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Welcome back to the Fog Blog! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is starting off 2025 feeling inspired and motivated.
Although AI has existed for quite some time, its sudden rise to prominence and widespread adoption have become especially evident over the past year—at least in my experience. At the beginning of 2024, I set out to integrate AI into the Fog Coast workflow in practical and meaningful ways. Through this journey, I’ve discovered that AI’s role in video production is no longer a distant vision of the future; it has become a tangible, highly effective tool for creatives and marketers alike. However, it does come with some baggage.
As a producer working closely with clients, creatives, and innovative tools, I’ve seen firsthand the opportunities and complexities that AI brings to the table. There’s a lot to unpack—both the exciting breakthroughs and the frustrating obstacles. My goal with this article is to give you an honest look at how AI has impacted my work, my process, and my business over the past year. So, let’s dive in and break it all down- the good, the bad, the ugly.
The Good
Enhanced Efficiency
Sure, call this low-hanging fruit, but there’s no denying that AI has revolutionized efficiency in the creative industry—particularly in video production. Tasks that once required hours of manual effort, like transcriptions, generating captions, storyboarding, and even preliminary scriptwriting, can now be accomplished in mere seconds. These tools don’t just save time; they free up valuable mental bandwidth, allowing teams to focus on the creative aspects that truly make an impact.
Ultimately, AI takes care of the grunt work, the tedious and repetitive tasks that used to eat up time and energy, so producers, editors, and directors can focus on what truly matters: crafting compelling, meaningful narratives that resonate with audiences. For us, it’s not about replacing creativity but enhancing it by creating the space to focus on innovation and storytelling.
New Creative Possibilities
AI has unlocked a whole new world of creative possibilities, and one of the most transformative tools I’ve embraced is custom voice generation. I use it regularly, whether it’s to create voiceovers or to seamlessly connect key points in a client’s interview. This technology has completely changed the game for post-production.
For years, I’ve had moments in the editing process where I wished a client had phrased something differently or ended a sentence with a slightly different intonation. Now, with AI voice tools, those small but significant tweaks are possible at the click of a button. It’s a subtle change that can make a big difference in the final product, and having that level of flexibility has been a welcome addition to our workflow.
Beyond voice generation, I’ve been diving into other AI-driven tools that are reshaping how we approach video production. From music generation and manipulation to text-to-image tools for visual concept creation, and even script development, AI has opened up exciting new avenues for creativity. One of the most impressive advancements has been accessibility enhancements, like translation tools, which allow us to instantly play back our videos in virtually any language…very cool.
Cost Savings
As a video production company, AI has enabled us to reduce costs in areas that traditionally required substantial time and resources, particularly in pre-production and administrative tasks. By automating processes like scriptwriting, shot-list creation, script breakdowns, and generating visual references or mood boards, we no longer need to allocate as much of the client’s budget to these foundational but time-consuming elements. This efficiency allows us to stretch smaller budgets further, allowing us to take on more opportunities and ensuring even modestly funded productions receive the same high-quality results. Importantly, these savings don’t compromise the critical pre-production work required for success—they simply make it more streamlined and accessible.
The Bad
Client Uncertainty & Confusion with Marketing Strategy/Spend
The truth is, there’s still a lot we don’t know about AI. Many people have a general misunderstanding of the technology and its limitations, and there remains a significant lack of familiarity with how to use it effectively.
What’s interesting, though, is that while many people don’t fully understand how AI works or what its boundaries are, they also recognize that it’s here to stay—and that adopting it is becoming important to stay competitive.
This creates a tricky dynamic between creative professionals and their clients. While clients recognize the importance of AI, they’re overwhelmed by an avalanche of tools and promises, each claiming to be the magic fix for outdated methods. The result? Many find themselves stuck in a frustrating loop—testing tools at random, bouncing between free trials, and wasting valuable time and resources on strategies that fail to deliver meaningful results. I know this firsthand because, as a business owner, I’ve been through it myself.
The downside is that this distraction from the overload of options often shifts focus away from creative professionals. These are the people who either excel at producing exceptional content without relying on AI or know how to truly leverage AI tools to create impactful, high-quality work. In my view, this misalignment has been a key driver of job displacement in the age of AI…more on that later.
