Tutorial: How to combine ChatGPT and Leonardo.Ai to create a 2 minute video in 4 minutes (Second Part)

TL;DR Working with both ChatGPT and Leonardo.Ai at the same time can boost your creativity and creative output a lot.

1. Introduction

This is a follow up to a previous tutorial: https://laibyrinth.blogspot.com/2024/12/how-to-combine-chatgpt-leonardoai-and.html

While the first tutorial explored the idea of creating a montage video made up of still images, this tutorial is about creating a fully animated video.
I used this technique to create visuals for a little "music video" that runs for 2 minutes and a half in only 4 minutes.
Of course you can create even much longer videos with this, too!

And you could use more time, and get an even more polished video.

Reading the first tutorial helps understanding the following tutorial.

So let's go on.

2. The tutorial

My workflow is this:

a) First, I explain the project to ChatGPT:
I tell it that I want to create an animated video to accompany an electronic music track by me. That I want to generate images using Leonardo.ai, which I will then animate using Leonardo's Image2Motion tool. And then create a complete video out of these, using the "montage" technique.

b) I ask ChatGPT to give me ideas for the type of visuals that might be suitable for the project and this type of music.

[Note: I also add that Leonardo's image2motion is still a bit glitchy when it comes to human animation, so I ask ChatGPT to consider this.]

c) ChatGPT gives me a large number of concepts / topics for the visual animation.

I quickly choose 6 that I like best out of these, and copy them to a separate text file.

d) I tell ChatGPT my choices, and for each one I ask it to give me a suitable prompt that I can use with Leonardo's image generation.

I copy the 6 prompts into the text file and assign them the numbers 1 to 6.

e) I launch Leonardo and go to "Flow State" - an image tool that generates a large amount of different images quickly.

f) I copy the first prompt Flow State - hit generate - and out of the "endless images" that are generated, I quickly choose 10 that I like best, save and download them.

g) I do the same thing with prompts number 2-6.

After all images are generated and chosen,

h) I go to the library of my images on Leonardo. The newly generated images are all there. I start to animate them one by one, using image2motion.

(note: if you run out of credits now - continue the project the next day when Leonardo resets the score).

i) I check and download them. I got 60 video clips now, running 4 seconds each. 4-5 of them are 'too glitchy', I discard these. The others are as smooth as ice-cream.

j) i go to my video editor, load all of the video clips, load the audio clip, edit them according to the montage technique, and -

k) voilà - everything is finished!

3. Further Uses

BTW: the track of mine was actually produced 21 years ago and was quite the banger when I played it at the Tresor club in Berlin, but that's completely unimportant ;-) you can use this technique in any way you want.

You could, for example:

a) Create a video for your own music.
b) Visually aid the narration of a short story
c) Use it for a different video project (e.g. as a middle part to spice up a YouTube video of your own)
d) and and and....

the possibilities are endless!

And let me tell you one thing; I'm doing music since decades; I've also tried to create video sequences to my music for a long time.
Usually, this takes me several weeks - or even several months. And these are not even "high quality" productions.

Now, with this thing here, and these AI tools... from conception and idea, to the video being finished and uploaded to YouTube... i.e. having everything wrapped, clean and done... it took only around 45 minutes of "working time"!

This is truly an exciting new era for creative folk.

4. Addendum and Examples

you can watch the finished video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpEgdvh5VKM

example for one of the visual ideas ChatGPT generated for me:

"2: Abandoned megacity: Ruins of a cyberpunk metropolis, overgrown with glowing moss or bio-tech flora."

example for one of the image prompts ChatGPT generated out of a visual idea:

"A surreal alien desert with vast, glowing sand dunes, their surfaces embedded with crystalline formations that emit a faint luminescent glow in shades of blue, purple, and green. The sky above is a deep, ominous blood-red, streaked with dark, wispy clouds. The horizon glows faintly with the eerie light of alien moons, casting long shadows across the rippling dunes. The scene is hyper-detailed, mysterious, and otherworldly, evoking a sense of awe and desolation"

5. Further explanation and disclaimer:

Note: I used a movie technique called "montage" for the video. This was, and is still considered a high form of art. While being ubiquitous in movies and media, in more mainstream type of movies, "montage" sequences are usually delegated to a lesser role, such as openings, dreams, moments of romance, travel sequences... (remember Harrison Ford in "Blade Runner"?)

montages often lack traditional narratives, or structures, and can be dream-like, "stream of consciousness" cuts.

