Video Production with Artificial Intelligence
Comprehensive Guide for Independent Journalists and Filmmakers
“Upon their strings, the papers dance,
Ink-stained puppets, in dark romance,
With sharpened quills, they pen their lies,
To fan the flames, and stoke the cries.For war and ruin, they conspire,
To set the world's stage afire,
With whispered words and twisted truth,
They prey on minds, both old and youth.”
Table of Contents
Introduction: Censorship, Decline of Mainstream Media and Rise of Independent Journalism
AI in Journalism Today: A Survey
Video Production Overview
Writing a Compelling Story and Turning it into a Script
General Purpose Writing Tools
Specialized Tools For Scripting
Storyboarding, Pre-Visualization, Planning, and Scheduling
Video Production and Editing
AI-powered Image Generation
Text-to-Video AI Tools
Traditional Video Editing Tools
Visual Effects
Music Production (Preview)
Video Services Marketplaces
Tools for Publishing and Distributing Digital Video Content
Censored Media Platforms
Specialized Platforms
Distribution Networks
Censorship-Resistant Video Distribution Platforms
Online Communities for Video Creators
Special Mention: Journalist Studio from Google
Ethical and Legal Considerations in Video Production with AI
Next Steps
Advanced Video Production (for paid subscribers only)
Advanced AI Writing Tools
Advanced Text-to-Video AI Tools
AI Animation and Talking Avatar Tools
AI Text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text (STT) tools
Licensing Copyrighted Image, Music and Video Content
Future articles to be released by this blog (details subject to change)
Image Generation with Artificial Intelligence
Music Production with Artificial Intelligence
Advanced AI Video Production
Sourcing Stories and Fact Checking
Online Data Sources for Independent Journalism
Leveraging OSINT Tools in Journalism
Sources of data on public and private companies
Low-Code and No-Code Tools for Independent Journalists
Content Management Systems (CMS)
This is the list of future planned articles in this Series of articles called Independent Media in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, of which this Video Production with Artificial Intelligence is the first one. Free subscribers will receive most of the content but more advanced sections will be available only for paid subscribers. Special offer: all journalists, authors and creators with audiences of 100 thousand followers or larger are entitled to a complimentary 6 months subscription to this blog, which includes paid version of this post and future posts on AI in Media. See the end of this article for details on how to claim your claim your free subscription. Subscribe to enjoy access to the full text of the complete series. Please let me know if you would like for me to cover any additional subjects relevant to independent journalism and multimedia content production in this series. Please send your suggestions and comments to the author via email to thefrontierm(at)gmail.com and via Telegram at @versesandvisions.
1. Introduction: Censorship, Decline of Mainstream Media and Rise of Independent Journalism
This section is primarily for independent journalists. If you are a filmmaker, you can skip to the Video Production section below.
The Western media landscape has undergone profound shifts in recent years, facing challenges from pervasive government and corporate censorship, plummeting audience trust in mainstream media, but also opening many exciting opportunities, primarily arising from new AI driven production and distribution technologies and the rise of censorship resistant distribution platforms.
Government and corporate censorship is not new. Governments and corporations have been known to censor free speech and restrict the flow of information for as long as media existed. However, in recent years, censorship of free speech in the US and Western countries has increased dramatically, leading to major loss of trust in mainstream media and rapidly declining audiences of major mainstream outlets. Recent congressional, journalist (e.g. TwitterFiles) and academic investigations have uncovered and extensively documented with persuasive evidence the uncomfortable reality that traditional legacy “mainstream” media as well as “Big Tech”, including most social networks, have been captured by corporate and government interests, and engage in pervasive comprehensive censorship of free speech. Although a US district Court recently issued an injunction barring the White House and several government agencies from certain censorship actions, government and corporate censorship continues at large scale today. “Big Tech” companies such as Google, Meta, and X continue to censor, ban, shadow ban, demonetize and deamplify truthful reporting and individual user posts inconvenient to the corporate and government interests. This totalitarian censorship has led to mass scale shadow bans, demonetization, and permanent bans of accounts of journalists, independent media, politicians, and citizens.
The Westminster Declaration, worth reading in full, was signed by a group of 138 scholars, public intellectuals, and journalists from across the political spectrum gives the best summary of the dramatic increase in totalitarian censorship by Western governments. The Westminster Declaration issued a strong call warning the public of the Censorship Industrial Complex and urging governments to dismantle it in the name of the “first liberty,” freedom of speech. Great news - to support truth tellers, I am gifting free 6 month subscriptions to all signatories of the Westminster Declaration - please contact the author via email at thefrontierm(at)gmail.com or via Telegram at @versesandvisions to claim your free subscription. It includes this post’s paid section and full future posts in the AI in Media Series.
I write and publish poetry on this Verses and Visions blog on Substack (also available Locals and Telegram) and, sadly, I have been censored by X/Twitter, which permanently banned my X/Twitter poetry account without any explanation or any compensation for the loss of investment in advertising fees I spent on promoting my account on Twitter and other platforms, so I am personally familiar with the challenges of Big Tech censorship faced by independent authors. The full story of how X/Twitter censored and banned my poetry is available here, including a video poem about X censorship addressed to Elon Musk. My poems Secrets (video version), Freedom, and The Empire directly address censorship of free speech and the wrongdoing such censorship enables. My poem The Algorithm examines Big Tech censorship.
In addition to political censorship, large media companies which control most of mainstream media, primarily owned by large corporations, have betrayed the trust of their audience, spreading misinformation and false stories promoted by corporate interests and government agencies. Majority of Americans justifiably believe that mainstream media are deliberately misleading and misinforming the public. Findings of Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer for 2023 also show that the majority of people believe that government and media fuel a cycle of distrust, seen as sources of misleading information.
As a result, Americans have lost trust in the mainstream media and their audiences collapsed. For example, CNN’s average audience is now frequently falling below 300 thousand viewers, hitting multi-decade lows in 2023.
Many attempts to censor free speech, such as abrupt termination of Tucker Carlson’s Fox contract, have backfired. For example, some of Tucker Carlon’s interviews published on X have been viewed by hundreds of millions of users, making him even more popular than he was while at Fox. Major independent journalists and media personalities have built massive audiences. For example, Joe Rogan, Green Gleenwald, Russell Brand, and Jimmy Dore built large audiences of millions of users on video and other publishing platforms. Sadly, instead of responding to viewer concerns and reducing censorship, mainstream media have further discredited itself by launching coordinated “cancel” attacks on independent media voices and media platforms, for example a campaign to “cancel” Russell Brand and a media and government war on free speech video platform Rumble.
