The Role of AI in Transforming the Media Agency Landscape in Video Production
In an era of rapid technological advancement, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the video production industry, especially within the purview of media agencies, is an inevitability. AI is reshaping the landscape by streamlining pre-production procedures, automating editing tasks, and elevating visual effects. This transformation prompts a crucial question: Will AI replace the role of the Director in video production for media agencies? To explore this, we embarked on a journey to put AI video production tools to the test, culminating in the creation of a short film entirely crafted with AI assistance.
Given that a substantial portion of our clientele consists of legal firms, we opted to assess AI video production's capabilities by crafting a film centered around the theme, "How will AI impact lawyers in the future?"
Our journey began with Chat GPT, an AI-powered language model, generating a one-minute script (ultimately resulting in a two-minute video). After experimenting with various prompts, we unearthed a script with substantial content quality. Next, we tasked the AI with converting the script into a conventional video script format, segregating text into one column and visuals into another.
This juncture presented us with some challenges specific to media agency operations. The format delivered by Chat GPT deviated slightly from the standard format, lacking precise details regarding visual placements. Moreover, the AI's visual suggestions, while useful as a starting point for structuring the video and incorporating stock footage, were somewhat generic and lacked creativity.
Our exploration then led us to AI-generated voiceovers and talking heads, leveraging an AI system to craft an avatar and select a suitable voice. Although the avatar's lip-syncing met acceptable standards, it lacked the nuances of body language and emotional expression. As AI continues to advance, integrating emotional prompts at key script moments may become feasible. However, it remains a significant hurdle for AI in corporate and feature film production - infusing scripts with emotional depth and translating them into AI-generated characters.
The realm where AI promises the most immediate and profound impact is post-production. Editing the AI-generated avatar proved simpler than using complex software like Adobe, albeit slightly less precise. AI-driven editing enabled us to seamlessly cut the script, automatically adjusting the corresponding video footage. Additionally, it facilitated the effortless selection of b-rolls from a library for incorporation into the video. Nevertheless, the creative aspects of choosing the right b-roll, selecting colors, graphics, logos, and fonts tailored to individual clients' needs still predominantly rest in the hands of the editor or director of a media agency.
One particularly promising arena for AI lies in crafting original background music for videos, a capability that media agencies can harness to their advantage. We successfully harnessed AI to generate music pieces that matched the desired style, duration, and mood of the video.
While AI is poised to revolutionize video production, it's imperative to recognize that AI technology is still in its infancy. At this juncture, the role of an editor or director's creative decision-making remains indispensable for media agencies. AI has a considerable distance to traverse before it can entirely supplant this requirement if it ever does.
Nevertheless, the industry's embrace of AI is on a steady ascent, driven by the emergence of new applications and tools that enhance video production processes, particularly within the scope of media agencies. As a media agency specializing in video production, we acknowledge the necessity of adapting to and embracing the potential of AI to maintain competitiveness. We anticipate AI becoming a tool that empowers us to be more efficient and creative, rather than relegating us to redundancy.