This is how most of the professional video editor spend their time on projects: analyzing the entire footage, spending half the time trimming silent pauses and synching multi-cam angles. Sometimes these things can suck the joy out of the creative process and storytelling. This is why video editors were one of the first ones to embrace AI tools for video editing.
Whether AI tools actually improve productivity or make the result look artificial is still debated. This is why we’ll try to find out if AI makes video editing faster without making it look artificial.
Note: The steps mentioned at the beginning are being referred to live-action footage, as these steps vary for different projects.
Where AI Delivers Speed(Without Sacrificing Quality)
Most video editors know that there are only a few who get into it due to a passion for a certain type of video content, for example, documentaries, animation, film editing, etc. What AI has done is help video editors to get rid of repetitive editing tasks that many already hate doing.
It can clear out all those “um” and “ah” sound effects throughout the video in one click. Without AI tools, one would have to find and remove those parts one by one.
In this case, most of the audience often doesn’t even know if AI is used.
Key Points:
- AI is great for removing filler words and background noises instantly. A consistent white noise throughout the video is easier to treat compared to noises like a dog barking.
- This AI use case is least likely to take away the jobs of video editors.
- Smart audio cleanup and filler word removal are popular features in AI video editing tools these days.
- AI has become a part of video production to some degree.
Dealing with the Uncanny Valley
These days, generative AI features come integrated with popular AI video editing tools such as Filmora, and editors often use them to generate parts of the video. Therefore, it is pretty common to feel like something is off when you see these parts. That is what’s referred to as the uncanny valley. This is when digital avatars look almost like a real human but not 100%.
This is the domain where AI video editors are still struggling. The main issue is that they’re trying to be perfectly imperfect like humans, which isn’t possible.
Main Takeaways:
- The most common use of the generative extend feature is to create more footage to fill the gap. Some content creators or video editors use this feature to create compelling video intros and outros.
- The AI-generated part often stands out, which makes it harder to blend into the original video.
Not Relying Completely on AI
To all the video editors out there, it is not about choosing between AI and manual editing. It is about choosing what will boost productivity without sacrificing quality. It is better to run your raw footage through AI transcript tools to get rid of the silent gaps and filler words. It is also okay to rely on AI to do an audio cleanup, such as background noise removal.
Now let’s come to the part where you shouldn’t be too dependent on AI:
- AI voice-overs: It is better to hire real voice actors if it’s an animation, documentary, or anything that requires a voice-over. The AI voice generation in video editing tools may make your video look fake, because it’s not that good yet.
- Video intros and outros: As we discussed earlier, AI is pretty good at generating video intros and outros, but you need to be careful about which one you choose. Avoid the ones that have realistic graphics, shiny metallic text, or exploding neon particles.
Write Detailed Prompts
You need to write detailed prompts to produce specific results. The quality of any AI-generated content depends on how good the prompt is. Vague inputs give you generic results that can make your video look like low-effort AI content.
Try to explain scenarios in multiple lines or paragraphs if possible. For example, instead of saying “Generate a drone shot of a modern office at sunset”, say, “Provide a 35mm handheld shot of a modern open-plan office which has golden hour lighting from floor-to- ceiling windows”.
Main Points:
- Try to write multiple detailed prompts if the footage you’re trying to generate is long.
- You can use AI chatbot tools to help you create a detailed prompt. Just ask it to generate a detailed prompt and make changes till it’s “perfect”.
When Hiring Video Editors
If you’re going to hire video editors, make sure they have a portfolio of legit projects they have created or worked on. If you check, you can clearly tell whether they’re too dependent on AI. It is good news if they admit to using AI and their final project doesn’t look ‘fake’.
Once you’ve completed hiring and created a team, it’s important to get video editing tools with AI features. When choosing editing software, select traditional video editors rather than standalone AI video tools. The traditional ones often cost more as they offer advanced editing tools. For example, Filmora is a traditional video editor with generative AI tools. Therefore, depending on your team size, you should select a team or individual plan and then check if there are ways to save on it.
Main Highlights:
- Try hiring a video editor with a strong background in traditional video editing.
- Professionals/video editors with a good understanding of storytelling will always have an edge, no matter how capable AI models become.
Final Words
You can use AI for mechanical tasks without sacrificing quality. These include tasks such as editing transcripts, audio noise cleanups, and auto framing. The artificial look only appears when you try automating creative choices like voice-overs and video generation using generic prompts. If you’re still unsure about how AI impacts video editing, you can visit content creation subreddits to get more insights.
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