How I'm already using AI in my video editing workflow: 6 reliable tools

The Lovebug Films Edit Suite

AI is an excellent tool to get clients great results - faster. AI is not going to replace the video editor... yet. But it is a huge help to some of the bottlenecks we often face. AI can be a bit nebulous in attempting to answer a proper brief, but these tools are mostly user-operated and can be dialed in to get a usable result. They all require some level of reintegration with the edit, so it is important to have an editor who knows how to handle nondestructive workflows.

Let's get stuck into how I'm leveraging some of these genuinely excellent tools in the post-production workflow.

1. Premiere Pro's Text-Based Video Editing

This one has been a feature in Avid for sometime through ScriptSync, but now we have an AI powered version in Premiere. It works by transcribing the audio of spoken dialogue, and then generates an interactive and clickable transcription that can be used to both navigate within the timeline and also to edit from. It means that I can highlight a sentence from the transcript and import it straight into my timeline as video. This is a massive time-saver for narrative and documentary projects, letting me focus on the story and client message. It's particularly useful for clients who like paper-edits as I can simply search for the selected text in Premiere and it pulls the grab up in the timeline for me. Now that it's been transcribed and timecoded, I can also generate captions from this, an awesome bonus!

2. DaVinci Resolve's AI Depth Map

DaVinci Resolve's AI Depth Map is incredibly powerful. This feature can analyze footage and figure out what's close and what's far away, creating a 3D depth map. This opens up a world of creative possibilities for clients who want that added visual sophistication. I can use it to selectively color grade elements at different depths, add realistic fog or haze for mood, or even create gorgeous rack focus effects in post. It is particularly handy for achieving precise depth of field when compositing things like phone screens. It offers an amazing level of artistic control and visual enhancement, all while keeping the workflow super efficient. It can even function as a reasonable roto for temp vfx.

3. DaVinci Resolve's AI Magic Mask

This tool lets me quickly and accurately select specific objects or people within a shot with incredible precision. Magic Mask uses AI to automatically track and refine the selection. This dramatically speeds up tasks that used to require painstaking manual rotoscoping. It allows for targeted colour grading on specific areas of the image.

4. Nuke CopyCat

Nuke's CopyCat is a fantastic example of AI lending a hand with traditionally time-consuming work like removals and rotoscoping. Unlike other under-the-hood AI, CopyCat actually allows you to train models locally. So, it can be used to Auto-Paint beauty work or remove things, even to generate roto mattes. The key here is the freedom to train your own models based on user-defined input.

5. iZotope for Audio Repair

Nothing pulls an audience out of an immersive experience faster than shoddy sound. This is exactly where AI-powered tools like iZotope shine. iZotope's suite of audio repair tools uses AI to intelligently identify and tackle common audio problems like background noise. iZotope can often isolate dialogue with remarkable precision and speed, ensuring crystal-clear sound that perfectly complements the visuals and enhances the overall message for the client.

6. Generative Fill

There's a reason why this is the big feature you see Adobe market, it is incredible. It isn't always perfect first go, but that is why you need real people - not machines. I often use multiple generative fill outputs that I photoshop together to get a flawless result. This tool is amazing for rebuilding parts of the set, or removing tracking markers, crew and gear. I've even used it to seamlessly extend backgrounds to reframe for social. This saves a tremendous amount of time compared to traditional frame-by-frame cloning or painting. Even if I end up having to photoshop a few results together and use traditional painting techniques, the generative fill results get me SO much closer, faster. Which is time and cost saving for all!

AI isn't taking the role of video editing; it's a practical and powerful set of tools that are already part of my workflow and deliver exceptional results for my clients. Complex tasks are much more accessible and more efficient, allowing you to focus more on the creative aspects of editing. Embrace the magic!