To prompt or not to prompt – Video production in the new age of AI

While some say (half jokingly) that AI will eventually replace us all as video producers, create video content for us, and therefore putting the larger part of the film industry out of jobs, it now seems we’re heading in the exact opposite direction.

Consumers are rejecting AI more and more (a recent UK report “reveals 42% of individuals deliberately limit the amount of AI they use”). A large percentage of people believe they’re being deceived. While the ethical implications are being addressed, environmental concerns are just as much an issue – as is the failure by many companies and creators to label AI content as AI content. Leaving consumers with the constant question: Is this AI? We can only begin to fathom the consequences of this growing uncertainty.

More and more websites are either implementing “AI detection tools” or rejecting AI content outright. AI has become a polarising topic, like none other.

The meaning of AI for Video Production

With this development in mind, our expertise and professional insight as filmmakers might become more valuable than ever. With the increase of AI content, candid interviews, genuinely creative videos and the ability to tell stories from a human perspective may be what will set us apart in the long run.

The irony is that the easier it becomes to create content, the harder it may become to create content that actually means something. Videos, that can set itself apart from the rest, equally putting further pressure on us as producers and on the quality of our work.

As we all know, a great production is rarely just the result of following a carefully prepared plan. It’s the conversation that happens five minutes before an interview, the unexpected answer that changes the direction of a film, the decision to keep rolling when something unplanned happens. It’s also noticing a detail that wasn’t in the brief, or understanding when a client’s idea needs to change in order to work on screen. These are the moments that can turn a technically good video into something genuinely memorable.

And these are precisely the things that are difficult to automate: the human interaction, the experience and the instinct that comes from being on set and working with real people – experience and instinct that is not built overnight. Ultimately, emotions can only be evoked by humans and through human interaction.

Does this mean we should reject AI outright?

While AI cannot replace the true creative process, with all its failings but also its brilliant ideas emerging when you least expect it, there are some areas where it can be a genuinely useful tool. AI can be useful for streamlining certain tasks, saving time and perhaps even money, in order to focus on the actual creative part of the process. The key, for us, is understanding where it adds value and where human expertise remains essential.

But when it comes to video production, gaining a feeling for a client’s vision, what they want to communicate, what they and their employees are passionate about and what makes this client, this brand or this product unique – these are all things that cannot be replaced by AI. A genuine interest in these things, combined with our video production experience to translate them into a video that communicates all that – this is something only humans are capable of.

Sure, AI is becoming better and better at creating video. AI can do pretty much everything today, or so we’re being told. It’s “pretty good” at most things. But only “pretty good”. It creates generic content, predictable wording, something that looks decent at first glance but that doesn’t build connection with audiences. It simply lacks soul.

AI vs Authenticity

And perhaps this is where authenticity becomes even more important. As an audience we are exposed to more and more AI-generated content, but genuinely human stories stand out precisely because they are not perfect. A real person stumbling over an answer, laughing during an interview or telling a story in their own words can create a connection that a perfectly generated corporate video simply cannot.

We have become pretty good at detecting AI slop. Sure, generative AI gets better and better, and the results can be quite scary, but AI too is facing its challenges.

If AI can produce something that is technically convincing, what makes us choose one piece of content over another? Perhaps it is no longer simply about production quality. Perhaps it is about whether we believe what we are seeing. Whether we recognise something human in it.

This raises the question: where, as creatives, do we want to go? Do we want to jump on the bandwagon, repeat what so many tech companies are telling us, join in or get left behind? Or do we want to set ourselves apart by remaining human, offering our expertise – years and years of experience, hard-earned professionalism, and the instincts that come from having worked on countless productions, to create unique and human-made content that people can actually connect with?

Ultimately, the most interesting question might not be “AI or humans?” but “where can AI help humans do better work?” Used thoughtfully, AI can take care of some of the more repetitive tasks and help us communicate ideas, leaving creatives more time to focus on what really matters: ideas, storytelling and people.

AI & Sustainability

As video producers, we are well aware of our carbon footprint when it comes to creating films. Whether it’s the footprint of travel, the use of plastic items for catering or a fair compensation for all film staff – sustainability can be applied anywhere and should be more than a simple buzzword.

Having already shared our thoughts on this back in 2023, AI raises the questions of sustainability once again. What are the environmental implications of huge data centres, the use of water for AI systems, and AI’s latest “coup” – the destruction of books in order to build their LLMs? It raises questions of sustainability, environmental responsibility and ethical practices at the same time.

For us, this is another reason to think carefully about how and when we use AI. New technology can be exciting and seem useful, but just because we have access to it, it is not necessarily a good enough reason to use it. As with any part of a production, we need to consider whether it genuinely adds value.

Quo vadis AI?

When it comes to the developments of AI, we aren’t merely spectators, and yet we can only offer small contributions. We have to find our own way of navigating this new landscape. AI is very likely here to stay, and it will undoubtedly change the way we work and think. We may not be able to predict exactly what video production will look like in five or ten years, but we can decide what we want to bring to it – both in expertise and in values. We don’t want to get left behind, instead we should find balance between a useful implementation of AI while always remaining critical of its qualities.

We at Camera Crew Germany are lucky to work with creative crews and agencies, both local and international, who know how to translate a vision into video that delivers a message while also creating a product that builds genuine connections, trust and long-term relationships with customers. And perhaps that is where the future of video production lies: not in competing with AI, but in using it where it makes sense while never losing sight of what makes a production human.

People don’t connect with a perfectly generated image. They connect with a story, a person, an emotion – something that is and feels real and human, rather than perfect. And that is something we intend to keep creating.