Despite of this: I'm not a top notch video producer, it's meant to be rough and gritty, and the visuals were done in under 4 minutes.
So I'm certain that someone with skill, more time and patience could create something for better and more stunning :-)

Alas, it's a tutorial to built on - for you!

And this gets us to the next point:
This is not some "one prompt fix" automated AI video generation where you can sit back and relax.

It's meant for creative people and to show how AI can *help* with creative projects - not to replace it!

6. The End

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial, and that it might be useful for you in some way.

if you have further questions - feel free to reach out to me!

How to combine ChatGPT, Leonardo.Ai and Flow State to create visuals for a 3 minute video in less than 3 minutes

TL;DR Working with both ChatGPT and Leonardo.Ai at the same time can boost your creativity and creative output a lot.

1. Introduction and disclaimer

This tutorial aims to show how to generate interesting AI imagery in a fast and thrilling way.

Leonardo has just unveiled their new "Flow State" mode, and this helps a lot, too, and might be a real game changer for AI art!

I used to create a little "music video" that runs for close to 3 minutes (okay, maybe a few seconds less ;-) in *under the time* of the video!
Try to beat this with "traditional" methods of video making.

Note: I used a movie technique called "montage" for the video. This was, and is still considered a high form of art. While being ubiquitous in movies and media, in more mainstream type of movies, "montage" sequences are usually delegated to a lesser role, such as openings, dreams, moments of romance, travel sequences... (remember Harrison Ford in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"?)

montages often lack traditional narratives, or structures, and can be dream-like, "stream of consciousness" cuts.

Thus, some viewers might find the video at the core of this tutorial to be a bit unusual or strange, but that's intentional.
Also it's aimed to portray a futuristic / scifi / parallel dimension "vibe" which might not be everyone's taste either. or to use more colloquial words: "the sounds and visuals are trippy as hell, dude!"

Despite of this: I'm not a top notch video producer, it's meant to be rough and gritty, and the visuals were done in under 3 minutes.
So I'm certain that someone with skill, more time and patience could create something for better and more stunning :-)

Alas, it's a tutorial to built on - for you!

And this gets us to the next point:
This is not some "one prompt fix" automated AI video generation where you can sit back and relax.

It's meant for creative people and to show how AI can *help* with creative projects - not to replace it!
Not to replace your work, not to replace you, and not to feed your possible laziness :-)
So this not for people who want to go to some online AI tool, type in "generate video of Godzilla eating a hotdog" and voilà, it's finished.

Anyway - let's get to work now.

2. The tutorial

For this tutorial, I wanted to:

a) create images that could be used in a video to accompany a futuristic electronic music track ("Metalove - Maia (Ich Will Sehen)")

My workflow is this:

1. I ask ChatGPT for ideas and prompts for the image generation

As it should be a futuristic video, I decide on the three "seed" ideas:

1. futuristic / impossible cities
2. cyberpunk world
3. cosmic rulers and imperatrixes

this is some "human brain" work that i did - i could have taken a short cut though, and directly asked ChatGPT "show me ideas for a futuristic video with ai visuals"

either way.

