How we make ai videos that get millions of views (GTA ad breakdown)

Brett MalinowskiAbout 5 min readJul 23, 2025Watch original
THE SUMMARYAI-generated

Key Concepts:

  • AI Video Generation
  • Emotion-Driven Storytelling
  • Cultural Relevance
  • Taste as a Differentiator
  • Context Profiles
  • AI Upscaling
  • Creative Writing
  • AI Filmmaking

1. The Power of AI Video in Marketing

  • AI video is presented as the future of marketing, demonstrated by the speaker's experience at a billion-dollar tech startup.
  • The startup generated over 3 million views in two weeks using AI video, including a viral GTA-style ad on Twitter.
  • The video was created by one person in under two weeks using recently released AI tools.

2. The Viral GTA-Style Ad: A Case Study

  • The ad features a narrative about defying traditional career paths and embracing online entrepreneurship.
  • The video's success is attributed to its ability to evoke emotion, specifically a sense of camaraderie and pride among online entrepreneurs.
  • The ad includes references to iconic moments and figures in the "make money online" world, such as Brez's Lambo crash, Luke Belmar's "I studied" clip, and Tai Lopez's "here in my garage."
  • The inclusion of these references served as "inside jokes" that resonated with the target audience and subtly communicated that the brand is for them.
  • The speaker admits a strategic motive: including well-known creators to encourage them to share the video, which proved successful with retweets from Roy Lee, Iman Gadzhi, Brez, and TJR.
  • The choice of the GTA style was intentional, aligning with the ethos of the target audience (making money, living a crazy lifestyle, and not caring about societal norms).
  • The speaker emphasizes the importance of taking a stance as a brand, even if it means alienating some people, as opposed to being a generic brand that appeals to no one.

3. The Importance of Story, Cultural Relevance, and Taste

  • Good marketing evokes emotion, and the story you tell is crucial.
  • Understanding your customer base is essential for crafting a compelling story.
  • Cultural relevance is key to making your content resonate with your target audience.
  • Taste is presented as the ultimate differentiator in AI video creation, as anyone can create anything with AI.

4. AI Video Generation Workflow: Step-by-Step

  • The video outlines the specific AI tools and steps used to create the GTA-style clips.
  • Step 1: Find an Iconic Scene: Download a short video clip (e.g., Tai Lopez's "here in my garage").
  • Step 2: Stylize the First Frame with Crea:
    • Take a screenshot of the first frame.
    • Use Claude to create a context profile that transforms real-life images into the GTA art style.
    • Feed Claude a screenshot from GTA along with the context profile to generate a detailed prompt.
    • Upload the real video's first frame to Crea and paste the prompt to generate a stylized image.
  • Step 3: Animate the Video with Luma AI: Luma AI applies the style from the stylized frame to the entire video.
  • Step 4: Upscale the Video with Astra AI: Astra AI increases the resolution of the video to 4K, improving the overall quality.
  • For creating new scenes in the GTA theme, the speaker recommends using V3 (an AI video model).
  • The video was edited using Premiere Pro for cutting and sound design.

5. AI Video for App Marketing and Growth Hacking

  • AI video is highlighted as an untapped marketing strategy for apps.
  • The speaker promotes a growth hackers community for app founders, developers, and creators focused on growing their apps with AI video.
  • The community offers courses on AI video, YouTube, short-form UGC, and other growth strategies.

6. The Future of AI Video and its Impact on the Industry

  • AI filmmaking levels the playing field for filmmakers, marketers, and content creators.
  • AI avatars and UGC creators are predicted to dominate TikTok Shop and short-form video platforms.
  • AI commercials will become prevalent in TV advertising.
  • Creative writing is identified as a crucial skill in the age of AI video.
  • The speaker references the Couch.ai ad as an example of clever writing combined with AI video to create viral content.
  • AI video is disrupting the marketing industry by offering a cheaper and faster alternative to traditional production companies.

7. Notable Quotes

  • "Good marketing evokes emotion. And how your content makes people feel is what makes your brand."
  • "Taste is the only moat."
  • "People don't pay for technical ability. They pay for creativity."

8. Technical Terms and Concepts

  • Context Profile: A snapshot of details that helps AI understand the desired look, vibe, and world for image transformation.
  • Upscaling: Increasing the resolution of a video or image to improve its quality.
  • AI Video Model: An AI system trained to generate videos from text prompts or other inputs.
  • ARR: Annual Recurring Revenue.
  • UGC: User Generated Content.

9. Logical Connections

  • The video begins by showcasing the success of AI video in marketing, then delves into the specific strategies and tools used to achieve that success.
  • The discussion of storytelling and cultural relevance leads into the practical steps of AI video generation.
  • The video concludes with a broader perspective on the future of AI video and its impact on the marketing and filmmaking industries.

10. Synthesis/Conclusion

AI video is presented as a powerful and disruptive force in marketing, offering unprecedented opportunities for creativity and efficiency. The key to success lies in understanding your audience, crafting compelling stories, leveraging cultural relevance, and developing a strong sense of taste. While AI tools make video creation more accessible, creativity and strategic thinking remain essential for standing out in a crowded landscape. The speaker emphasizes the importance of embracing AI video and developing the skills necessary to thrive in this rapidly evolving field.

AI summaries can miss context or contain errors. Check important details against the original video.

Go a little deeper.

Have a question about this video? Load its transcript to open the video chat.