What if humans vanished tomorrow? Start the video there.
One impossible question, followed honestly: the first minute, the first day, the next hundred years. Clippie writes the timeline, draws each stage and reads it aloud.
- Story looks45 to choose from
- AI voices125, plus a voice library
- CaptionsIn 100+ languages
Sample clips of three looks that work for big hypotheticals. They show the look, not a finished what-if video.
Ask it, then follow it. Three steps.
- 1
Ask one clear question
Change one thing about the world, then keep everything else the same. Type it as your idea, and pick the Scientific or Space theme if it applies.
- 2
Follow it through time
Ask the writer to go stage by stage, from the first seconds onward. Then edit it, so that each stage is more surprising than the last.
- 3
Draw each stage
Each stage gets its own scene. The template starts on Cinematic in 16:9. Switch the frame to 9:16 for shorts, or the look to something simpler, and export.
How to write a what-if. That people want to argue about.
The escalating timeline
Most good what-ifs use the same shape, because it creates its own suspense:
- The change: State it in one line, with no build-up.
- The first seconds: What you would actually notice.
- The first day: What fails, and who finds out first.
- A year later: What people have changed, or what has come back.
- The far future: A final image that sticks with the viewer.
Keep the impossible part to one
The fun of a what-if comes from one impossible change and honest consequences. If the science is guesswork, say “probably” or “nobody knows”. Have the script checked against what is known, as physics fans do write in. A fictional scenario is fine, as long as you do not present speculation as fact.
Kinds of what-if to try
The best ones tend to be easy to say and hard to answer:
- Space: The moon is gone, or the sun goes dark for a minute.
- Earth: The oceans drain, or all insects disappear.
- History: One battle goes the other way, or one invention comes 100 years early.
- Personal: You stop sleeping, or you can never use a phone again.
- Scale: Everyone on Earth moves to one city.
Good for big questions. In a simple frame.
Science and history themes
Scientific, Space, Nature, Historical and Technology in the writer.
Looks for big scenes
Cinematic for realism. Lego, Low poly and Doodle explainer keep a strange idea light.
Both frames
9:16 for a single beat, 16:9 and up to 10 minutes for the full timeline.
Scene animation
Move the moments that deserve it, with the price shown first.
Frequently asked questions.
How do I find what-if ideas?
Take something everyone relies on and remove it, or take a rule of daily life and change it. Then ask what breaks first. If the answer surprises you, it will probably surprise viewers.
Do what-if videos have to be scientifically accurate?
Not all of them, but viewers enjoy honest reasoning. Say what is known and what is a guess. Avoid presenting speculation as fact, especially about health or real events.
Can I make it with stickmen?
Yes. Stickmen are a common choice for this format, and the what-if stickman page covers that in depth. Here, the template starts on Cinematic, and you can pick any of the 45 looks.
How long should it be?
About 45 seconds to a minute covers one question in brief for shorts. Three to ten minutes gives room to do the full timeline for YouTube.
What does a video use from my plan?
Drawing the scene pictures and editing are included. The voiceover uses voice minutes and the finished export uses export minutes. Animating scenes is optional and uses AI credits, and the price shows before you start.