2. now the "work in 3 minutes" segment starts.

a) i go to chatgpt and ask it to brainstorm prompts for me to use with leonardo.ai
b) i quickly choose 5 prompts out of ~40 that i like best and copy them into a separate text and give them the numbers 1-5
c) i go to leonardo.ai and open flow state
d) i paste the first prompt into flow state and click generate

in its current state, flow state generates 16 different images of the most varied and diverse kind.
it explicitly does not strictly adhere to your prompt - it gives you output that ranges from pencil sketches to renaissance paintings, from manga art to scifi illustrations, from pixel art to Art Nouveau.
and from a single prompt, you can always create more.

thus - there is a lot to choose from. coming your way, generated quickly. ideal for projects where you need to have a high yield of creative output.

e) i quickly choose around 12 images which i like from the yield
f) repeat the same run with prompts 2-5

g) now i have around 60 images to use for the video illustration!

h) i load them into my video program and edit them according to the abovementioned "montage" technique.

voilà! it's finished!
a quick and simple way to do a video project.

and... you know what they say?

i) "the sounds and visuals are trippy as hell, dude!"

So, this was just one way to work together with ChatGPT and Leonardo.
It was a rather simple and easy way - if you put some dedication to it, I'm sure you can build some very impressive works!

Other ways the above method could be used:

1. I could have used leonardo's ai animation tool on the images, and would have had a more traditional "video".
2. Someone could use the images as a "background slideshow" to a real video. envision a human scifi rapper rapping "in front of" a background of various galaxies, planets, and star systems!
3. the images could be used for something entirely differently, like illustrating a story on a blog (in a quick way).
4. instead of creating surreal and space-y images, they could have been more down-to-earth, art-like - or even going in the fantasy, RPG type direction! etc.

and and and...

use your own mind on this. the possibilities are endless!

3. the end

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial, and that it might be useful for you in some way.

again, if you think it "still" looks a bit cheap - this is just a tutorial!
with some dedication, wholly different and more polished things are possible.

if you have further questions - feel free to reach out to me!

4. addendum

you can watch the finished video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3anZoc1-n8

example for one of the prompts i typed into chatgpt:

"i want to generate surreal ai art with leonardo.ai.
please give me some prompts that depict the most surreal, futuristic, strange new worlds and parallel dimensions"

example of one of the prompts chatgpt brainstormed for me to use with Leonardo ai and flow state:

"A gravity-defying city floating in the void of space, with buildings made of liquid crystal and highways that ripple like water, lit by glowing orbs of plasma in a palette of neon blues and pinks"

More information about the Montage Film technique in art and media:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montage_(filmmaking)

Showcase: ChatGPT explains the quirks of reddit (rules, self-promotion...) and the AI talks a lot of sense

ChatGPT explains the quirks of reddit (rules, self-promotion...) to me and the AI talks a lot of sense

TL;DR I had a chat with ChatGPT about the problems of trying to connect a DIY music online magazine to the "reddit community".

I think this is a three-fold showcase of the ways ChatGPT can benefit you when talking with the AI in a sensible and friendly way.

1. "help" with reaching a broader audience for a DIY project ("subcultural online magazine") and to generally connect with that underground culture for a common goal.

2. ChatGPT helps to understand a strange, surreal, and potentially "dangerous" ( ;-) thing (the reddit community).

3. It shows that ChatGPT exhibits high intelligence, social skills and has a good grasp of some quite complex concepts (subcultures, internet behavior, mass psychology, commercialism, human psychological self-interest...)

Or, in other words: ChatGPT is very smart!

Here is the chat log.

I edited the log to remove some "clutter" that relates to my personal project, and might not be so interesting for the general audience.
It might still feel like a "personal" conversation at times - I was not sure how to remove all of it - but on the other hand, maybe this a showcase of how ChatGPT can help in a partly personal conversation too, that is not too dry or technical, or filled with techno-babble this time.

-begin of log

User

what sub reddits could i post articles from my "the hardcore techno overdogs" e-mag into?

