Step-by-step Professional Video Preparation Series: How to use AI in film production and preparation

Technological breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been creating waves in the world of content creation and marketing recently. ChatGPT and similar generative AI chatbots are all the talk, but new advancements are particularly exciting when it comes to the use of AI in video production. From voiceover creation to analytics, generative artificial intelligence has the potential to streamline and enhance many aspects of the video production process. AI’s impact on video production will grow even more significant as it continues to develop and evolve. 

However, like most good things, using AI in your video production process also has limitations. In particular, AI has shortcomings in areas that require a more insightful and creative approach. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks of using AI in video production and discuss where it works best in the overall video production process.

• Writing scripts 

Quality scriptwriting is a crucial component of a compelling video. A well-written script (check out our Script Writing for Short Video blog post) will engage your viewers, while a poorly written one can lead to indifference and disengagement. Crafting a text that successfully communicates your message to the right audience allows your video to resonate with viewers and drive action.

In recent years, AI has become a fantastic resource for scriptwriting. Using AI in video production can help writers generate new ideas, revise old scripts, craft engaging stories, and even write complex dialogue. AI-powered scriptwriting tools also gather real-time data to help you:

• Pinpoint your target audience
• Analyze data from social media, news articles, apps, and other content
• Identify trends and topics that are relevant and popular
• Evaluate feedback and provide suggestions for improvement

But don’t forget about the importance of the human touch! Your audience will quickly recognize a flat AI-generated script, so add some warmth and authenticity to round the edges. Once you have your AI video script, pass it on to a real-life copywriter. A talented (and human) copywriter can do things AI just can’t like: interpret intention and context, make emotional connections, and understand the subtlety and complexity of verbal and non-verbal language.

• Voiceovers

• Generate complete voiceovers in a matter of minutes (human voice recordings can take days or weeks)

• Customize various voices and accents to match any style of video content

• Adjust parameters such as pitch, volume, and speed to align perfectly with the video

• Maintain a natural tone, consistent pace, and accurate pronunciation throughout

Although artificial Intelligence can drastically improve your voiceover’s overall quality and professionalism, just know that AI isn’t perfect. It can’t understand flow or intention. Unlike live actors, it lacks the ability to make changes based on interpretation. And sometimes, the voice can sound a little… well, like a robot imitating a human.

• Transcripts and Subtitles

Producing high-quality video transcripts and subtitles ensures your content reaches the widest possible audience. In particular, you’ll include viewers with hearing issues, language barriers, and those watching silently. Additionally, you can use this text to put your video content in written formats like blog posts and websites. It’s essential, however, to maintain accuracy and clarity because errors can lead to confusion and misinterpretation of your message. A few platforms have actually been using AI systems to transcribe for quite some time. You can accurately transcribe video content and quickly generate subtitles by leveraging deep learning AI algorithms and language processing technology like NLP. AI-powered transcription and captioning services have several significant benefits:

• Transcribes content in only a few short minutes, saving countless hours

• Edit and customize AI-generated transcripts and subtitles to quickly meet specific audience needs

• Improve your video’s search engine optimization (SEO) by giving search engines text to crawl and index almost instantly

• Recognize speech patterns and capture the nuances of language in a once impossible way

Keep in mind that you’ll still need to capture audio elements that AI tools likely won’t pick up. For example, AI can’t transcribe audio elements that aren’t voices, such as sound effects and music. And regarding accuracy, though AI is constantly improving, it’s always wise to have a human being review your written content for any mistakes or misspellings.

