Documentary video maker
ViewMade's shorts strip turns one topic sentence into a finished vertical documentary Short: sourced research, script, voiceover, real archive footage,
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ViewMade's shorts strip turns one topic sentence into a finished vertical documentary Short: sourced research, script, voiceover, real archive footage, word-by-word subtitles, and a thumbnail. A Starter plan at $29 per month covers 50 renders, which works out to $0.58 per Short as of the 22 August 2026 pricing page. You download the file and publish it yourself.
What you give it
You give the strip a topic. One sentence naming a real event or subject is enough; the research step finds the rest. That is the entire input for this use case. The strip does not take an existing script, an uploaded clip, or a long video to cut down. If you already have footage or a recording you want edited, this is not the tool for that job.
What comes back
Each render returns:
- A 1080x1920 vertical video
- Word-by-word subtitles burned into the image, in 7 selectable styles
- Voiceover in 5 languages
- A title, description, and tags ready for upload
- Background music
- Licensed real footage plus a media credit file naming every clip
The interface runs in 7 languages: English, Turkish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
How it works
- Research. You submit a topic and the system gathers sourced material on it before writing anything.
- Script. It writes a documentary script from that research, structured for a short vertical format.
- Assembly. It selects real archive footage, maps, and charts to match the script, records the voiceover, and cuts the video with subtitles.
- Delivery. You receive the finished file with its thumbnail, upload metadata, and the media credit file, then publish it on your own channel.
Where the footage comes from
This is the part that separates ViewMade from most tools in this category. The visuals are not generated by a video model. They come from real archives, maps, and charts matched to the script. Every render ships with a media credit file that names the source of each clip, so you can show where every shot came from if a viewer or platform asks.
For documentary content about real events, this matters twice. First, generated imagery of historical events tends to look wrong in ways viewers notice. Second, a named source per clip is something you can cite. StoryShort also pulls web-sourced imagery, but its sourcing is partial rather than a full per-clip credit file. Tools like InVideo, Revid, and AutoShorts generate their visuals instead.
What it costs
There are two published plans, measured on 22 August 2026:
| Plan | Price | Renders/month | Per Short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/month | 50 | $0.58 |
| Pro | $59 monthly, or $29.50/month billed annually ($354/year) | 150 | $0.20 |
Pro adds 10 AI child videos per month, priority render queue, and API plus MCP access. There is no free tier and no signup credit. Production starts after payment succeeds. An Agency plan has custom pricing. Starter is monthly only; there is no annual option at that tier.
When this is not the right fit
This strip makes Shorts from a topic. It does not edit your existing footage, caption a clip you already have, cut highlights out of a long video, or put a presenter on camera. If any of those describe your job, use a different tool.
For editing around a recording with maximum control, Descript fits, starting at $16 per person per month billed annually. For finding clips inside a long video you already made, Opus Clip has a free tier and a Starter plan at $15 per month. For captioning and polishing an existing clip, Submagic is built for exactly that, though its current prices could not be verified from its pricing page as of August 2026. For editing a script and clips you supply, CapCut handles it. This page covers topic-to-Short only.
<!-- faq -->Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost?
Starter is $29 per month for 50 renders, $0.58 per Short. Pro is $59 monthly or $354 per year, which is $0.20 per Short across 150 renders. No free tier.
Is the footage AI-generated?
No. Visuals come from real archives, maps, and charts. Each render includes a media credit file listing the source of every clip.
What access does it need to my YouTube account?
Read-only. The connection uses youtube.readonly, and the access token is discarded after import. ViewMade cannot upload, edit, delete, or comment on your channel.
Can I publish directly from ViewMade?
No. You download the finished package and upload it yourself.