Given the comprehensive failure of mainstream media to inform the public and act in the public interest, independent journalists are now essentially the main and most important source of truthful information and content for viewers who can no longer stand the lying and pervasive conflicts of interest of traditional media anymore. Given the rapidly growing following of independent media, Americans are rapidly recognizing the value of independent journalism and are switching their attention to credible independent media.
Against this backdrop, independent journalism has seen a substantial rise in popularity and credibility. Many independent journalists operate online, providing a variety of perspectives, often unfiltered and less subject to censorship. They rely on crowdfunding, subscriptions, and other innovative models to sustain their operations. Platforms like Rumble, Substack, and Patreon have enabled these journalists to reach a broad audience and avoid or mitigate “Big Tech” censorship.
At the same time, major advances in affordable digital tools, including those using Artificial Intelligence (AI), have made it much easier for independent journalists and content creators to create, publish, and distribute high quality news and video content. However, these independent journalists and media are usually individuals or small teams with limited resources and budgets. Since most journalists do not have technical background and skills, many of them do not take advantage of these new powerful and affordable tools which can dramatically increase the quality and quantity of their published content and reach much larger audiences by using new digital distribution tools and channels.
If we are to avoid an Orwellian totalitarian future where the government and large corporations completely control all speech, I believe that it is absolutely critical that independent journalism succeeds. Since I happen to be knowledgeable about technology and artificial intelligence, I decided to make myself useful and publish this series of articles with the goal of helping independent journalists and multimedia content creators to learn about and effectively employ new powerful digital and AI technologies which can dramatically improve quality of their content and reach of their distribution, helping them win the hearts, minds, and wallets of their audiences which would allow them to continue to tell the truth to the public. I also offer some advice on how to make their publishing more censorship-resistant by moving their audiences to platforms committed to preserving free speech from heavily censored legacy platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. This article is the first chapter of a series called “Independent Media in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”. I also publish a future draft table of contents of the whole series at the beginning of this article. Please let me know if there are additional topics you would like me to cover in this series of articles. Author’s contact information is at the end of this article. Please report any errors or omissions so this and future articles can be improved.
2. AI in Journalism Today: A Survey
This survey by Journalism AI examines how 105 newsrooms across 46 countries are using AI in news gathering, production, and distribution (PDF here). More than 120 editors, journalists, technologies and mediamakers from 105 small and large newsrooms share their learnings on the use of AI. While this survey primarily interviewed larger news organizations, not independent journalists, its conclusions are still useful for understanding the state of AI in journalism today.
Key conclusions
Wide AI adoption is uneven and challenging. Over 75% of respondents use AI in news gathering, production or distribution, but only a third have an AI strategy.
Efficiency and freeing up journalists are the primary drivers of AI adoption (over 50%). But only 1/3 feel fully ready to handle AI adoption challenges like explaining AI, setting guidelines, and debiasing algorithms. Over 60% are concerned about the ethical implications of AI integration. Eighty percent expect AI's role to grow, influencing fact-checking, content generation, personalization and sentiment analysis.
More than 75% of respondents use AI in at least one of the areas across the news value chain of news gathering, production and distribution, increasing efficiency and productivity to free up journalists for more creative work were the main drivers for AI integration for more than half the respondents.
Around 1/3 of respondents believe their organizations are ready to deal with the challenges of AI adoption in journalism, while almost half said they were only partially ready or not ready yet.
About 80% of respondents expect a larger role for AI in their newsrooms in the future.
The vast majority of respondents, around 85%, have at least experimented with generative AI (genAI) technologies in a range of ways such as writing code, image generation, and authoring summaries.
Several respondents mentioned using tools like Google Trends, web scraping, and data mining services like Dataminr and Rapidminer and CrowdTangle, Echobox, and SocialFlow to optimize social media content scheduling.
Respondents also mentioned using chatbots to create more personalized experiences and achieve faster response rates.
AI-driven SEO tools can help newsrooms boost discoverability and better understand their audiences’ interests.
Almost 43% of responses emphasized the importance of training journalists and other personnel in AI literacy skills and technologies.
The vast majority of responses, more than 90%, highlighted the need for training in a variety of skills and competencies.
This survey’s results emphasize and confirm my thesis that education and training of journalists in AI tools must be a key priority.
Interesting quotes from the survey
“Ubersuggest helps me see which keywords are highly searched online, Google Discover shows me which stories and keywords are trending, CrowdTangle shows me which social media posts are over performing. This helps me create relevant news stories that people are interested in. Using SEO keywords that are searched often increases the likelihood of the stories reaching a higher number of people.“
“Scraping web pages and creating Slack alerts based on filters have been the most successful applications so far.”
“Proofreading and basic copy editing have been very successful; video production using stable diffusion has also worked well.”
“AI may empower the smallest of the newsrooms to experiment and reach further than has been possible.”
“Things are moving fast and some things might get broken. Working practices will not be the same and some jobs will be replaced. New ones will be created with different skills and responsibilities. Many journalists who have experimented with genAI can see how it can make their work much more efficient and add new dimensions to what they offer to the public”
“Recommender systems and NLP systems affecting distribution have been the most significant success.”
“Automated transcription and claim-checking…”
“AI will transform the news industry through increased personalized products, generation of news in multimedia, intensified verification functions, increased productivity.”
3. Video Production Overview
In the multimedia-rich age of journalism and content creation, video has become an integral element that engages audiences and enriches storytelling. Both traditional journalists and content creators increasingly rely on video to make their points more compelling. Digital technologies and AI are revolutionizing video creation and offering unprecedented opportunities, whether you are a beginner, or an experienced filmmaker or journalist. Whether you are an independent journalist aiming to break a critical news story or a content creator looking to engage your audience, there is likely a digital tool that fits your needs. Many are free or affordable for individual creators or teams on a small budget.
While traditional editing software offers a high degree of control and precision, AI-powered tools are breaking down barriers, making video editing quicker and more accessible. Combining the pros of both could be the key to producing eye-catching, impactful videos. This article explores some of the best digital video editing tools, their features, and how they are revolutionizing the field. Imagine a world where the boundaries between technology and creative expression are virtually nonexistent. It is arriving now.
