AI overview
Artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly reshaping the role of the editor in film and television production. With AI-driven tools and assistants, many of the editor's processes can become more efficient.
AI assistants can help with automating many tedious tasks such as organising footage, making preliminary scene selections and suggesting optimal takes based on a particular performance or achieving continuity between shots. This allows editors to focus on the creative and storytelling aspects of their role, such as pacing, rhythm and emotional tone, while AI handles routine tasks that previously may have consumed much of their time.
AI tools can also analyse scripts and footage to anticipate potential editing decisions, streamlining the workflow further.
As well as these new ways of working, AI is influencing how editors collaborate with other departments, such as sound design and visual effects. It can assist in syncing dialogue, enhancing soundscapes, and integrating some aspects of VFX directly into the editing process, which traditionally required extensive manual oversight.
However, while AI brings undeniable efficiencies, editors still play a critical role in the creative process. Their expertise in storytelling, problem-solving and working collaboratively with real people and their ideas remains essential.
AI may assist for some of the more routine elements, but the human centred story and editor’s eye for detail, creative judgement and ability to shape a narrative are irreplaceable.
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How can I prepare for the future?
To prepare for the future, editors will need to keep up with emerging technologies, particularly advancements in AI, virtual production and automation in post-production workflows.
As AI tools become more integrated, editors have an opportunity to focus on refining their skills with these technologies while maintaining their creative storytelling abilities.
Understanding how to control and train bespoke AI systems to carry out editing in their specific style will become more and more common.
New techniques using the capability of these techniques creatively will also appear, carrying out process or editing techniques that were simply too time consuming and/or expensive before.
Embracing AI in the editing process
AI can be a valuable tool to empower editors. Simple wins such as automating repetitive tasks like organising footage, syncing audio and identifying continuity errors will free up valuable time for editors to focus on the creative aspects of their work - crafting compelling narratives, enhancing pacing and perfecting emotional beats.
Far from stifling creativity, AI can act as a collaborative partner, offering new possibilities for rapid experimentation and human led innovation in storytelling.
Additionally, AI’s data-driven insights can help editors tailor their work to audience preferences while maintaining their artistic integrity.
Real-time rendering, automated colour grading and intelligent scene suggestions are just a few examples of how AI can help with efficiency in post-production.
By embracing AI, editors can stay on top of industry trends and contribute to productions in ways that are both innovative and impactful.
Employing a mindset of adaptability and curiosity, editors can leverage AI to push the boundaries of their craft and continue telling stories that resonate with audiences worldwide.
What AI tools can I use right now?
There are many tools allowing editors to quickly compile data and information from previous productions and summarise both looks, styles and other details.
Comparison of this kind of data with audience feedback and reactions can also lead to useful insights on whether a particular style or application was effective.
The ability to analyse and assess extremely large datasets from every aspect of a production simultaneously is opening up many new avenues of opportunity.
Automatic labelling and reviewing of dailies can now take place with specific moments in each shoot being able to be categorised to speed up the final review and selection process. Data from shoot paperwork can be collated and referenced directly and automatically.
Local AI tools can be deployed ensuring commercially sensitive information is not uploaded to cloud based tools.
Aspects of continuity editing and reporting can also be automated, with AI being able to highlight differences between shots and suggest cuts as a starting point. For example, extracting focal lengths and depth of field information from a shot and labelling each shot with this data. Or producing eyeline metadata and forming a potential timeline.
There is also potential for some real time non-destructive correction of these kinds of elements in the coming years.
The ability to ‘generatively fill’ video content will also soon be available. In the same way we can currently adjust sections of an image, based on its position, the ability to do this in ‘time’ (i.e. create an additional frame based on the previous one) will also be possible.
This will give editors the ability to extend a shot or scene to solve timing or narrative problems and challenges without having to reshoot or recourse to costly VFX processes. This kind of content could be trained directly from a studio's own dataset to ensure copyright and providence.
AI-assisted editing tools: AI tools that help automate tasks like scene selection, continuity checks and even suggest edits based on performance and pacing.
Cloud-based collaboration platforms: Platforms allowing editors to work remotely and collaborate in real time with teams across locations, improving workflow efficiency.
Virtual production integration: The ability to edit in real time with digital environments, integrating VFX, sound and pre-visualised footage early in the process.
Automation in sound design and colour grading: AI tools that can automate elements of sound mixing and colour grading, speeding up the post-production timeline.
Real-time rendering for VFX: Allows editors to work with fully rendered VFX in real-time, reducing waiting periods for post-production effects.
Bespoke large AI models: New technologies are enabling large existing back catalogues to be used to help with the creation of new content in an editor's particular style.
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Other resources:
- Adobe and Avid provide tutorials on AI features in their editing software
- Frame.io and Avid offer resources and training on cloud-based collaboration
- Unreal Engine provides free online courses in virtual editing and production
- Industry events like BSC Expo offer workshops on new post production technologies
- Adobe and Blackmagic Design also provide tutorials on automations tools
- Unreal Engine and Foundry (Nuke) provide training on real-time rendering for VFX