Vox-Style AI Documentary — 100% Free Motion Graphics System

Vox-style documentary videos (History deep-dives, True Crime, Money/Power/Scams, Business Explainers) are dominating YouTube, TikTok, and Reels in 2026. The look used to cost $10K+ per video with After Effects + a motion designer. This skill runs the entire workflow with $0 in tool cost. The Free AI Stack: (1) Claude for the master workflow — story generation, 3-act documentary structure, scene-by-scene image prompts, the Universal Video Prompt, narration script. (2) Google Flow (image mode) for generating all scene images in the Vox paper-cut style using a locked template prompt (cinematic paper-cut, layered depth, muted palette warm sepia + deep navy + cream, dramatic directional light). (3) Google Flow (video mode, Flash model) for animating each image using ONE Universal Video Prompt (slow subtle camera move + parallax + subtle subject motion). (4) ElevenLabs v3 free tier (~10K chars/month = 10 short-form videos) for documentary narrator voiceover — Adam/Michael/Charlotte voices recommended. (5) CapCut for editing, transitions, and auto-captions. The Master Workflow: 8 steps from niche selection → topic ideation → duration/narration math → 3-act outline → scene image prompts → Universal Video Prompt → narration script → generation workflow → editing checklist. Duration math: 30 sec = 75 words = 16 images; 3 min = 450 words = 90 images; 10 min = 1500 words = 300 images. The 3 Pacing Rules: 2-second beat rule (every visual holds ~2 sec) + voice leads visuals (never make viewer wait) + hold on faces move on places. The 4 High-Converting Niches with formula-based topic seeds. 7 hard rules (verify every fact, one universal prompt per project, manual image generation not batched, voice leads visuals, 2-sec beat rule, restraint over drama, no text overlays in images). Also: 6 common questions (how long per video, best-converting niche, ChatGPT vs Claude, ElevenLabs free tier limits, country restrictions/VPN, TikTok/Reels adaptation).