Youtube content creation

I’ve spent more than a week trying to build an AI-assisted YouTube production workflow and I’m honestly exhausted.

My goal sounds simple:

I write/finalize the script.
AI handles the visual production — research/assets, B-roll, images, graphics, maps, motion graphics, VFX, editing, transitions, subtitles, etc.
Then I record my own voice and replace the temporary voice.

I’m trying to make faceless documentary/explainer videos — Shorts around 60 seconds, but eventually also 10–20 minute YouTube videos.

The quality I’m aiming for is modern documentary/YouTube editing: actual relevant footage, archival images, animated maps, document highlights, compositing, motion graphics, good framing, proper pacing, sound design, etc.

So far I’ve tried going down the ChatGPT/Codex + Remotion + automation route.

And frankly, ChatGPT has been bullshit for this use case so far.

It keeps giving me plans, architectures and promises, but the actual output has looked like a 1990s PowerPoint presentation — text, circles, rectangles, basic fades, irrelevant images, weak framing, bad asset choices.

I even burned through my Codex weekly usage after trying to produce/test roughly 14 seconds of video.

I’m not looking for another “use ChatGPT + n8n + Runway” generic answer.

I want to hear from someone who has actually built and uses a workflow like this.

Specifically:

• What is your actual stack?
• What part is automated and what still requires a human editor?
• How do you source relevant B-roll/images/assets automatically?
• What do you use for motion graphics, maps and document animations?
• Do you use Remotion, After Effects, DaVinci, ComfyUI, Runway, Kling, n8n, etc.?
• How much does one 60-second video realistically cost?
• How long does it take?
• Can this realistically scale to 2–4 YouTube channels?

I’m completely fine with hearing that full automation isn’t there yet. I’d much rather get the truth than another AI-tool sales pitch.

If anyone here has actually solved this, I’d really appreciate hearing how you did it.