There are some good advice here, particularly the "Shaquille" video. But one thing I want to add is that no amount of advice can help you when all you have is a blank piece of paper. I don't mean this in a negative way.
Tips and tricks are great when you have a working machine you want to improve. But when you are getting started, do it a hundred times, or until you figure it out. For videos, you have to get all your bad videos out of the way so you can start making good ones.
Do you think using AI for text-to-speech lessens the value of the content?
I can't speak in a normal voice anymore, after being on a ventilator.
I'm just wondering... if the content is useful, but oh no it's AI talking... detracts from it?
I thought about putting an intro in my normal "speaking" voice, so people would understand why.
AI voice will detract because voice is very important in video. Especially in essays. And AI voices are very common for low effort slop video so it would not be novel.
But it is not necessarily a dealbreaker. Good research, good writing, funny timing, great editing. All of these can elevate the whole. Or being exceptional at one or two can compensate for missing one.
CGP Gray does well without a face and started with terrible animation.
Sorry to say but if I hear an AI voice I close the video. Too much spam/slop does the same thing.
Maybe hire or partner with a voice actor or friend?
i generally do too. but on the other hand hiring a voice actor is cost prohibitive for someone just starting out and even asking a friend will multiply the amount of effort unless you want to do this as equal partners where the better speaker simply gets more airtime and the other does more of the research.
as an alternative maybe it helps to explain the reason up front. not being able to speak is a good excuse and i wouldn't want to miss out on good material just because the creator has no voice.
for someone who is simply not speaking english well enough, practice and get better.
as an alternative, record the video in your native language and offer the computer voice in english as a second audio track. then we can tell the difference from AI slop.
Approximately nobody likes the sound of their own voice.
And approximately nobody sounds like a voice actor.
And most importantly, your audience won’t care because it will be your audience.
I mean people listened to Stephen Hawking’s voice.
As soon as I realize that there's any AI-generated aspect of the video, I stop watching the video