Setting Up Your Work Environment
Create accounts on essential platforms, understand credit and pricing models, organize your projects, and get ready to start creating.
🔑 Creating Accounts on Essential Platforms
We'll set up accounts on all the platforms we'll use throughout the course. Start with the free and freemium options:
1. Kling (klingai.com)
Create a free account. You’ll receive initial credits to generate videos. Explore the interface and get familiar with the video and image generation options. You don’t need a credit card to get started.
2. Midjourney (midjourney.com)
Create a Discord account (if you don’t already have one) and join the Midjourney server. Also visit alpha.midjourney.com for the web interface. The Basic plan ($10/month) is enough to get started. There is no permanent free plan.
3. Runway (runwayml.com)
Create a free account. You’ll receive initial credits to try it out. Explore the video generation modes (Gen-4, Gen-4.5) and the included editing tools.
4. ElevenLabs (elevenlabs.io)
Create a free account. The free plan offers 10,000 characters/month for voice generation. Test preset voices and explore the control panel.
5. Hugging Face (huggingface.co)
Create a free account. This is where you can access FLUX.2 via Spaces or download models for local use. It’s also useful for testing other open-source models.
6. CapCut (capcut.com)
Download the desktop app (Windows/Mac) or use the web version. Completely free with built-in AI features. It will be our main editor.
💰 Understanding Credits and Pricing Models
Each platform has a different pricing model. Understanding this is crucial to optimizing your spending:
| Platform | Free Plan | Entry-Level Paid Plan | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kling | 66 credits/day | ~$8/month | Credits per generation, varies by resolution/duration |
| Midjourney | No free plan | $10/month (Basic) | 200 generations/month on Basic, unlimited on Standard ($30) |
| Runway | 125 initial credits | $12/month | Credits per second of generated video |
| ElevenLabs | 10k chars/month | $5/month | Text characters converted to audio |
| FLUX.2 | Free (local) | Free / paid API | Open-source, runs locally or via API |
| CapCut | Complete | Optional Pro | Free with all essential features |
💡 Cost-Saving Strategy
For the course, initially invest only in Midjourney Basic ($10/month). All the other tools have free plans that are sufficient for learning. When you start producing real content, assess which paid plans make sense for your production volume.
📁 Organizing Your Projects
Good file organization is essential when you work with multiple AI tools. We recommend the following structure:
VISION-Projetos/
├── 01-Imagens/
│ ├── midjourney/
│ ├── flux/
│ ├── referencias/
│ └── finalizadas/
├── 02-Videos/
│ ├── kling/
│ ├── runway/
│ ├── brutos/
│ └── finalizados/
├── 03-Audio/
│ ├── elevenlabs/
│ ├── musica/
│ └── sfx/
├── 04-Projetos-CapCut/
├── 05-Roteiros/
├── 06-Assets/
│ ├── fontes/
│ ├── logos/
│ └── templates/
└── 07-Exportados/
├── youtube/
├── instagram/
└── tiktok/
💡 Naming Tip
Use dates and descriptions in the names: 2026-04-12_produto-cafe_midjourney-v7.png. This makes it easier to find files and keep a history of what was generated with which tool.
🖥️ Hardware Recommendations
Most of the tools we’ll use run in the cloud, but having suitable hardware makes a difference in productivity:
For cloud-based tools (sufficient)
- • Any computer with a modern browser
- • 8GB RAM minimum
- • Stable internet connection
- • Full HD monitor (recommended)
- • Storage: 100GB+ free for projects
For local models (FLUX, SD)
- • NVIDIA GPU with 8GB+ VRAM (RTX 3060+)
- • 16GB+ RAM
- • SSD with 50GB+ of free space for models
- • Python 3.10+ installed
- • FLUX.2 klein runs on 8GB VRAM
⚠️ No GPU?
No problem! All the main tools (Kling, Midjourney, Runway, ElevenLabs) run 100% in the cloud. Local models are optional and will be explored as an alternative, not a requirement. You can also use Google Colab (free) to run models on Google's GPU.
🔧 Extensions and Productivity Tips
Recommended browser extensions
- • Loom — record your screen to document processes
- • Image Downloader — download images from AI interfaces
- • Dark Reader — visual comfort for long sessions
- • Tab Manager — organize the many tool tabs
Support apps
- • Notion or Obsidian — document prompts that work
- • ShareX (Windows) / CleanShot (Mac) — quick screenshots
- • HandBrake — convert video formats (free)
- • Google Drive / OneDrive — cloud backup for projects
🎯 Using Free Tiers Strategically
Maximize what you can do for free with this strategy:
- 1. Plan before generating — Write your prompts in a document before using credits. Every attempt counts.
- 2. Use Kling for video tests — With 66 free credits/day, it’s the best option for experimenting.
- 3. FLUX.2 via Hugging Face Spaces — Generate images for free without installing anything. There may be a queue, but it's free.
- 4. ElevenLabs free for drafts — Use the 10k characters/month to test narration. Record the final version when you're satisfied.
- 5. Hailuo for volume — At $0.28/video, it’s the cheapest option for producing multiple variations.
- 6. CapCut is 100% free — Don't skimp here; use all the features without restrictions.
✅ Lesson Checklist
- Created a Kling account
- Created a Midjourney account (Discord + web)
- Created a Runway account
- Created an ElevenLabs account
- Created a Hugging Face account
- I installed CapCut
- I organized my folder structure
- I understand each platform's pricing models