Most "AI tools for video" lists are written by people who haven't actually used them on a paying job. Here's what has genuinely earned a place in our pipeline, and why — not a sponsored roundup, just what survives contact with a real deadline.
Pre-production
Large language models for first-draft scripts and shot lists — never the final word, but a fast way to get from a blank page to something worth editing. Image generation for mood boards and concept frames, so a client can react to a visual direction before we book a single day of crew.
On the shoot
AI-assisted transcription for interviews and documentary-style shoots, turning hours of footage into searchable text so an editor can find the right moment in minutes instead of scrubbing timelines.
Post-production
AI-assisted rotoscoping and background removal for product work, upscaling for footage that needs to hold up on a larger screen than it was shot for, and voice tools for guide tracks and rough dubbing before a real voice artist records the final pass.
What we tried and dropped
Fully AI-generated hero footage for anything client-facing — the inconsistency between shots wasn't worth the time saved. AI music generation for anything beyond a rough temp track — licensed, human-composed music still sounds meaningfully better once you're listening critically, which a brand's audience eventually is.
The pattern across all of it: AI tools are excellent at compressing the parts of production that are mechanical, and still need a person for everything that's actually creative or trust-critical.