This recent short video will give you an idea of what affordable AI video tools can already do today. Recent TechCrunch conference panel video discussing using AI in filmmaking. If you would like some inspiration about the future of AI in video, I recommend watching this recent discussion of AI in video production by Ben and Marc, founders of a leading VC firm Andreessen Horowitz. For a more technical overview of current AI capabilities and Sequoia tools, see this post.
Open source software such as open source AI models and tools (e.g. Stable Diffusion or Zeroscape) have become a very important part of the video production tools landscape. Open source software is usually free and customizable, backed by a developer community. However, it often has a steep learning curve, often requiring technical skills to deploy, and may lack formal customer support. Proprietary, “normal” software, on the other hand, is generally user-friendly and comes with dedicated customer service, but it can be expensive and less customizable. If you prioritize cost-effectiveness and customizability, open source could be a good fit. However, if you require extensive customer support and a range of built-in features, proprietary software is often a better option.
Additional Resources
Reddit r/aivideo community keeps an updated curated list of AI video creation tools, which is very much worth exploring.
4. Writing a Compelling Story and Turning it into a Script
AI-based writing assistants can serve as a valuable resource for journalists and scriptwriters, helping to craft compelling stories and scripts for videos. AI-based tools such as ChatGPT, Jasper.ai, and Grammarly can help write, edit, check for clarity, conciseness, and even suggest adjustments in tone and style. Tools such as Plotagon or AI21's AI writing assistant can provide suggestions for plot development, dialogue structure, and even character arcs. These recommendations come from the tool's analysis of large datasets comprising scripts and literary works.
General Purpose Writing Tools
Jasper.ai (AI)
Jasper aims to simplify the writing process for authors, marketers, bloggers, and businesses. The tool aims to be a one-stop-shop for all content needs, providing a comprehensive solution rather than specialized functionalities. Jasper.ai is primarily designed for content marketers, digital marketers, and businesses looking to automate parts of their content creation process. However, some features could be beneficial for journalists too.
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Quick Drafting: Jasper can help quickly generate drafts or outlines for articles or stories.
Idea Generation: Jasper can assist in coming up with different angles or viewpoints on a topic, aiding in the brainstorming process.
Quality Writing: Jasper is designed to produce grammatically correct and coherent text, which could reduce the time journalists spend on editing.
Customization: The ability to tailor the AI's writing style can help journalists match the tone and style appropriate for their publications.
Templates: A rich library of templates for different content types enables users to hit the ground running, saving valuable time. While Jasper comes with various templates aimed at digital marketing, some of these could be repurposed or used as a starting point for journalistic writing. For example, blog post templates could be adapted for feature articles.
Content Types: Jasper can generate various types of content, from long-form articles to short snippets, which could be useful for journalists working across different media.
Research Summaries: While not a substitute for comprehensive research, Jasper could help in summarizing large volumes of text, making it easier for journalists to sift through information.
Versatility: Jasper.ai is designed to handle a multitude of writing tasks, from generating blog posts and articles to crafting compelling email templates and ad copies.
User-Friendly Interface: The platform offers an intuitive user experience, streamlining the writing process for both beginners and experts.
Customization: The tool allows for a high degree of customization, enabling users to match the generated content with their unique voice and style.
Cost-Effective: Compared to hiring freelance writers or maintaining an in-house content team, Jasper.ai provides a more budget-friendly option.
Consistency: The AI engine ensures that the content maintains a uniform tone and style, enhancing brand image.
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Jasper is a general purpose writing tool not specialized for journalistic work.
Quality Control: The generated content may require human oversight for factual accuracy and contextual relevance.
Requires a paid subscription.
ChatGPT Plus (AI)
The latest iteration of OpenAI's conversational agent GPT 4, while not a special purpose tool for writing and journalism, can be an excellent tool for writing, research, and editing. Available for $20 per month in the US.
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Speed: One of the primary advantages is the speed at which ChatGPT-4 can generate text. Journalists can quickly draft ideas and scripts, allowing them to focus on research and storytelling.
Cost-Effective: Compared to hiring a dedicated writer or script editor, ChatGPT-4 offers a financially viable option for those who are budget-constrained.
Ideation: The AI model can generate a variety of ideas or angles for a story, thereby enhancing the creative process.
Grammar and Style: The tool has advanced language capabilities, helping journalists in ensuring grammatical accuracy and refining the tone and style of the script.
Integrations: ChatGPT-4 can be integrated into various project management and scriptwriting software, making it easier to collaborate with team members.
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No access to latest data or information: the chatbot’s model is trained on data through 2022 and cannot access more recent data or access the internet.
No specialized tools for journalists—this is a general purpose large-language model.
Grammarly (AI)
An AI-powered writing assistant that checks for grammatical errors, style, and more.
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Real-time Suggestions: Provides instant corrections as you type.
Tone Detection: Alerts you to the tone of your writing.
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The free version is limited; the premium version requires a subscription.
Accuracy: May occasionally make incorrect suggestions.
This tool has limited functionality compared to Jasper.ai, ChatGPT and other tools
Heygen (AI)
Heygen.com is a platform for generating written content through machine learning. It assists with tasks like blog post creation, copywriting, and other forms of written expression.
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Quick content generation
User-friendly interface
Multiple templates for different needs
Built-in SEO features
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May require editing for nuances
Limited creative control
Subscription required
Specialized Tools For Scripting
The scripting stage is a cornerstone in the video pre-production process. It's where the narrative, flow, and overall structure of the project come to life. For independent filmmakers and journalists who often operate with limited resources, optimizing this process is essential for both effective production and storytelling. Here, digital and AI tools can make a significant impact, extending capabilities beyond basic word processing. When it comes to the labor-intensive task of formatting a screenplay, digital tools offer automated solutions. Most of these platforms come with templates that adhere to industry standards, ensuring that your script is professionally formatted and ready for the subsequent stages of pre-production.
