8.2 – How To Make AI Avatars - Synthesia Tutorial Lesson

Lesson Overview

This lesson introduces you to Synthesia, a leading AI video generator, to help you build engaging content featuring customizable AI avatars. Since its introduction in 2018, Synthesia has evolved to offer much more than basic avatar videos—it now serves a broad range of use cases, from training modules and product demos to ads and explainer content.

You’ll learn the essentials: logging in, navigating pricing, and getting started on video production. The lesson demonstrates beginning a project from scratch, but also highlights time-saving starting points like importing slides or using script assistance. Synthesia’s library offers over 90 avatars and 120+ voiceover languages, making it adaptable for many types of audiences.

This lesson is useful if you’re looking to automate or speed up video creation without needing on-camera talent or expensive editing. Real-world applications range from internal training and onboarding, to creating social media promotions, to updating educational materials with fresh, AI-powered presenters. Whether you’re updating an old PowerPoint or building a new campaign, Synthesia’s tools and options help you bring your ideas to life visually with minimal technical overhead.

Who This Is For

Synthesia’s video generation capabilities are valuable for anyone interested in creating professional-looking video content quickly. This lesson is ideal for:

• Marketers developing video ads or product explainers
• Educators and trainers producing learning modules or instructional videos
• Content creators wanting engaging and visual formats without studio equipment
• Business communicators updating internal training or onboarding materials
• Small teams or solo professionals without access to editing resources
• Anyone looking to experiment with AI avatars for various audiences

Where This Fits in a Workflow

This lesson builds on the fundamentals of generative AI by teaching practical video creation with avatars. You’d typically use Synthesia after scripting your content or identifying key messaging, but before final publishing and distribution. For example:

• After collecting training points, use Synthesia to convert your ideas into narrated, avatar-led videos for onboarding
• Replace static presentations by importing slides and adding AI-driven narration for a polished result

Synthesia fits well in workflows that need video at scale or require quick updates, letting you refresh content without new filming or voiceovers each time. It’s a powerful step for those looking to modernize communication while saving considerable time.

Technical & Workflow Benefits

Using Synthesia shifts video production from being a resource-heavy, manual process to a streamlined, web-based experience. The traditional way to create training or marketing videos meant hiring actors, booking studios, filming, editing, and syncing voiceovers—often involving multiple team members and long turnaround times.

With Synthesia, you type or import a script, select from a wide range of avatars, and generate multi-scene videos within minutes. Script edits and updates happen directly within the platform, eliminating the need for re-filming. Avatars bring consistency to your messaging and can be updated instantly to reflect branding or tone changes.

This approach is especially efficient for producing several videos at once—such as a series of onboarding guides or a batch of ad variants—without duplicating effort. The time savings are substantial, and the result is consistent, high-quality content customizable for any audience. The ability to embed, share, or download videos (with or without captions) supports fast deployment across digital channels.

Practice Exercise

To reinforce your learning, create an AI avatar video using Synthesia based on a real project or presentation you already have:

1. Prepare a short (2–3 sentence) script or repurpose one from a previous presentation or marketing campaign.
2. Open Synthesia and start a new video from a blank project. Paste in your script, select an AI avatar, and add a background (stock or your own).
3. Customize the scene by rearranging the avatar, adjusting text, or experimenting with gestures and layers.

Reflection:

Compare the time and effort this took to making a similar video using traditional methods. Consider how the AI avatar’s appearance and narration change or improve the presentation of your message.

Course Context Recap

This lesson builds directly on your introduction to Synthesia and marks a transition from setup to hands-on video production. Previously, you explored the platform’s capabilities and setup process. Now, you’ve learned how to create and customize AI avatar videos end-to-end. Next, you’ll move forward to more advanced customization tips or explore how to integrate generative video into your broader content strategy. Continue through the course to deepen your AI video skills and discover more tools and techniques for efficient content creation.