🎯 START HERE - Episode 03¶

N8N + SORA 2 Automation: Build a Real Video Generation Workflow¶

Date: October 12, 2025 Sora 2 Released: September 30, 2025 Status: Production Ready ✅ Video Duration: 46 minutes 47 seconds

📺 WATCH THE VIDEO¶

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/c7xZb556RkI

What You'll See in This Video¶

This is a REAL build with actual debugging - not a polished demo!

You'll watch me: - Install N8N locally (free, self-hosted) - Access SORA 2 on iOS, Web, and API - Build ONE complete workflow from scratch: Form → SORA 2 API → Discord notifications - Debug real errors including policy violations, infinite loops, and API failures - Discover limitations like cameo blocking via API - Fix broken workflows live on camera - Integrate N8NMCP with Claude Desktop

Duration: 46:47 Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced Prerequisites: Basic programming knowledge, willingness to debug Note: This shows the REAL work - bugs, edge cases, and all!

🎯 WHAT YOU'LL BUILD¶

SORA 2 Video Generation Workflow¶

The ONE workflow built in this video:

User Form Submission
       ↓
   (Prompt, Orientation, Duration)
       ↓
   HTTP POST to SORA 2 API
       ↓
   Discord: "Video generation started"
       ↓
   Wait 60 seconds
       ↓
   Get Video Status
       ↓
   Is Status = "completed"?
   ├─ NO → Is Status = "failed"?
   │        ├─ YES → Discord: "Generation failed"
   │        └─ NO → Loop back to Wait
   └─ YES → Get Video Content
            ↓
        Discord: "Video ready!" + metadata

What it does: - Accepts video prompts via web form - Generates videos automatically with SORA 2 API - Handles completion, failure, and in-progress states - Sends Discord notifications at each step - Supports landscape/portrait orientation - Configurable video duration (4, 8, 12 seconds)

Real debugging covered: - [31:01] Rearranging broken workflow connections - [36:42] Handling "failed" status from API - [38:00] Fixing infinite loop in wait logic - [39:38] Discovering cameo API blocks human faces - [40:26] Discord message formatting errors

Time to build: ~90 minutes (with debugging) API cost per video: $0.40-$1.20 for 4-12 second videos

📂 WHAT'S IN THIS REPOSITORY¶

episodes/03-n8n-automation/
├── 🎯 START_HERE.md                      ← You are here
├── 📹 THE_FULL_SCRIPT.md                 ← Detailed video breakdown
├── ⏰ TIMESTAMPS.md                      ← 50 YouTube chapters
├── 📄 FULL_TRANSCRIPT.txt                ← Complete transcript (558 segments)
├── SORA_2_VIDEO_PROMPTS.md               ← Example video prompts
│
├── prompts/
│   ├── n8n-automation-agent.md           ← N8N workflow assistant
│   └── claude-workflow-prompts.md        ← Reusable prompts
│
└── templates/
    └── README.md                          ← Template info

Note: No pre-built workflow JSON files. You'll build it from scratch in the video!

🚀 QUICK START¶

Step 1: Access SORA 2 (Choose Your Method)¶

Method 1: iOS App (Easiest for testing) - Download "Sora by OpenAI" from App Store - Available in US & Canada (VPN works for others) - Requires invite OR ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo)

Method 2: Web Interface (Shown in video) - Visit: https://sora.gpt.com - Same features as iOS - Works in any browser

Method 3: API (For automation - shown in video) - Requires OpenAI API key - Organization verification required (driver's license, 1-2 days) - EXPENSIVE: $0.10-$0.50 per second of video - Set spending limits BEFORE using!

ChatGPT Pricing Options: - Plus ($20/mo):** 30 videos/day, up to 10 seconds, has watermark - **Pro ($200/mo): 500 videos/month, up to 20 seconds, no watermark

Step 2: Install N8N Locally (Free)¶

What I use in the video:

# Install Node.js 22+ first (if needed)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
nvm install 22
nvm use 22

# Install and run N8N
npx n8n

# Access at: http://localhost:5678

First time: - Create username and password - Start building workflows

Alternative options: - N8N Cloud: $20/month (easier, no setup) - Docker: docker run -p 5678:5678 n8nio/n8n