Real-time collaboration is another area where digital tools excel. Platforms like WriterDuet or Celtx let multiple people work on a script in real time, with changes instantly synced. These platforms also feature versioning, allowing you to revert to previous script versions when necessary. Here are some of the best tools (more advanced tools are included in the subscriber only part of the post):
Lore Machine (AI)
Lore Machine is an AI software tool that takes a novel approach to screenwriting. This generative AI system transforms an input text into multimedia content, such as a storyboard, offering screenwriters a way to visualize and enhance their stories. Unlike traditional screenwriting tools that focus solely on scriptwriting, Lore Machine bridges the gap between text and visual representation, making it a valuable tool for screenwriters aiming to bring their stories to life in a more vivid manner.
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Innovative Storytelling Synthesizer: Provides a comprehensive generative storytelling system, making it user-friendly even for those without a technical background.
Story Visualization System: Unlike other tools, it allows users to input an entire story and generate a sequential art gallery, offering a holistic view of the script.
Studio System: Transforms text into immersive multimedia experiences, identifying characters, locations, actions, and moods for a complete visual story representation.
Affordable Pricing: Uses a credit system, with 20 dollars allowing visualization of 27 short stories, 5 film scripts, or 2 novels.
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There is a learning curve.
Dependent on Prompt Text Quality: The quality of the generated multimedia content might vary based on the quality of the input text.
Beta: The software is not generally available yet. Interested people may sign up on the waitlist.
FinalDraft is a screenwriting software considered an industry standard for scriptwriters, playwrights, and professionals in the entertainment industry. It offers specialized features for formatting, character tracking, real-time collaboration, and more.
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Industry-standard format, Automates the formatting to meet professional script writing standards
Story Mapping: outline acts, scenes, and sequences easily.
Templates: access to a variety of scriptwriting templates.
Real-time collaborative writing with other team members.
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Currently, $175/seat which is relatively expensive for independent writers.
Learning Curve: Might take some time to get accustomed to all the features.
Limited Flexibility: Built specifically for scriptwriting; not suitable for other types of writing.
WriterDuet is a real-time collaborative scriptwriting software designed to make the co-writing process smoother. It offers features like real-time synchronization, versioning, and industry-standard script formatting.
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Real-Time Collaboration: Enables multiple users to work on the same script simultaneously.
Versioning: Allows easy reversion to previous drafts.
Industry-Standard Formatting: Automatically formats the script to industry standards, saving time and ensuring professionalism.
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User Interface: Some users find the interface cluttered and less intuitive.
Subscription Model: The entire range of features is only available through a subscription which could be costly for some.
Additional Useful Writing Tools
Authory is a platform designed to help writers manage and track their work. It allows users to compile their articles in one place, making it easier to share and promote their content. The platform also provides analytics to help writers understand their audience better. Authory's primary advantage is its ability to consolidate a writer's work in one place. This feature simplifies the process of managing and promoting content, saving writers valuable time and effort. The tool also provides analytics, offering insights into audience engagement. This feature can help writers tailor their content to their readers' interests, potentially increasing their reach and impact. Authory is not primarily a content creation tool. Instead, it provides a platform for writers to compile, share, and track their work, offering a different set of features compared to traditional authoring tools.
Copyscape provides a free plagiarism checker for finding copies of your web pages online, and powerful professional solutions for preventing content theft and content fraud.
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Accuracy: Highly reliable in detecting plagiarized content.
Multiple Formats: Supports text, URL, and file-based plagiarism checks.
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Cost Per Search: Each search incurs a small fee.
5. Storyboarding, Pre-Visualization, Planning, and Scheduling
Storia (AI)
Storia AI is a platform that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the process of video pre-production. It allows users to create storyboards, providing a visual representation of their video projects. This can be particularly useful for filmmakers, advertisers, and other content creators who need to plan their projects meticulously before production begins. The platform's AI-powered features can facilitate fast and efficient video production. It has the ability to synthesize images in a variety of cinematic styles, including those from renowned directors based on the prompts provided by the user.
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Storia AI offers a high degree of customizability, allowing users to fine-tune the fidelity of the image to the prompt and enabling them to achieve the desired artistic result.
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The effectiveness of Storia AI's text-to-image model largely depends on the quality of the prompts provided by the user. If the prompts are not well-crafted, the model may not produce the desired images
While Storia AI offers a range of powerful features, mastering these features may require a certain degree of technical knowledge and experience. As such, there may be a learning curve associated with using the platform.
Celtx is a cloud-based software used for pre-production processes, including scriptwriting, storyboard creation, and scheduling. While not as specialized as Toon Boom Storyboard Pro for storyboarding, it provides a broad range of tools for various aspects of film and TV production.
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Versatility: Provides a range of pre-production tools, including scriptwriting and scheduling, in addition to storyboarding.
Collaboration: Being cloud-based, it offers real-time collaboration features.
Affordable: More budget-friendly compared to specialized storyboard software.
Accessibility: Being cloud-based means you can access your projects from anywhere.
Ease of Use: Designed to be user-friendly, making it suitable for beginners.
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Less Specialized for Storyboarding: While it offers storyboarding features, they are not as advanced or specialized as those in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.
Internet Reliance: Being cloud-based, an internet connection is required for optimal functionality.
Limited Offline Capabilities: Reduced functionality when used offline.
Toon Boom Storyboard Pro is more suited for professionals seeking advanced storyboard and animatic capabilities specialized for storyboarding and animatics, whereas Celtx offers a broader, more accessible range of pre-production tools suitable for smaller teams and indie filmmakers. Celtx is less expensive and easier to learn.
6. Video Production and Editing
AI is truly revolutionizing filmmaking by democratizing the process and reducing costs, which is particularly promising for independent creators. AI-driven software can write scripts, generate video, insert CGI characters and environments directly into live footage, compose background scores, generate trailers, and do many other things. ”Deepfake” technologies offer the ability to digitally 'hire' expensive actors or correct facial expressions, providing a cost-effective solution without compromising quality. The next few years will be very exciting, putting high-quality affordable professional video creation tools in the hands of millions of creators.
For completeness, at the end of this section, I also include profiles of traditional video production tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Lightworks, and HitFilm Express.
If you are new to AI video production tools, this is a great short introduction video.
AI-powered Image Generation
Since video creation often starts with images, I would like to mention a couple of excellent AI tools for text to image generation. I plan to cover image generation in a lot more detail in future blog posts. Subscribe to my Substack account to receive future chapters via email.
MidJourney (AI)
MidJourney is a beta version of a text-to-image generator producing beautiful images using text prompts. Midjourney works as a Discord bot, generating stunning images from simple text prompts in seconds.
OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 (AI)
Successor to Open AI’s DALL-E 2, it’s an advanced image generation tool converting text prompts into detailed images. Expected to be released to ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users this fall.
Article comparing MidJourney and DALL-E 3
Canva (AI)
Canva.com is a popular online graphic design tool. It offers a plethora of features, including AI-powered tools, notably its AI-powered Magic Studio, that make designing more accessible, efficient, and creative. The tools allow users to make AI photo edits, add new elements with Magic Edit, or remove unwanted objects with Magic Eraser. Users can also adjust the color and lighting of the image's foreground and background or use the Auto-adjust feature for a crisp, clean photo in seconds. Another AI feature is the automated proofing tool, which flags texts that are below the recommended minimum font size, helping users maintain the readability and aesthetic appeal of their designs. It prompts users to increase the font size of flagged texts, ensuring that the design remains legible even when printed.
Canva’s AI Magic Studio Demo video
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Free-to-use platform, making it accessible to a wide range of users. It also offers a Pro version for individuals, solopreneurs, and freelance designers who want unlimited access to premium content.
Suite of features that cater to various design needs. These include a curved text generator, image enhancer, frames for photos, text addition to photos, and video conversion to MP4. These features offer users the flexibility to create a variety of designs, from social media posts and presentations to videos and logos
Comparison chart maker. This tool allows users to organize their data in a comparison table, making complex decisions easier. It can be used to present different packages, rate anything, or help customers choose from a range of products
User-friendly interface and AI-powered tools make it easy for users to create professional designs.
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Free version has limited features
DeepArt (AI)
DeepArt transforms any photo into artwork.
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Fast rendering
high-quality output
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Limited to visual aspects
Picsart.com (AI)
PicsArt is a mobile and web-based photo editing platform that also serves as a social network for creative people. It offers various editing tools and features to enhance images and create digital artwork.
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User-friendly interface
Extensive editing tools
Social networking features
Mobile-friendly
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Advertisements in the free version
In-app purchases for premium tools
Limited features compared to specialized software
Cleanup.pictures is a web-based platform that offers basic photo editing features such as cropping, color correction, and red-eye removal. It's designed for quick edits and cleanup tasks.
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Easy to use
No software installation needed
Basic features are free
Quick processing times
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Limited to basic editing capabilities
No support for bulk editing
No advanced graphics manipulation
Cost
Free basic features
Premium features available through in-app purchases
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open-source raster graphics editor used for tasks such as photo retouching, image editing, and image composition.
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Free to use
Open-source
Extensible via plugins
Wide range of features
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Steeper learning curve compared to some alternatives
User interface not as polished as commercial options
Limited customer support
Text-to-Video AI Tools
Runway (AI)
Runway is a new AI based video-editing platform which generates video and images, trains custom models to generate images based on existing data sets, erases backgrounds and objects, generates transcripts, and automatically detects scenes in longer videos to cut into shorter clips. Runway includes a creative toolkit that uses machine learning models to assist with various tasks like object removal, style transfer, and even GAN-based character creation.
Recent interview of Runway co-founder and CTO about the project
Tutorial: Introduction to Runway Gen-2
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Ease of Use: Simplifies complex video editing tasks via AI algorithms.
Wide range of machine learning models
Can integrate with existing software like Adobe Premiere Pro
Collaboration: Enables multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously in real time.
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Limited Control: Automated features may not offer the level of control desired by professionals.
Steeper learning curve
Pika Labs (AI)
Pika Labs is a simple to use, yet powerful text-to-video AI service. Pika Labs transforms text into video, providing a more immersive and engaging user experience. Furthermore, its focus on simplicity and user-friendliness sets it apart, making video creation accessible to everyone regardless of their technical skills. Currently, Pika Labs is in its beta phase, inviting users to join and explore its unique features.
Available via Discord
Tutorial: Introduction to Pika Labs
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User-Friendly: The platform is designed to be simple and intuitive, allowing users to create videos simply by typing.
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Beta: Being in the beta phase, users may encounter bugs or issues as the platform is still under development.
Veed.io (AI)
Veed.io is an online video editing tool designed to make video editing easy and accessible. It offers functionalities like cutting, trimming, adding subtitles, and much more directly from your web browser.
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Easy-to-use, intuitive interface
No download required
Features like subtitle addition and video speed adjustment
Suitable for both beginners and professionals.
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Limited free version capabilities
Requires a stable internet connection.
May not offer advanced editing features.
Dream by Wongo (AI)
Dream by Wongo is a new AI-powered tool that can generate videos from text. It is still in beta, but it has already been used to create videos for a variety of purposes, including marketing, education, and entertainment. To use Dream by Wongo, you simply enter a text prompt and the tool will generate a video based on your input. You can then customize the video by adding text, images, and music.
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Easy to use
Can be used for various purposes.
Can create engaging content.
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Still in beta
May not be suitable for all types of videos.
May not be as accurate as human-generated videos.
Dream by Wongo is a powerful tool that can be used to create a variety of different types of videos. It is easy to use and can be a great way to create engaging content for your audience. However, it is still in beta and may not be suitable for all types of videos.
Additional Text-to-Video AI Tools
Renderforest.com (AI)
Renderforest is an all-in-one AI driven platform that offers tools for creating videos, logos, websites, and graphics.
(+)
Comprehensive branding tools
Wide range of templates
No technical skills required
High-quality outputs
(-)
Can get expensive with additional features
Limited customization in some templates
Learning curve for beginners
Lumen5 (AI)
Lumen5 is a video creation platform that utilizes AI to transform text content into engaging video presentations. It's widely used for creating social media videos, marketing content, and educational material. Lumen5 uses templates and automated processes, with no prior video editing experience required. Lumen5 can also transform blog posts or scripts into engaging video content. It’s particularly useful for social media videos but can be adapted for short films.
(+)
AI-driven, time-saving video creation
Easy to use, social media optimization
Text-to-video conversion
Social media optimization
Large library of stock footage and images
Customizable templates
(-)
Limited for complex storytelling
May not be suitable for complex storytelling
AI might not always grasp the nuances of the text
Some features require a subscription
D-ID (AI)
D-ID creates talking avatars.
Morph Studio (AI)
Text to video tool.
