EMBRACING AI IN FILMAKING
Holding onto Humanity in a Hybrid Workflow
Integrating AI into filmmaking isn’t just about new tools. It’s about evolving our craft without losing what makes it human: sensitivity, creativity, and years of experience. For those of us skilled in traditional techniques, this shift can feel strange—how do we honor our knowledge while embracing a technology that promises simplicity?
Honoring Tradition While Embracing AI
Filmmaking demands a refined eye for detail. AI offers powerful ways to support that, simplifying processes that used to take hours. But it doesn’t replace the taste and experience we’ve built over the years. Think of AI as an extension, a tool that frees us to focus even more on what matters: the story’s emotional core.
From Complex to Simple, and Back
Integrating AI doesn’t mean discarding our hard-earned skills. We can use AI to shape images that strike the right emotional chords. This approach isn’t about hiding AI but adopting it openly as part of our creative style.
For example, automatic transcripts have reshaped how I work with interviews. Instead of listening to hours of audio, I now skim through to find key moments. AI helps with the technical side, freeing me up to focus on the impact, the message, the artistry.
Crafting a Workflow Around AI
Here’s how I use AI at different stages of the process:
Idea Generation: AI can be a powerful partner in brainstorming and refining ideas.
Transcription & Writing: I record thoughts, transcribe them, and then use AI to polish the final text.
Sound Editing: While AI can clean up audio, a trained ear is still key. Knowing each tool’s limits—and when to rely on manual editing—ensures quality.
Visual Refinement: AI-generated visuals need the right emotion, not just a good look. Balancing aesthetic sensitivity with technical finesse helps create scenes that feel authentic.
Feedback & Iteration: My process involves setting up multiple AI “workstations” for concept refinement and feedback, from image brainstorming to idea refining.
Sensitivity & Aesthetic Judgment Still Matter
No tool can replace our artistic intuition. Finding the right image isn’t just about beauty; it’s about finding the emotion that resonates with the story. Our responsibility is to balance nuance with depth, to keep pushing AI’s creative potential without losing our unique voice.
Balancing Human Sensitivity with AI
Ultimately, integrating AI isn’t about speeding up production or replacing skills. It’s about enhancing our vision, giving us space to create with authenticity. In every choice we make, every scene or sound, we get to express what it means to be human. And that’s something no algorithm can capture.