Generate AI Videos with OpenAI Sora 2 & Upload to Google Drive

Description

Who's it for
This template is designed for filmmakers, content creators, social media managers, and AI developers who want to harness OpenAI's Sora 2 for creating physically accurate, cinematic videos with synchronized audio. Whether you're generating realistic scenes from text prompts or reference images with proper physics simulation, creating multi-shot sequences with persistent world state, or producing content with integrated dialogue and sound effects, this workflow streamlines the entire video generation process from prompt to preview and Google Drive upload.

What it does
This workflow:
Accepts a text prompt, optional reference image, OpenAI API key, and generation settings via form submission
Validates reference image format (jpg, png, or webp only)
Sends the prompt and optional reference to the Sora 2 API endpoint to request video generation
Continuously polls the video rendering status (queued → in progress → completed)
Waits 30 seconds between status checks to avoid rate limiting
Handles common generation errors with descriptive error messages
Automatically fetches the generated video once rendering is complete
Downloads the final .mp4 file
Uploads the resulting video to your Google Drive
Displays the download link and video preview/screenshot upon completion

How to set up

1. Get Your OpenAI API Key

You'll need an OpenAI API key to use this workflow. Here's the general process:

Create an OpenAI account at https://platform.openai.com
Set up billing - Add payment information to enable API access
Generate your API key through the API keys section in your OpenAI dashboard
Copy and save your key immediately - you won't be able to view it again!

⚠️ Important: Your API key will start with sk- and should be kept secure. If you lose it, you'll need to generate a new one.

2. Connect Google Drive
Add your Google Drive OAuth2 credential to n8n
Grant necessary permissions for file uploads

3. Import and Run
Import this workflow into n8n
Execute the workflow via the form trigger
Enter your API key, prompt, and desired settings in the form
Optionally upload a reference image** to guide the video generation

All generation settings are configured through the form, including:
Model**: Choose between sora-2 or sora-2-pro
Duration**: 4, 8, or 12 seconds
Resolution**: Portrait or Landscape options
Reference Image** (optional): Upload jpg, png, or webp matching your target resolution

⚠️ Sora 2 Pricing

The workflow supports two Sora models which have the following API pricing:

Sora 2 - $0.10/sec
Portrait: 720x1280
Landscape: 1280x720

Sora 2 Pro - $0.30/sec (720p) or $0.50/sec (1080p)
720p - Portrait: 720x1280, Landscape: 1280x720
1080p - Portrait: 1024x1792, Landscape: 1792x1024

Duration options: 4, 8, 12 seconds (default: 4)

Example costs:
4-second video with Sora 2: $0.40
12-second video with Sora 2 Pro (1080p): $6.00

Requirements
Valid OpenAI API key (starting with sk-)
Google Drive OAuth2 credential connected to n8n
Reference image** (optional): jpg, png, or webp format - should match your selected video resolution for best results

How to customize the workflow

Modify generation parameters
Edit the form fields to include additional options:
Style presets (cinematic, anime, realistic)
Camera movement preferences
Audio generation options
Image reference strength/influence settings

It's recommended to visit the official documentation on prompting for a detailed Sora 2 guide.

Adjust polling behavior
Change the Wait node duration (default: 30 seconds)
Modify the Check Status polling frequency based on typical generation times
Add timeout logic for very long renders

Customize error handling
Extend error messages for additional failure scenarios
Add retry logic for transient errors
Configure notification webhooks for error alerts

Alternative upload destinations
Replace the Google Drive node with:
Dropbox
AWS S3
Azure Blob Storage
YouTube direct upload
Slack/Discord notification with video attachment

Enhance result display
Customize the completion form to show additional metadata
Add video thumbnail generation
Include generation parameters in the results page
Enable direct playback in the completion form

Workflow Architecture

Step-by-step flow:
Form Submission → User inputs text prompt, optional reference image, API key, and generation settings
Create Video → Sends request to Sora 2 API endpoint with all parameters and reference image (if provided)
Check Status → Polls the API for video generation status
Status Decision → Routes based on status:
Queued → Wait 30 seconds → Check Status again
In Progress → Wait 30 seconds → Check Status again
Completed → Proceed to download
Failed → Display descriptive error message
Wait → 30-second delay between status checks
Download → Fetches the generated video file
Google Drive → Uploads .mp4 to your Drive
Completion Form → Displays download link and video preview/screenshot


If you have any questions, just contact me on Linkedin


Ready to create cinematic AI videos with physics-accurate motion, synchronized audio, and optional image references? Import this workflow and start generating! 🎬✨