AI & EMERGING TECH
AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot
Make AI video ads that work: the brief, a story that moves people, consistent characters and brands, voice and music with the right licences, 60/30/15/6-second cut-downs, every platform format, disclosure and the law, and how to measure results, taught through real ads by well-known brands.
- 12 lessons
- ~3 hours
- Beginner-friendly
- Project + certificate
Free account required to open the lessons. Any price is shown before you pay.
- Free to startOpen a free account and start. Any price is shown before you pay.
- Earned, not boughtCertificates are never sold. You pass a graded project, and anyone can verify it.
- Self-pacedShort lessons you take at your own pace. Your progress is saved.
- Built for real workLessons follow how the work is actually done and paid for, and end in a project you can show.
What you'll learn
- Writing a one-page ad brief
- Turning one message into a concept
- Writing a 30-second ad script
- Storyboards and shot lists for AI video
- Writing shot prompts in film language
- Keeping AI characters consistent
- Keeping logos, packs, colours and type on brand
- Voice-over and music, with licences and consent
- Cutting down to 60, 30, 15 and 6 seconds
- Formats and safe zones: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5
- Disclosing AI use and following ad rules
- Measuring ad results and reading a backlash
- Making a spec ad for a portfolio
About this course
A good story, told well, moves the needle, even when AI made the pictures, and AI does not rescue a weak idea. This course teaches you to make AI video ads that work, step by step: what an AI ad is (fully AI, hybrid, or AI in one layer); writing a one-page brief; turning one message into a concept and a 30-second script; a storyboard and shot list in film language, with every line turned into a prompt; keeping characters, clothes and props the same across shots; keeping the brand exactly right by adding real logos and packs in the edit; voice and music, and the licences and consent they need; cutting a 60 or 30-second ad down to 15 and 6 seconds; making 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5 versions inside each app's safe zones; disclosure, ethics and the advertising rules in different countries, from ARCON in Nigeria to the ASA in the UK, the EU AI Act and the FTC in the US; and measuring results and reading a backlash. Every lesson studies real AI ads by well-known brands, including Cadbury, Heinz, Nike, Coca-Cola, Audi, Toys"R"Us and Kalshi: what the story was, what AI did, what happened, and why it worked or went wrong. Official uploads play in the lesson. One worked example runs through the course: turning a film into ads, the way studios do. We market our own 10-minute showcase film, Second Hand, with a 30-second trailer, 15 and 6-second cut-downs, a 9:16 version and a disclosure line, cut from the film's own shots. You finish by making your own 30-second AI ad, with a 15-second cut, a 9:16 version, a script, shot list, prompt sheet and a disclosure line, using free tools and Higgsfield. This is course 6 of the AI Filmmaking track; Film Language (course 1) helps but is not required. Planning works on a phone; editing is easier on a computer.
An ad is a short film with one job: to make someone think, feel or do one thing. An AI ad is an ad where some or all of the pictures, voices or music were made with AI tools. This course shows you how to make one that works: from the brief, through the script and the shots, to the cut-downs, the formats, the rules and the results. It also shows you real ads by well-known brands, the ones that worked and the ones that went wrong, so you can learn from both.
Who it's for
Beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch: no prior experience is assumed.
The lessons 12 lessons, ending in a graded project
- 1What an AI ad is15 min
- 2The brief: one page that decides everything15 min
- 3Concept and script: the story comes first17 min
- 4Storyboard and shot list in film language16 min
- 5Characters and consistency16 min
- 6Brand consistency: logos, packs, colours and type15 min
- 7Voice and music, with the licences16 min
- 8Cut-downs: 60, 30, 15 and 6 seconds15 min
- 9Platform formats: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:515 min
- 10Disclosure, ethics and the law18 min
- 11Measuring results, and reading a backlash16 min
- 12Final project: your 30-second AI ad18 min
- Project: Your 30-Second AI AdGraded
THE PROJECT AND YOUR CERTIFICATE
Your 30-Second AI Ad
One shared folder link (set to 'anyone with the link can view') containing the 30-second ad, the 15-second cut, the 9:16 version, and one document with the brief, the script, the shot list, the prompt sheet, the disclosure line, the rights note and the results plan.
Certificates on Skillnaija are earned, not issued for attendance: you submit this project, an examiner grades the real work against a published rubric (you need 65% to pass), and passing issues a certificate anyone can verify. If you don't pass yet, you get written feedback and can try again.
- The brief is clear and the ad delivers its one message: the story has a strong hook, the product is the turn, and the payoff lands with the brand30%
- Craft: shots are planned in film language, characters, props and the product stay consistent, and the brand assets are correct and readable20%
- The 15-second cut works on its own and the 9:16 version keeps faces, product, text and logo inside the safe zone, with captions20%
- The script, shot list and prompt sheet match the finished ad and are complete enough for someone else to remake it15%
- Disclosure, rights and results: a visible disclosure line, a rights note covering every voice, track, face and logo, and a sensible results plan15%
Frequently asked questions
Is AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot free?
Most Skillnaija courses can be started free with a free account: your first two courses are free to start, then one new course each month. Some courses are paid; the course page in the app shows whether AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot is one, and its price, before you pay. You can also buy any course on its own for twelve months, or open every course with the All-Access Pass. Certificates are never sold: you earn one by passing the course's project.
How long does AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot take to complete?
4 weeks · ~3 hrs/week. There are 12 lessons, about 3 hours of material in total. You learn at your own pace and your progress is saved.
Do I need any experience to start AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot?
Beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch — no prior experience is assumed.
What will I learn in AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot?
You will build practical skills in Writing a one-page ad brief, Turning one message into a concept, Writing a 30-second ad script, Storyboards and shot lists for AI video, Writing shot prompts in film language, Keeping AI characters consistent, Keeping logos, packs, colours and type on brand, Voice-over and music, with licences and consent, Cutting down to 60, 30, 15 and 6 seconds, Formats and safe zones: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5, Disclosing AI use and following ad rules, Measuring ad results and reading a backlash, Making a spec ad for a portfolio. Every lesson is written for a Nigerian context, with examples drawn from how the work is actually done and paid for here.
Do I get a certificate for AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot?
Yes, but it has to be earned. You complete the course project — Your 30-Second AI Ad and submit it for grading. Passing the project issues a verifiable certificate; finishing the lessons alone does not.
Ready to start AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot?
It is self-paced, and it ends with something you can show an employer.
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