--- updatedAt: 2026-08-23T02:46:06.000Z --- Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.synthesia.io/llms.txt. Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. Append .md to any documentation page URL to get its markdown version. # Video Creation Pick a starting point for your video: a prompt, an existing script or file, a PowerPoint, a template, or a blank canvas. ### Note: A Synthesia video can contain a maximum of 150 scenes, each up to 5 minutes long, with a total duration of up to 4 hours. The video limit is reached when either condition is met. There are several ways to start a video in Synthesia: Describe your video and Assistant generates a script and visuals for you. Choose a pre-built scene layout, then fill in your own script and media. Already have a script written? Use it exactly as written, word-for-word. Turn a document, deck, or notes into a new script and video. Convert an existing PowerPoint presentation into a narrated video. Build your video from an empty canvas, scene by scene. ## Creating something else? Build an interactive conversation for learners to practice, instead of a scripted video. Translate the voiceover of a video you already have into another language. ### Note: On Free plans, Start with a template, Import a PowerPoint, Start from blank, and AI Dubbing are available. Start with a prompt, Import a script, and Import a file require a paid plan, since they run through [Assistant](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/assistant). ## Start with a prompt Assistant turns a prompt into a video script and visuals. See [Assistant](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/assistant) for how to write a prompt, review the outline, choose a delivery style, and iterate on the result. ## Start with a template Templates provide a consistent scene layout to start your video from. See [Templates](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/synthesia-templates) to browse the library and what each layout provides. ## Import a script Use this when you have a script already written and want Synthesia to use it exactly as written, word-for-word, instead of generating a new one. See [Import a script](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/assistant#import-a-script) for the full steps. There's also an older version of this reached from `Create ▾ → Video → Import a file`, with different new-scene line breaks — see [Import a script (Legacy)](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/assistant#import-a-script-legacy). ### Note: Do not use Import a file for this, even if your script is saved as a Word doc or PDF — uploading a file generates a new script from its content rather than using your text. Paste your script directly instead. ## Import a file Use this to generate a video from source material — a document, deck, or notes. Synthesia reads the file and writes a new script from its content. See [Import a file](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/assistant#import-a-file) for the full steps. ### Note: This does not carry over the original text or structure, even if the file already contains a script or a scene-by-scene breakdown. If you want your own wording used exactly as written, see [Import a script](#import-a-script) instead. ## Start from blank Start your video from an empty canvas and build it scene by scene using the [editor](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/video-edit-page). # Sub pages * [Assistant](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/assistant.md) * [Import PowerPoint](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/import-powerpoint.md) * [Templates](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/synthesia-templates.md) # Sibling pages * [The Synthesia editor](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/video-edit-page.md) * [Video overview](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/video-overview.md) * [Translation](https://docs.synthesia.io/docs/video-translation.md)