Done-for-you vs DIY
AI video tools each solve one step: a script, a voice, an image, an edit. Running them yourself makes you the producer of every video. This page lays out what that work is, what it costs, where doing it yourself is the better choice, and where it isn't.
The work, step by step
The left column is the generic workflow of joining separate AI tools together, not a specific product. The right is what a Ghostframe cycle delivers.
| Step | AI tools, run by you | Done for you |
|---|---|---|
| Script | You prompt a writing tool, check the facts, and trim to a spoken length. | A hook-to-payoff documentary script, sized to your runtime at about 150 words per minute. |
| Narration | You paste the script into a voice tool, pick a voice, and re-pick it next time if you forget which. | One of 30 voices, chosen once. The channel keeps it across every render. |
| Visuals | You write image prompts, regenerate the misses, and keep the style consistent by hand. | A fresh still per scene, with the scene count set from the script's own beats. Fully animated is a separate, pricier option. |
| Edit & captions | You assemble audio, images and motion in an editor, then time the captions. | Motion and the edit are done for you; captions are burned in from the speech alignment, with a clean .srt alongside. |
| Thumbnail & SEO | You design the cover and write the title, description and tags separately. | A thumbnail (1 to 24 variations) and a title, description and tag pack for every video. |
| Channel identity | Logo, banner and avatar are another tool and another afternoon. | A branding kit and written positioning, produced for the channel. |
| Publishing | You upload each file to each platform. | Download everything and upload yourself, or connect your own developer credentials and let Auto Poster schedule it. |
| Keeping it up | You repeat all of the above every week, forever. | A new batch each cycle. You review it and send one style request for the next. |
What you provide
What you receive
Real finished channels and thumbnails are on the work page.
Doing the sums
We haven't put a number on how long DIY takes, because it varies too much from person to person. Work it out for yourself:
If the hours are enjoyable or free for you, DIY wins. The fee only makes sense when your time is the scarce thing.
Ghostframe rate card
Thumbnails are extra, starting at $1.50 per video, and music is optional. There is a $50.00/mo minimum, and volume tiers lower the rate as your monthly minutes grow. The plan cards on pricing show exact totals.
Who should do what
Limitations
It depends on what your time is worth. Tool subscriptions can look cheaper on paper, but they come with your own hours plus the credits you spend regenerating scenes that miss. Ghostframe's stills production is $1.25, $2.50 or $5.00 per finished minute depending on quality tier, before tax. If you enjoy the work and have the hours, doing it yourself is cheaper. If you'd value those hours above the fee, it isn't.
Set up the package (about ten minutes: niche, video count, length, quality, style, voice), review what's delivered, send a style request for the next cycle if you want one, and publish. You can publish by hand or connect Auto Poster with your own developer credentials.
No. The channel and the revenue are yours, and the Terms assign the files we produced to you outright. Ghostframe charges a flat production fee, not a share of AdSense.
Yes. There's no minimum term, every deliverable is downloadable, and you have at least 90 days to download everything after you cancel. Nothing locks you into the service.
Yes. If you choose to add your own topics at checkout, you can paste the full narration for a slot and production records those words in your channel voice instead of writing its own. A slot locks once it's in production, and any slot left empty after the 7-day hold gets an AI topic. The rest of the pipeline runs as normal.
It's the same job done by a fixed pipeline instead of a team you manage. The comparison page lines it up against freelancers and agencies.
The smallest plan is $54.38/mo + tax. There's no minimum term, and you can cancel before any renewal and keep everything delivered. Charges aren't refundable once production starts, so pick the size you're comfortable with.
Delivery times are estimates. Nothing on this page guarantees views, monetization or platform approval.