Step 3: Build the Workflow (Follow Video)¶

Key workflow sections shown:

[19:27] Form submission trigger - Create input form for prompts
[23:26] HTTP POST to SORA 2 API - Send video generation request
[24:30] Wait node - Pause while video generates
[24:46] Get video status - Check if completed/failed/in-progress
[27:31] If conditions - Branch logic for different statuses
[27:48] Get video content - Retrieve generated video
[30:51] Discord webhooks - Notifications at each step

Debugging moments you'll see: - [31:01] Fixing broken connections - [36:42] Handling failed videos - [38:06] Fixing infinite loops - [39:38] API cameo limitation discovered - [40:40] Discord message formatting

Step 4: Test with Real Prompts¶

Example from video ([34:07]):

[0-3 seconds] Extreme close-up of professional dive helmet with LED lights
[3-6 seconds] Camera pulls back revealing professional deep sea diving suit
[6-9 seconds] Wide shot showing diver suspended in deep ocean void
[9-12 seconds] Camera orbits showing diver ascending slowly

Technical: Professional atmospheric video, cinematic lighting
Branding: Subtle "EasyChamp" watermark

Simpler version that works:

Professional deep sea diver in full diving suit, suspended in deep ocean,
surrounded by darkness, LED helmet lights glowing, camera slowly orbiting,
cinematic underwater photography, 4K quality

Critical lesson from video: Don't use cameo/human face references via API - they get blocked by moderation!

💰 SORA 2 PRICING - KNOW BEFORE YOU BUILD¶

API Pricing (Per Second): - Standard quality: $0.10/second - Pro 720p: $0.30/second - HD 1080p: $0.50/second

Real costs from video: - 4-second test video: $0.40 (standard) - 12-second production video: $1.20-$6.00 (depending on quality)

Monthly scenarios: - 10 videos/day × 10 seconds = $300/month - 50 videos/day × 15 seconds = $6,750/month

🚨 CRITICAL: Set spending limits at https://platform.openai.com/settings/billing/limits

🔧 N8N BASICS (From Video)¶

What is N8N? ([15:08]) - Fair code workflow automation - Like Zapier but self-hosted - Your data, your server - FREE forever (self-hosted) - 400+ integrations - Visual workflow builder

Three ways to install: ([16:51]) 1. Local (what I use) - FREE, npm/npx 2. Docker - Isolated, portable 3. N8N Cloud - $20/month, no setup

Key concepts shown: - Nodes: Individual steps (HTTP Request, Wait, If, Discord) - Triggers: What starts the workflow (Manual, Form, Webhook) - Connections: How nodes pass data - Credentials: Secure API key storage - Executions: Workflow run history

🐛 REAL DEBUGGING FROM VIDEO¶

Issue 1: Policy Violation ([12:50])¶

Problem: Video request rejected for "potential fraud/scam" Solution: Remove specific person names, use generic descriptions Lesson: SORA blocks brand names and public figures

Issue 2: Infinite Loop ([36:42])¶

Problem: Workflow keeps waiting forever, never completes Solution: Add "failed" status check before looping back to wait Lesson: Always handle failure states, not just success

Issue 3: Cameo API Blocking ([39:32])¶

Problem: API blocks human face references (cameo) even with verification Solution: Use generic descriptions ("professional diver" instead of "Anton Abyzov") Lesson: Cameo via API = moderation blocked

Issue 4: Discord Formatting ([40:26])¶

Problem: Complex prompts break Discord message formatting Solution: Send simple metadata instead of full prompt text Lesson: Sanitize data before sending to external APIs

🤖 N8NMCP INTEGRATION ([42:18])¶

What is N8NMCP? - Model Context Protocol server for N8N - Lets Claude Desktop control N8N workflows - Generate workflows with natural language

Setup steps shown: 1. Install N8NMCP from GitHub 2. Add to Claude Desktop config 3. Restart Claude Desktop 4. Ask Claude: "Build a workflow that sends Discord test message on manual trigger" 5. Import generated JSON into N8N 6. Test and fix any issues

Result: Working workflow generated by Claude in seconds!

