“What if” stickman videos, one consequence at a time.
Change one rule of the world, then follow what happens next. Clippie writes the chain of events, draws each stage with stick figures and narrates it.
- Creators1,000,000+ and counting
- Views generatedOver 5 billion
- MonetizationCopyright safe
The world after something changed, and a small everyday version, both drawn and animated in Clippie.
How to make a “what if” video. Four steps.
- 1
Change exactly one thing
Remove the Moon. Double gravity. Everyone hears your thoughts. One change is easy to follow, and two start to fight each other.
- 2
Lay it out on a timeline
The first second, the first hour, the first year. Put that in your idea, and the script has a shape to follow.
- 3
Pick a theme and a look
Scientific or Space with Bare stickman for disasters, or Psychology with Doodle explainer for everyday premises.
- 4
Check it, then generate
Verify the science the story leans on, then pick a voice, generate and animate the moments where the world breaks.
Kinds of premise. And the settings that suit each.
| Premise | Example | Look | Theme and tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | “What if gravity doubled for ten seconds?” | Bare stickman | Scientific, Cinematic |
| Space | “What if the Sun went out?” | Bare stickman | Space, Dramatic |
| Society | “What if money stopped working overnight?” | Doodle explainer | Politics, Educational |
| Your body | “What if you stopped sleeping?” | Doodle explainer | Scientific, Educational |
| History | “What if Rome had never fallen?” | Painted stickman | Historical, Cinematic |
| Funny | “What if your cat could sue you?” | Classic stickman | Any, Humorous |
Why the format works. And how to keep it honest.
Build a chain, not a list
The weak version lists effects: the oceans would do this, the animals would do that. The strong version links them: the tides stop, so the coasts dry up, so the fishing fleets stay in port, so a stick figure in a harbour town has a very bad week. Each thing should cause the next.
Keep a person in the picture. A global disaster is abstract until one figure has to deal with it, and following one stickman from start to finish also makes the scenes much easier to draw.
Say what is known and what is a guess
A “what if” video is speculation, and viewers accept that as long as you are straight about it. Use real numbers for the real parts, check them, and use “probably” or “scientists think” for the rest. The Scientific theme asks the writer for accurate science, but its drafts can still contain errors, so read them closely.
Helping the AI draw what has never happened
Pictures follow what the script and instructions describe, so be literal. “The Moon fills half the sky above a small town” will draw better than “the Moon’s orbit decays”. If the same event runs through the story, use a rule in your scene instructions, such as “whenever the storm comes, add lightning”, so it carries across scenes.
More ways to tell it. Genres and how-tos.
StoryStickman explainer videosMoney, law and psychology, explained with doodled figures.
StoryStickman survival storiesScenarios where the viewer has to work out how to stay alive.
StoryStickman history videosEmpires, wars and eras, with scene instructions that hold the period.
How-toStickman Shorts and TikToksAll five looks in 9:16, at the lengths each platform rewards.
Good at the big idea. What the editor gives you.
Themes for the premise
Scientific, Space, Nature, Geography and Technology steer the writer toward the right subject.
Long or short
One premise fits a one-minute Short or a 10-minute video, from the same idea.
Rules for recurring events
“Whenever the storm comes, add lightning” carries through the story.
Worlds after the change
Bare stickman’s detailed, overgrown cities suit the aftermath.
A narrator with weight
Try a Serious or Dramatic delivery for the big numbers, and a pause before the reveal.
Motion for the turning point
Animate the moment the world breaks, and leave calmer scenes as zooming stills.
Frequently asked questions.
How do I make a “what if” stickman video?
Pick one change to the world, set out a timeline of what follows, then generate the script in Clippie with a theme such as Scientific or Space. Check the science, generate the stickman scenes and narration, and export in 16:9 or 9:16.
Which stickman look suits “what if” videos?
Bare stickman for disasters and aftermaths, Doodle explainer for everyday and science premises, and Classic stickman for funny ones.
Will the AI get the science right?
Not always. The Scientific theme asks for accurate science, but check every claim the story depends on and label guesses as guesses.
How long should these videos be?
One premise usually holds 3 to 10 minutes, or about a minute as a Short if you jump straight to the most surprising consequence.
