What it Takes to Make Viral AI Video Content (We Asked Bigfoot)
The AI-generated video market is projected to reach $14.8 billion by 2030
AI-generated video avatars are sparking a deep cultural shift, reshaping the role of human influencers, the direction of social media marketing, and even prompting new company policies around deepfake content.
One of the most unexpected trends of 2025 has been the rise of AI-generated Bigfoot personas on social media. Turns out, he’s not extinct.
From Bigfoot Vlogs to Ze Bigfoot, dozens of AI-created Bigfoot characters have taken over platforms like TikTok and Instagram, attracting millions of followers and generating individual posts with over 21 million views.
One of the original Bigfoot pioneers is Seiji, the creator of @BigYowie, who set about putting a more intentional and professional spin on AI-generated content on platforms like TikTok.
While it's difficult to pinpoint the future of AI-generated video content, understanding how Big Yowie emerged might be the key to forecasting what's to come. It's an exciting time for creators and brands who want memorable, viral characters without the cost or time constraints of using retro real-life humans.
In this article, we’ll explore what it takes to make consistent, high-quality AI video content with exclusive insight from Seiji on how long it takes to generate a video, the cost per generation, and if he's made any money, having gained over 250,000 followers and 35 million views with just 20 posts.
Who is Big Yowie?
Since launching, Big Yowie has grown a combined audience of nearly half a million followers across major video platforms:
Yowie is known for his Australian accent and knack for destruction. The outlandish character was a deliberate choice by Seiji, designed to stand out from existing Bigfoot characters while subtly referencing The Donny & Clarence Show, which features a similar character.
Despite Yowie's global popularity, producing successful AI content was not immediate for Seiji. He started by experimenting with different content styles shortly after the release of Google's Veo 3 Video Generator with mixed results:
"I started with a dozen of experiments and uploaded those videos to TikTok to see which one would perform well. And actually, none of them did. But after looking at the FYP, I came across these Sasquatch videos that I thought were really funny and entertaining. So I made a few videos about that."
Through various tests with prompts and gauging audience responses through Instagram and TikTok analytics, Big Yowie was born.
For those looking to replicate a similar success, Seiji recommends following the same experimental pattern:
"My main advice for any other social creators would be to start out like how I did and to create several experiments. Get over your fear of posting by uploading everything to TikTok and Instagram. Chase trends and experiment. Try to differentiate yourself, too, and just try to figure out what works. Then double down on what works."
Tips to Making AI Videos Like Big Yowie
Get to Grips with Veo 3
Most of the AI Bigfoot videos seen online are powered by Google's Veo 3 Video Generator.
Learning how to use VEO 3 to an expert level — while also emptying your pockets on the generation costs — is essential to anyone aspiring to create the next viral AI character.
While Veo 3 offers several subscription tiers, Seiji relies on the $250/month Ultra plan to keep up with his content output. This includes several video generation attempts for one shot, and up to 50 attempts if the shot has multiple characters:
“I use the Ultra plan, which is the most expensive one. It allows you to refresh your credits as you go, which you have to do if you want to create a certain amount of content.”
Despite Seiji's background as a software engineer, Veo 3 proved a steep learning curve for the creator, who admitted he spent "4 to 6 hours per night" using Veo 3 when he first started with Big Yowie.
Learn How to Create Prompts Effectively
Despite common assumptions about AI content, speaking with Seiji made it clear that creating viral AI video content is far from fully automated.
First, Seiji outlines the major actions or turning points in a scene, such as who does what, what emotional shift takes place, or which lines need to land.
Next, he combines AI with his own creative instincts to craft the most effective prompts for his vision:
“I bring my scene descriptions into ChatGPT to help generate the best prompt for each shot. You look over the prompts, edit them, and use your knowledge of Veo 3 to land on the best final version.”
While this process becomes more efficient with practice, it still demands a level of care and patience that might surprise newcomers hoping to create trending AI content.
Start With One Character Per Scene
When asked about Veo 3’s biggest limitation, Seiji explained that the tool struggles with complex actions, especially when multiple characters are involved.
For those looking to replicate Big Yowie’s success without experience using Veo 3, it’s best to start simple, with videos featuring one main character.
