stock photo shows.
What makes it different
- Every frame is drawn by code, not by an AI video model, so text is always crisp and nothing glitches.
- It grades its own work. After a draft render it checks every scene for dead air, pacing, and variety, and fixes the weak ones before the final render.
- It's all editable. The formula, hooks, pacing rules, and styles are plain files you can change.
- No subscription. It runs on your machine with your own keys.