ModelScope (AI)
Text to video tool from Alibaba’s DAMO Vision Intelligence Lab
Simon Says (AI)
Simon Says is an AI and SaaS-based video editing platform.
QuickVid (AI)
QuickVid is an AI-powered online automated video editing platform
Cquence (AI)
Cquence is an AI-based video editing platform.
Twelve Labs (AI)
Twelve Labs is an AI-based platform offering video editing solutions.
HourOne (AI)
HourOne is a text-to-video tool to create presentations. This tool enables characters in your ai video to move their mouth to speak. This is a high-resolution alternative to wav2lip WORKFLOW.
Traditional Video Editing Tools
Many traditional video editors are starting to incorporate AI features into their products.
Adobe Premiere Pro (AI)
This incumbent leader professional video editing software offers extensive features and flexibility, but comes with a steep learning curve and a higher price point. Known for its versatile features and user-friendly interface, Premiere Pro is the go-to option for many professionals. Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional-grade video editing software that offers a wide range of tools for video editing, color grading, and effects. Adobe is introducing AI features into its products.
(+)
Industry-standard software offering advanced editing tools and features.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Adobe products like After Effects, Photoshop, and
other Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
(-)
Steep learning curve for beginners.
Resource-intensive, requiring a powerful computer.
Final Cut Pro (Mac Only)
Final Cut Pro is a video editing software that gives you the freedom to import, edit, and export video files. It’s non-linear, which means you can jump around your project and edit whatever clip you fancy, rather than doing it from start to finish.
(+)
User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design makes it accessible for beginners and experts.
One-Time Payment: Unlike Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro only requires a one-time purchase.
High-speed performance and optimization for Mac computers.
(-)
Platform Limitation: Only available for Mac users.
Limited third-party plugin support compared to Adobe Premiere Pro.
While affordable, Lightworks is known for its professional-level features and has even been used to edit major Hollywood films.
(+)
Professional-level editing capabilities.
More budget-friendly than some other professional options.
(-)
The user interface can be unintuitive and dated.
Limited export options in the free version.
HitFilm Express is a free video editing software that offers a good range of basic to advanced editing tools and VFX compositing.
(+)
Free to use with a wide range of features.
Good for users interested in both video editing and visual effects.
(-)
Some advanced features require additional purchases.
Less polished interface compared to industry standards like Adobe Premiere Pro.
WeVideo is a cloud-based video editing platform that offers a range of tools to create, edit, and share videos online.
(+)
Real-time collaboration features
Variety of stock media
Suitable for all skill levels
(-)
Premium features require subscription.
Biteable is an online video-making platform that allows users to create professional-quality videos using pre-built templates or from scratch.
(+)
User-friendly interface
Large library of templates
Customizable features
Cloud-based, no download required
(-)
Limited free tier
Watermarks on free version
May require subscription for premium assets
Movavi offers a suite of multimedia software that includes tools for video editing, screen capturing, and photo editing.
(+)
Comprehensive multimedia tools
User-friendly interface
Regular software updates
One-time payment option
(-)
Some features require separate purchases
Might require a powerful computer for optimal performance
No cloud-based options
Filmora by Wondershare is a desktop video editing software designed for both beginners and professionals, offering a range of editing tools and effects.
(+)
Intuitive user interface
Strong set of editing tools
Regular updates with new features
Wide range of software options
Reliable customer support
Free trials available
(-)
One-time payment can be costly
Requires a decent computer for optimal performance
Limited cloud features
Subscription-based model for some software
Learning curve for some tools
DaVinci Resolve (AI)
DaVinci Resolve is a robust video editing tool that also includes advanced color correction and audio post-production features. It includes a self edit ai for dumping footage and generating a consistent edit
(+)
Color Correction: Known for its professional color correction and audio post-production features.
Free Version Available: Offers a robust free version with a good range of features.
Quality Storytelling: High-quality videos can make stories more engaging and memorable.
Speed: AI-powered tools can significantly speed up the video creation process, allowing for real-time reporting and content updates.
Accessibility: Easier-to-use tools are democratizing video editing, making it accessible even for journalists and content creators with no video editing background.
(-)
Can be overwhelming for beginners due to its advanced features.
Requires a high-end computer for optimal performance.
CreateStudio is an easy-to-use video creation software that offers drag-and-drop features to produce high-quality videos. It comes with pre-built templates and assets to speed up the video-making process.
(+)
Intuitive interface
Wide array of templates and assets
Suitable for beginners
High-quality output
(-)
Limited advanced editing tools
One-time software cost can be high for some
Requires a computer with decent specs for optimal performance
7. Visual Effects
Many video editors listed above have visual effects capabilities. However, Adobe After Effects is worth mentioning. We will cover this subject in more detail in future articles, please subscribe to receive them via email below
After Effects is renowned for its motion graphics tools, which designers and animators use to create 2D and 3D animations with vectors and rasterized art. You can also import photographs and other pieces of physical media into your animations to generate all sorts of titles and motion graphics.
(+)
Industry-standard
Versatile
(-)
Expensive
Resource-intensive
Sound and Voice Production
These tools create voice acting for your characters. Some tools allow you to clone a voice from an audio file you upload.
Resemble.ai (AI)
Resemble AI is a leading-edge platform that leverages artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and deep learning to convert text to speech (TTS). The platform is designed to create high-quality, lifelike synthetic voices from written text, making it a popular choice for various applications such as audiobooks, podcasts, e-learning, and social media content creation.The platform offers a comprehensive suite of features and benefits to help users overcome the challenges of generating realistic AI voices. With its advanced voice cloning technology, localization tools, and ethical guidelines, Resemble.ai is a go-to solution for creating lifelike synthetic voices for various applications and platforms (All AI Startups, 2023).
(+)
One of the significant advantages of Resemble AI is its extensive customization options. This feature makes the app perfect for professional use cases, such as virtual assistants (MicMonster, 2023). The platform also offers lightning-fast real-time APIs, which can be a game-changer for businesses that require quick and efficient text-to-speech conversion (Stay Ahead of AI, 2023).
(-)
Despite its many advantages, Resemble AI is not without its drawbacks. Compared to Speechify, one of the best text-to-speech apps available today, Resemble AI falls short in terms of voice quality. Speechify offers incredibly high-quality human-like voices, each one sounding better than Resemble (Speechify, 2023).