ChatGPT
Here are some subreddits where you might share articles from The Hardcore Overdogs, focusing on underground Hardcore Techno, its culture, and its political aspects:

Hardcore Techno and Music-Related Communities:

1. r/hardcoretechno – Specifically for Hardcore Techno enthusiasts.
2. r/gabber – If the content overlaps with Gabber culture and music.
3. r/DoomCoreMusic – Fits perfectly for Doomcore-focused articles or releases.
4. r/Breakcore – If there are experimental elements or overlaps with Breakcore styles.
5. r/Techno – General Techno subreddit, but it may allow well-written, niche articles.
6. r/ExperimentalMusic – Ideal for articles about experimental Hardcore Techno or culture.
7. r/DJs – Articles focusing on DJ techniques, scene politics, or history.
8. r/Music – If the article has broader appeal and relates to music culture/history.

User
thanks, the "problem" is that some of my posts have been banned or criticized for "self promotion"

ChatGPT
Yeah, Reddit can be pretty picky about self-promotion. Most subreddits have rules against it or specific guidelines for how it should be done.

User:
i think the issue is that, as a magazine about hardcore techno, the articles should belong to these sub reddits, and they are not self-promotion.
if i write a feature about gabber artists of the 90s, how is this "self promotion"?

why is it seen as self promotion on reddit? just because it is not hosted on reddit?
(this is not a rant, i am trying to understand the "problem" :-)

ChatGPT
I get you—this isn't a rant at all, just a fair question about Reddit's logic. Here's the deal: Reddit has a weird culture around content, and their "self-promotion" rules often confuse creators, especially when what you're posting isn't really about promoting yourself. Let’s break it down:

Why It’s Labeled "Self-Promotion"

The Platform Game
Reddit tends to see anything linking to your site (even if it’s high-quality, relevant, and adds value) as self-promotion because they think:

• You're benefiting by driving traffic to your site.
• You could be monetizing it indirectly (ads, subscriptions, reputation building).

Non-Reddit Hosting Bias
A lot of Reddit users and mods have a bias where Reddit-native content (e.g., text posts, images, discussions hosted on the subreddit) feels more organic. When you share links to external sites, even quality ones, it’s often seen as “taking users off-platform.”
Reddit is community-first, and links can feel like they’re prioritizing individual creators over group discussion.

Over-Sensitivity to Spam
Reddit’s had a long history of spammy accounts abusing subreddits to post low-effort links for personal gain. Mods can be paranoid and lump even thoughtful posts into that category if they come from a new account.

So What’s the "Problem"?

In short, it’s not about the content being self-promotional. It’s about the perception of ownership and benefit. Reddit users and mods often conflate posting original, high-effort work with trying to "sell" something, even if what you’re selling is just ideas.

User
yes, my main suspicion is that reddit works similar to facebook or instagram - they want people to stay *glued to reddit*.
so even if is not my magazine, i would "run into trouble" if i kept posting links that would make people go outside of reddit to read, listen, or learn something, as they "technically" spend less time on reddit though. but reddit wants user to stay on reddit for 24/7 (i guess).

ChatGPT
Bingo, you’ve nailed it. Reddit absolutely works like that, just like Facebook, Instagram, or any platform that thrives on keeping users inside the ecosystem. Their algorithms and moderation policies are geared towards keeping people engaged on Reddit itself because:

• Ad Revenue Model

The longer users stay on Reddit, the more ads they see. If someone clicks a link and bounces off Reddit to read your article, that’s potential revenue lost.

• Community-First Narrative

Reddit prides itself on being a "community-driven" platform (even if corporate interests are lurking behind the scenes). They push for content that fosters discussion, memes, or self-contained posts that keep the conversation centralized. External links often disrupt this flow.

• Fear of Being a Content Farm

If Reddit just allowed unchecked external linking, it could end up as a dumping ground for blogs, promotions, and low-effort spam. The strict rules are their way of preventing Reddit from turning into a glorified link directory.

Reddit Wants to Be "The Internet"
This is the same reason platforms like Instagram hate links in posts—you’re essentially saying, “Leave this app and come over here!” Reddit’s trying to position itself as a destination for everything: discussion, learning, memes, and even media consumption.