If you don't, you're quickly going to burn through your monthly quota of Veo 3 video generations:
"When it comes to multiple characters on screen, doing something dynamic or complex, it can take upwards of 50 prompts, and may not even be possible."
Make Your Character Unique with an Anchor
Seiji pointed out that a key issue with Veo 3 is how "repetitive" the content can look, with many AI-generated videos appearing similar due to the tool’s limitations.
Fortunately, you can use certain "anchors" to make AI characters visibly unique. It's a simple matter of adding the info to each of your scene prompts:
"With Veo 3, the trick is to create a unique character by using different visual anchors. Like my character has a baseball cap with the word Yowie on it. I think that's almost enough to create a differentiated character."
But that's not to say the state of AI video generation will remain the same in years to come, potentially even just months away:
"It will get a lot better over time. Once we're able to provide style references, once we're able to visually define the character and have that be referenced throughout the different shot generations."
Until then, expect to see hundreds of Yetis, Sasquatches, and Bigfoots across social media... each with slightly different-colored fur.
Apply Traditional Filmmaking Techniques
Seiji applies traditional filmmaking principles to maintain a consistent viewing experience.
Most notably, he uses the 180-degree rule — a technique that keeps the camera on one side of an imaginary line between subjects to preserve spatial direction across cuts.
"I try to maintain different character or object direction across the screen. So if a character is running left to right in the next shot, they'll be running left to right as well. I think that these different basic editing techniques go a long way in just creating high quality content."
Editing techniques like this ensure characters or objects maintain consistent screen positions from shot to shot, helping the viewer stay oriented.
With constant talk of “AI slop” on social media, Big Yowie stands out as a clear example of how human creativity can be successfully combined with AI tools.
That’s because Seiji approaches each video like a filmmaker, not just a prompt engineer:
"I think my knowledge of storyboarding and editing definitely plays a big role in improving the quality of the content I generate."
For a full step-by-step guide on how Seiji uses Veo 3 to create Big Yowie, check out the rest of the interview.
Become an Expert Script Writer
Despite all of the technical skills needed to create prompts and generate videos, Yowie says that writing a funny, engaging script is the hardest part.
"I think the hardest part of making a video is script writing. That's like the least linear. You really have to search and find a funny idea that you like."
While Yowie writes his scripts from scratch, fortunately, there are AI-powered script-writing tools that can help effectively deliver your idea.
But all of this effort doesn’t just cost time — it costs money. The more videos Seiji posts, the more those generation fees add up.
That tradeoff raises the central question: Is Big Yowie profitable?
Do AI Videos Make Money?
Creating high-quality AI videos isn’t cheap.
A $250/month Ultra plan includes a limited number of credits to use for video generation, and creators like Seiji often go over that limit when fine-tuning scenes.
According to Seiji, generating a single short video usually costs an additional $50-$150.
So, how many views would it take to break even?
Let’s start with the basics. TikTok requires videos to be at least 60 seconds long to qualify for monetization. Since each Veo 3 generation is limited to 8 seconds, you'd need at least 8 separate clips to hit that mark.
Now consider cost:
To earn that back on TikTok, where creators typically make between $0.40 and $1.00 per 1,000 views, you’d need between 100,000 and 250,000 views per video, not including time spent scripting, editing, or posting.
While that may sound steep, it’s already being done, often at much larger scales.
Take Lu of Magalu, for example. The AI influencer from Brazil has over 6.6 million TikTok followers and reportedly earned more than $2.5 million in 2023 through a mix of sponsorships, branded content, and ad revenue.
Other virtual creators like Miquela, Imma, and CB of Casas Bahia are proving that with the right strategy and audience, AI avatars can become highly profitable digital brands.
While ad revenue is the simplest way to profit from AI content, it's not the only path Seiji is exploring. One idea already in the works is branded merchandise — specifically, Yowie-themed hats like the ones featured in his videos.
At this stage, Big Yowie is still operating at a loss. But the long-term potential, through personal endorsements, affiliate programs, and product tie-ins, could shift that equation.
For now, its success is being measured more qualitatively, as it continues to open new doors to future opportunities.