Resemble AI's pricing plans are diverse, catering to different user needs. They differ in the number of voices included, team users, projects, emotion control, access to APIs, localized languages, and more. This flexibility allows users to choose the most suitable plan based on their specific requirements (AI Review, 2023).
When compared to Descript, an audio word processing platform, reviewers have noted that Descript is better at support and meeting requirements (G2, 2023). This suggests that while Resemble AI offers a robust set of features, it may need to improve its customer support and adaptability to user requirements. On the other hand, when compared to MicMonster, Resemble AI provides more extensive customization options, making it a more suitable choice for professional use cases (MicMonster, 2023).
Bark (AI)
Bark can generate highly realistic, multilingual speech and other audio including music, background noise and simple sound effects.
Voice (AI)
Voice is a voice-changing software which can parodize anybody's voice.
PlayHT (AI)
PlayHT instantly converts text to natural sounding humanlike voice performances across any language and accent.
Murf (AI)
Murf is a realistic voice changer that will help you turn your home recordings into professional voiceovers.
Lovo (AI)
Lovo is a Hyper realistic AI voice generator that captivate your audience
Speechify (AI)
Speechify provides a text-to-speech reader.
Tools for Specialized Needs
Elai.io (AI)
Elai offers AI-powered training videos with a presenter in minutes without using a camera, studio and a green screen to create outreach campaigns
(+)
24/7 customer service
Easily scalable
Multilingual support
Quick setup
(-)
Limited to text-based interactions
May struggle with complex queries
Setup can be technical
Crowdtangle (AI)
Crowdtangle is a social media analytics tool that helps track trending topics. Journalists use it to monitor what's popular or trending on various social media platforms.
Colossyan (AI)
Colossyan is a digital asset management platform aimed at simplifying the organization, retrieval, and sharing of digital assets such as photos, videos, and documents.
(+)
User-friendly interface
Strong search features
Collaboration tools
Secure cloud storage
(-)
Limited third-party integrations
Requires subscription
Learning curve for new users
Tavus.io (AI)
Tavus.io is a service that provides analytics and tracking solutions for websites and mobile apps. It offers real-time data analytics, customer segmentation, and campaign tracking features.
(+)
Real-time analytics
Easy to integrate
Customizable dashboards
API support
(-)
Limited free tier options
May have a learning curve for non-technical users
Not suitable for large-scale enterprises
Overtone AI (AI)
Overtone AI has created models to study the relationships between words and paragraphs. It can identify the type of content in articles (opinion, original reporting, aggregation) and predict their level of impact.
DeepL (AI)
DeepL is an AI-powered translation program used by Le Monde for translating articles. It goes beyond word-for-word translation to understand context among words.
This is a translation service that partners with Le Monde for MTPE (Machine Translation Post-Editing). They use DeepL for initial translations and then human editors review them.
Twipe (AI)
Twipe is a Belgium-based firm that offers AI-curated newsletters to publishers. It categorizes content and sends personalized newsletters based on user behavior.
Narrative Science (AI)
Narrative Science is a company that trains AI to write news. It was mentioned in the context of a prediction that AI could write 90% of news by 2030.
CloudConvert, an online file conversion tool, has been a go-to solution for many users since its inception in 2012. This report provides an in-depth review of CloudConvert, its features, pros and cons, and how it stands out from similar tools.
CloudConvert is a product of Lunaweb, based in Munich, Germany. The platform is dedicated to providing free online file converters and editors worldwide, eliminating the need for users to download any software or app. It supports nearly all audio, video, document, ebook, archive, image, spreadsheet, and presentation formats, making it a universal app for file conversions.
(+)
ease of use and functionality
can convert any type of data to any other type
particularly useful for converting files online quickly
(-)
no explicitly mentioned cons indicating that the platform's benefits may outweigh any potential disadvantages
When compared to similar tools listed on Maestra, CloudConvert stands out due to its broad format support and online functionality. While other tools may require software installation or may not support all file formats, CloudConvert overcomes these limitations by offering an online platform that supports over 200 formats. This makes it a more versatile and convenient tool for users, particularly for journalists and writers who may need to work with various file types.
CloudConvert is a powerful and versatile online file conversion tool. Its ease of use, broad format support, and online functionality make it a valuable tool for users worldwide. While it may have potential drawbacks, these are not explicitly mentioned in the sources provided, suggesting that its benefits may outweigh any potential disadvantages. Compared to similar tools, CloudConvert offers more versatility and convenience, making it a preferred choice for many users.
Media.io (AI)
Media.io is an online audio and video converter that allows users to convert files to different formats without the need for downloading any software.
(+)
Quick and simple file conversion
Supports a variety of formats
Free to use
Free for basic conversions
(-)
Limited file size on free version
No advanced editing features
OBS Studio is a free, open-source video recording and live-streaming software. It can grab clips or screen record when videos are unavailable to download.
These tools provide a newsroom type production with realistic full motion video live presenters, studio sets, and graphics:
InVIdeo (AI)
InVideo offers quick assembly of stock footage with prompt input and also includes narrator voice
These tools replace a face in a previously recorded video with someone else’s:
Face Swap (AI)
Akool (AI)
Unboring (AI)
Sad talker makes a face in a still image speak and move their head
Wonder Studio allows you to replace an actor in a previously recorded video with a CGI rendered character. The option of uploading your own CGI designs is available.
Introduction to wonder studio.
Topaz (AI)
Topaz upscales the resolution of the ai video footage.
Hitpaw (AI)
Hitpaw upscales the resolution of the ai video footage.
ClipChamp (AI)
ClipChamp includes a self edit ai for dumping footage and generating a consistent edit
Capcut includes templates for themes.
Meeting and Transcription Services
AI-based automatic transcription: Services like Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai can join meetings on behalf of users, record video video and audio, and offer fast and relatively accurate transcriptions, summaries, sentiment analysis, and action items, making it easier for journalists to sift through hours of interviews or speeches.
Otter (AI)
Otter is a transcription service that converts spoken content into written transcriptions. Journalists often use it to transcribe interviews.
Fireflies.ai (AI)
Fireflies.ai is an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) software designed to streamline the process of online meetings. It can “attend” meetings on behalf of its users, record the proceedings, and generate comprehensive transcripts, action items, and notes. It works with leading web-conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Webex, and Microsoft Teams, and business applications like Hubspot, Slack, Trello, Asana, and Salesforce
Trint (AI)
Trint is another transcription service similar to Otter. It is used for converting audio and video into text.