The “Magic Button” Misconception
A growing challenge in our industry is the widespread misconception that AI can produce anything imaginable with the press of a button. While AI is undeniably powerful and transformative, it’s not a magic wand that delivers flawless results instantly. This misunderstanding often arises from a lack of familiarity with the technology and its limitations.
Over the past year alone, I’ve lost count of the number of times a client has said something like, “I’m sure there’s an AI tool for that,” or, “Let’s just have AI clean it up.” And while there are definitely cases where AI can step in and do the dirty work, these comments reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of what AI can and cannot do. Yes, AI is a valuable tool for streamlining certain tasks, but it doesn’t replace the creativity, expertise, and strategic thinking required for truly effective video marketing.
This over-reliance on AI as a quick fix undermines the artistry and thoughtfulness that go into impactful campaigns. The creative process still requires problem-solving, iteration, and nuance—things that machines simply can’t replicate. This disconnect often leads to unrealistic expectations, with clients underestimating the time, effort, and skill it takes to bring their vision to life. The result? Smaller budgets and higher expectations—an unsustainable equation for meaningful creative work.
Generic Output
A few years back I wrote a blog post comparing stock footage to fish. The idea was simple: have you ever had fish that tastes too fishy? It’s one of the few foods where you don’t actually want it to taste like itself. AI generated content is a lot like that—you don’t want it to look too much like AI.
Let me clarify: there’s a big difference between content created with the assistance of AI and content entirely generated by AI. This point focuses on the latter. The issue with most fully AI-generated content is that it’s drawn from the same datasets, so the outputs often feel like recycled versions of what’s already out there.
This lack of originality flattens the creative landscape, resulting in work that feels repetitive, uninspired, and predictable. It’s missing the bold, fresh ideas that only human intuition and perspective can bring—the kind that push boundaries and truly resonate. While AI is an incredible tool, relying on it exclusively risks diluting creativity rather than enhancing it.
The Ugly
Job Displacement
I’m sure you saw this coming, and it’s real—AI is having a tangible impact on opportunities for creatives across the board. I’d be lying if I said my hands were completely clean; I’ve used AI as an alternative to human input at times. This is the reality of today’s landscape. While AI can be a powerful tool, it also highlights the challenges and trade-offs we face as the technology continues to evolve.
The biggest impact I’ve noticed has been on smaller-budget projects (those under $5k) and content like educational course materials, talking heads, and HR training. There’s been a significant shift toward companies using digital avatars to deliver what, in my opinion, results in content that feels a bit more monotonous. Additionally, tools designed to create quick, bite-sized social content have skyrocketed in popularity among marketers, further shaping the way creative work is approached and produced.
One of the most striking examples of AI replacing jobs was in the form of Coca-Cola’s recent AI-generated holiday ad, Ironically paired with a “real magic” tagline sparked backlash as a clear example of AI-driven job displacement. Critics called the ad “soulless” and pointed out technical flaws, while others voiced concerns about AI replacing human creatives. Many felt the ad lacked the warmth and authenticity that human artistry brings, fueling frustration over the growing reliance on AI in creative industries.
Ethical and Legal Concerns
AI has brought with it a host of ethical and legal concerns that can’t be ignored. One of the biggest issues is the question of authorship and intellectual property—when AI generates content, who truly owns it? This has led to disputes over copyright, particularly in creative industries.
Additionally, the use of AI often raises ethical questions about transparency and accountability. For instance, when AI is used to create content or make decisions, it’s not always clear who should be held responsible if something goes wrong. There’s also the risk of bias, as AI systems can unintentionally perpetuate existing inequalities if they’re trained on biased data. These concerns make it essential for companies and creatives alike to navigate the use of AI responsibly, balancing its benefits with a commitment to ethical practices and legal compliance.
Conclusion: A Balanced Future with AI
After a year of working with AI, one thing is clear: it’s a tool. Used thoughtfully, AI can streamline workflows, spark creativity, and reduce costs. However, when misunderstood or over-relied upon, it risks leading to generic results, unrealistic expectations, and job displacement.
The key is balance. While AI excels at efficiency, the heart of impactful work—storytelling, vision, and emotional connection—remains a distinctly human domain. Moving forward, I’m committed to using AI as a collaborator, ensuring it complements the artistry and emotional depth that define great video production. Let’s use it wisely.
Stay groovy! 🌟
Written By: Andrew Klein, Executive Producer at Fog Coast Productions