📊 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN¶

Technical Skills¶

✅ N8N installation and configuration
✅ HTTP API integration (SORA 2)
✅ OAuth setup (Discord webhooks)
✅ Conditional logic (If nodes)
✅ Loop handling (Wait + status checks)
✅ Error handling (failed states)
✅ Form triggers (user input)
✅ JSON data mapping

Real-World Skills¶

✅ Debugging production workflows
✅ Handling API failures gracefully
✅ Cost management (API spending)
✅ Security (API key storage)
✅ User experience (Discord notifications)
✅ Edge case handling (policy violations)

⚡ KEY TAKEAWAYS¶

Automation isn't theory - You'll see real bugs and fixes
APIs fail - Build error handling from the start
Costs add up fast - SORA 2 API is expensive, test carefully
Human faces are blocked via API - Use generic descriptions
Discord is perfect for notifications - Simple, reliable, instant
N8N is powerful - Visual workflows beat code for most tasks
N8NMCP is the future - Generate workflows with Claude

🔗 ESSENTIAL RESOURCES¶

Documentation¶

N8N Docs: https://docs.n8n.io
SORA 2 API: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/video-generation
N8NMCP GitHub: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n-mcp

Tools You'll Need¶

N8N: https://n8n.io (local install) or https://n8n.cloud
SORA 2: https://sora.gpt.com or iOS app
OpenAI API: https://platform.openai.com (for automation)
Discord: https://discord.com (for notifications)

Community¶

Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UYg4BGJ65V
YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@antonabyzov
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/anton-abyzov/ai-power

🎯 NEXT STEPS¶

Right Now (5 minutes)¶

✅ Watch the video: https://youtu.be/c7xZb556RkI
✅ Download SORA 2 iOS app OR visit sora.gpt.com
✅ Sign up for ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) if you want to test SORA 2

Today (2 hours)¶

✅ Install N8N locally (npx n8n)
✅ Create OpenAI API key
✅ Set spending limits on OpenAI account
✅ Create Discord webhook
✅ Follow video to build the workflow

This Week (5 hours)¶

✅ Test with 5-10 different prompts
✅ Understand all edge cases shown in video
✅ Customize workflow for your use case
✅ Install N8NMCP and test Claude integration
✅ Share your results in Discord

🚨 CRITICAL WARNINGS¶

API Key Security¶

Never expose OpenAI API keys in public code
Never commit keys to GitHub
Use N8N credentials system (encrypted)
One leaked key = unlimited charges

Cost Management¶

Set hard spending limits BEFORE testing
Test prompts in iOS/Web app first (cheaper)
Start with 4-second videos (cheaper)
Monitor OpenAI dashboard daily

Organization Verification¶

Required for SORA 2 API access
Upload government ID (driver's license works)
Takes 1-2 business days
Without verification = no API access

Cameo Limitation¶

Human face references blocked via API
Works in iOS/Web app
Doesn't work in API automation
Use generic descriptions instead

✅ CHECKLIST: ARE YOU READY?¶

Before starting: - [ ] Node.js 18+ installed - [ ] OpenAI account created - [ ] OpenAI organization verified (for API) - [ ] Discord account and server - [ ] 2-3 hours of focused time - [ ] Willingness to debug and iterate

After completing: - [ ] N8N running locally - [ ] SORA 2 workflow functional - [ ] Discord notifications working - [ ] Tested with 3+ prompts - [ ] Understand all debugging moments - [ ] N8NMCP installed and tested

🎬 FINAL WORDS¶

This isn't a perfect tutorial. It's a REAL build.

You'll see me: - Make mistakes - Debug live - Discover limitations - Rearrange workflows - Fix formatting issues - Learn as I go

That's the point.

Real automation has bugs. Real APIs fail. Real workflows need iteration.

If you want a polished demo, this isn't it.

If you want to learn how automation ACTUALLY works - including the messy parts - this is for you.

46 minutes of real work. No shortcuts. No hiding mistakes.

Let's build.

Questions? - 💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/UYg4BGJ65V - 📧 YouTube Comments: https://youtu.be/c7xZb556RkI - 🐙 GitHub Issues: https://github.com/anton-abyzov/ai-power

Ready to start? 👉 Watch the video: https://youtu.be/c7xZb556RkI 👉 Read the script: 📹 THE_FULL_SCRIPT.md 👉 See timestamps: ⏰ TIMESTAMPS.md

Let's automate SORA 2. 🚀