There’s a lot of buzz surrounding AI-generated video. There are legitimate concerns, exaggerations on both sides, and a lot of confusion about what it actually is. As a production studio, we have a stance on the issue—not because we’re advocating for the technology, but because we use it. Here’s what we’ve observed.
The most common criticism goes something like this: AI does everything for you, so you no longer need talent. This is a misunderstanding of the actual process.
To create a video that works using AI, you first need to write. Not just a vague summary—but a detailed visual script: framing, lighting, movement, atmosphere, duration, pacing, and color palette. It’s the same work a director does before shooting, simply translated into a new language.
Next comes generation, which produces dozens of variations. Then comes iteration—understanding why some shots work and others don’t, and refining them. Then comes editing, color grading, and sound. The AI pipeline doesn’t eliminate any of these steps. It transforms them.
Two things have changed significantly.
First, the budget. Visual effects that used to require entire teams and months of work are now within reach of smaller productions. This isn’t bad news for the industry. It’s a democratization—just like digital cameras were in the 2000s, or drones a decade later.
Next, what’s possible. AI video makes it possible to visualize things that don’t exist or no longer exist: historical reenactments, settings that would be impossible to build as sets, and events that have never been filmed. It’s neither better nor worse than filming. It’s something else entirely.
Artistic direction. A creative tool produces what is asked of it. If no one knows what to ask for, the result is hollow—even if it’s technically flawless.
Judgment. Knowing which of twenty generated plans to keep takes an eye, not an algorithm.
Intent. Why this image? Why now? Why for this audience? The machine doesn't ask itself these questions.
Writing. The quality of the final result is directly proportional to the quality of the prompt. Writing a good prompt means knowing how to write.
What's going away is part of the technical implementation work. What remains is everything else.
Even for those who will never make an AI video, understanding how it works is useful. Because clients will be talking about it. Because competitors will be using it. Because refusing to consider a tool on principle is a vulnerable position.
The question isn't whether AI is good or bad. The question is: What can this tool do that I couldn't do before, and is that something I'm interested in? It's the same question we asked ourselves with After Effects, with drones, and with spatial audio.
Some people will say no. That's a valid answer—provided it's based on a real understanding of what we're talking about.
We use AI just as we use any other production tool: when it serves the project, not to replace the kind of thinking we didn’t have the courage to do ourselves. We discuss this openly with our clients because transparency about our methodology is essential to building trust in the outcome.
It's not a revolution that wipes out everything that came before. It's just another tool in a profession that has always accumulated them.