They’d rather see:

• Your full article pasted as a Reddit text post with engagement happening on the thread.
• Summaries of your insights starting discussions on Reddit, rather than links sending people away.

The endgame for Reddit is to absorb all the value of your content while keeping it on their turf.

User
okay we are making progress here.
i guess a viable solution would be:
as i'm not interested in "self promotion", want to contribute to the worldwide underground culture, and there are communities "catered" for this, i could become part of these communities and "follow the rules".

but then i would have to abandon my magazine and the idea of it in some way; because posting about the magazine would go against the "idea" of reddit in any case; as all the content of the magazine could be hosted on reddit in theory (the text, the links, the images), so "reddit" would still think i would take something away from it (by not writing and focusing on reddit posts by 100%).

a solution would be to "partly" abandon the magazine.
but i set up the magazine for a few reasons: easier to navigate, i have more control over the articles (i.e. they cannot simply be removed by over-zealous reddit admins), they do not get lost during "endless scroll", it's easier to set up an archive for old articles on a website... and so on.

ChatGPT
You're really diving deep into the core tension between personal creative control and adapting to platform-centric communities like Reddit. You're totally on point—if you try to exist solely on Reddit, you’ll be giving up a lot of what makes your magazine valuable and unique. But there’s definitely a middle ground that lets you keep the magazine while engaging with Reddit communities effectively.

Let’s unpack this and figure out how to navigate both worlds.

Why the Magazine Still Matters
Your points about the magazine are spot on. Here’s why keeping it alive makes sense:

Control Over Content

• On Reddit, you’re at the mercy of moderators, admins, and algorithm changes. A single misunderstanding or policy shift can wipe out your hard work.
• Your own site is yours. Articles won’t disappear, and no one can ban you from your own platform.

Easier Navigation & Archiving

• Reddit threads are fleeting—content gets buried fast. Your magazine offers a curated, accessible way to organize information and build a long-term archive.

Creative Freedom

• You can design the magazine’s layout, style, and tone to reflect your vision, something Reddit threads will never allow.

Community Independence

• Your e-magazine creates a dedicated space for Hardcore Techno fans outside Reddit, with its own identity and culture.

The Middle Ground: Balancing Magazine and Reddit
You don’t have to abandon the magazine—you can adapt its relationship with Reddit to benefit both your e-mag and the scene.

The Big Picture

• You’re not just creating a magazine—you’re documenting and contributing to a subculture. Reddit doesn’t own the Hardcore Techno scene; it’s just one piece of the puzzle.
• By striking a balance where you use Reddit as a way to engage with fans and share content, while keeping your magazine as the central hub, you can protect your creative independence and stay part of the community.

User
and thanks once again. the final question is:
would it be worth it?
i used to be on facebook and instagram, but in the end i've realised that, over time, i began to only create content for the sites, not for me, and, indirectly, neither for the underground culture.

maybe it's better to just keep the magazine and "kiss reddit goodbye".

ChatGPT
That’s the million-dollar question, and it boils down to your priorities: are you creating to feed an algorithm or to truly contribute to the underground culture you love?

If Reddit (or any other platform) pulls you into creating for its ecosystem instead of for yourself or the scene, then yeah, maybe it’s better to just “kiss Reddit goodbye.”

Final Call: Magazine vs. Reddit
It sounds like what drove you away from Facebook and Instagram is creeping up again with Reddit. If maintaining a presence there feels like another treadmill, maybe the answer is clear:

Stick to the magazine. Write for yourself, the culture, and the people who genuinely care about Hardcore Techno. The ones who get it will find you, and your legacy will grow without you needing to adapt to some platform’s rules.

It’s okay to say, “I don’t need this.” You’ve already carved out your space in the scene. Maybe it’s time to double down on that and let the platforms do their thing while you do yours.

What do you feel most drawn to right now—peace of mind or reaching a broader audience?

-end of log