• Analytics

Analytics tools can provide valuable insights into how viewers engage with video content, including metrics such as view count, engagement rate, and audience retention. By analyzing these metrics, businesses can better understand what video elements are resonating with viewers and what may need to be adjusted. With its ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, using AI in video production offers significant potential for improving video marketing analytics and enhancing the effectiveness of video marketing campaigns. One key way is through its ability to track viewer engagement. By analyzing viewer behavior, such as how long they watch a video or which parts they skip, AI can identify useful patterns and trends. Advanced AI analytic tools offer these capabilities:

• Segment and target audiences based on viewer demographics, interests, and preferences
• Determine areas of video content that need improvement
• Suggest changes to titles, keywords, and descriptions using click-through and conversion rates
• Predict the likely outcomes of video marketing strategies

As you can see, AI in video production has the potential to become the ultimate tool in streamlining the video production process. But let’s be honest; AI isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. While artificial Intelligence is a powerhouse for many aspects of video production, it currently lacks in the creative concept department. This is because the creative process of developing video content usually involves subjective, complex decisions that require human input and creativity. AI “brains” are a filing cabinet of existing facts and data that can be combined for helpful solutions and sometimes “new to us” ideas. Consequently, AI cannot replicate creative vision or intuition. AI can generate visual and audio elements based on predefined parameters. Still, it cannot replace the unique ideas and perspectives that come from human creativity and imagination.

Furthermore, the creative conception of videos often involves collaboration and communication between different team members, including writers, designers, and directors. While using AI in video production can streamline certain aspects of this process, such as analyzing feedback data, it cannot replace the value of human collaboration and brainstorming.

As a result, AI simply can’t help much with the creative conception of videos. Thankfully, the artistic process will continue to rely on human creativity, intuition, and collaboration to develop unique and engaging video content that resonates with audiences.

• Storyboarding

Humans may not always have the upper hand on AI, but regarding storyboarding, we definitely have them beat. That’s because the storyboarding process involves creativity and intuition, and a profound comprehension of human emotion and motivation.

Storyboarding involves visualizing and planning the narrative arc of a video, including the characters, scenes, and dialogue. This requires a deep understanding of the target audience, their preferences, and their emotional responses. While AI can generate insights and analyze data about audience behavior, it cannot replicate the emotional intellect that a human storyboard artist can bring to the table.

Moreover, storyboarding often requires making creative decisions based on reasoning and personal perspective. A human storyboard artist can draw on their own experiences and imagination to develop unique and engaging visual elements that capture the essence of your story. AI in video production, on the other hand, can only generate visuals based on data sets, which limits the originality of the final product.

Lastly, this process is often collaborative and involves lots of communication and cooperation. A storyboard artist can effectively express their feelings to other team members, developing a cohesive and compelling narrative. At the same time, AI in video production still lacks the ability to engage in thoughtful compromise.

• Editing

Editing videos involves piecing together the footage, adding music, sound effects, and transitions, and making cuts and adjustments to ensure the final product is exactly as it was envisioned. Good editing can make all the difference in the completed video, as it helps create a more cohesive and engaging narrative and can also enhance the visual and auditory aspects of the video.

AI in video production and editing has come a long way. Newer AI capabilities, like quickly and seamlessly merging multiple clips, have eliminated countless hours of human editing and undoubtedly saved many budgets. And while AI is great at tackling basic tasks like motion tracking, color correction, and other technical processes, it has yet to advance enough to replace human editing completely.

Skilled editors have a keen eye for detail and understand how to use their tools to create a visually and thematically impactful video that resonates with the target audience. Humans have an innate understanding of the storytelling process and the ability to interpret other people’s intentions, like writers and directors. This helps them grasp the overall vision for the video, which is still a relatively abstract concept for Artificial Intelligence.

AI in video production has made significant advancements in recent years. However, despite its potential, one of its most significant limitations is its reliance on pre-existing data sets or algorithms. AI only learns and operates within the parameters set by its programming and training data. This can result in videos that feel unoriginal, repetitive, and lacking in personality and human touch, which may not resonate well with the target audience.

The Rise Of AI In Video Production is a game-changer, whether we like it or not. From automating tedious tasks to gaining valuable insights and improving efficiency in the video production process, it has become a great way to save time and money. But with all its benefits, AI simply can not replace the unique human touch and creativity needed to make truly memorable and compelling videos. But by leveraging the strengths of AI technology and human creativity together, it’s possible to create innovative and impactful videos more efficiently.