8. Music Production (Preview)
I will cover music production in a separate chapter to be published later. Subscribe below to get the new articles when they are published.
To receive the future articles in this Independent Media in the Age of AI Series subscribe to Verses and Visions
For now, a few great tools you can use for producing amazing music.
Splash Pro (AI)
Splash Pro is the most powerful AI music engine on the planet, letting you describe the song you want to hear, customize it, and download it. It offers 15 x AI singers & rappers, production-quality mastering and unlimited commercial license.
These tools create music from prompts or choices. Some of these tools create music with vocal performances; Audio LDM creates sound effects.
Here’s a song I composed using Splash Pro based on my poem about Big Tech censorship The Algorithm. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and TikTok to follow my experiments in music and video production.
Pro Tools makes music creation fast and fluid, providing a complete set of tools to create, record, edit, and mix audio.
(+)
Industry-standard, multi-track editing
(-)
Expensive, steep learning curve
Soundraw (AI)
Soundraw offers choice-based workflow and is recommended for beginners.
Beatoven (AI)
Beatoven offers choice-based workflow and is recommended for beginners
Unlimited Music Gen (AI)
Unlimited Music Gen transforms text into music.
Audio Ldm 2 (AI)
Audio Ldm 2 turns text into sound FX.
Suno Chirp (AI)
Suno Chirp turns text into music with vocal performance.
Musicfy (AI)
Musicfy transforms text to music with vocal performance.
Uberduck (AI)
Uberduck transforms text to music with vocal performance.
Lemonaide Seeds (AI)
Lemonaide Seeds is AI based melodic idea generator. It offers 100% Royalty Free AI-generated MIDI beats to match any key, style, or tempo made with the click of a button.
9. Video Services Marketplaces
Storyhunter is a marketplace and a platform that connects freelance journalists, filmmakers, and creators with media companies and other customers who need to produce professional videos. It provides a marketplace for journalistic and creative talents to find work opportunities.
(+)
Access to wide range and number of video production professionals
Global network of freelancers
Secure payment options
(-)
Most freelancers use traditional video production methods and is therefore more expensive than AI generated video
Viedit is an online marketplace for video editing services, connecting freelance video editors with clients who have raw footage that needs professional editing.
(+)
Wide range of editing styles and services
Price transparency
Easy to navigate
High-quality service providers
(-)
Commission fees for editors
Service quality varies by editor
May not be suitable for quick, small edits
10. Tools for Publishing and Distributing Digital Video Content
In the digital age, video journalism distribution is just as crucial as its production. Digital video distribution platforms now reach billions of users, offering journalists and film makers ability to reach large audiences. Here's a rundown of some of the best platforms.
Censored Media Platforms
Traditional video platforms such as YouTube (owned by Google) and Facebook (owned by Meta) engage in content censorship on a massive scale on a daily basis (see introduction for more details). Therefore, anyone investing time, money and effort in building audiences on these platforms should be acutely aware that their accounts on these platforms can be censored, shadow banned, and/or permanently banned at any moment for arbitrary reasons. Therefore, think twice about whether you want to take those risks or prefer to build an audience on censorship resistant platforms such as Rumble or Substack (covered in a separate section) which are committed to preserving freedom of speech and do not censor or ban accounts for political, commercial or other reasons.
(+)
Wide Reach: YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform, offering access to billions of viewers.
Monetization: Built-in options for monetization through ads and memberships.
(-)
Content Moderation: Your content could be demonetized or removed based on YouTube's policies.
Algorithm: Your content may not always reach your intended audience due to the platform's algorithm.
Facebook Video & Facebook Live
(+)
Community Engagement: Allows real-time comments and shares, facilitating interaction.
Targeted Distribution: Detailed analytics and ad-targeting options.
(-)
Content Rights: Limited control over who can share and view your content.
Data Privacy Concerns: Ongoing debates about data collection and user privacy.
(+)
Quality Focus: Aimed at professionals, with high-quality video and audio support.
Customization: Extensive customization options for embedding videos on other websites.
(-)
Cost: Free version is limited; professional features require a paid subscription.
Smaller Audience: Does not have as large a user base as YouTube.
TikTok, born from the merging of the app Music.ly and ByteDance, a Chinese tech giant, in 2018, has quickly become a powerhouse in the realm of short, bite-sized videos. The platform primarily focuses on short-form video content, with videos ranging from 15 seconds to a maximum of 10 minutes. This focus on brevity has allowed TikTok to carve out a unique niche in the video-sharing market, attracting a massive audience reach of 92% among global internet users in 2021
Short-form format allows creators to produce dynamic, engaging content quickly and frequently, which can be particularly beneficial for creators with limited resources or time. Additionally, the platform's algorithm is designed to promote content based on user engagement rather than follower count, providing an equal playing field for all creators. TikTok's global reach makes it a powerful tool for influencer marketing.
Rizzle.com (AI)
Rizzle is a platform for short video content, catering specifically to creators and influencers who wish to monetize their content.
(+)
Easy-to-use platform
Monetization options
Community engagement features
Short-form content focus
(-)
Limited audience reach compared to bigger platforms
May require in-app purchases for premium features
Limited editing tools
Specialized Platforms
(+)
Enterprise-Level: Offers enterprise-level solutions for large organizations.
Monetization: Advanced monetization features like paywalls and subscription management.
(-)
Complexity: May be overkill for smaller outlets or individual journalists.
High Costs: Premium features come at a premium price.
Distribution Networks
(+)
Press Reach: Allows you to distribute video content along with press releases to an established network of media outlets.
Credibility: High level of trust and authority.
(-)
Costly: Distribution packages can be expensive.
Target Audience: Primarily aimed at corporate press releases, not always the best for individual journalists.
Choosing the right distribution platform can be as critical as creating quality video journalism content. Each of the platforms listed above has its unique pluses and weaknesses, so your choice should align with your goals, target audience, and budget. Whether you aim for the wide reach of social media giants like YouTube and Facebook, the professional settings of Vimeo and Wistia, or the specialized offerings of Brightcove and PR Newswire, each offers unique opportunities to get your journalistic video content in front of the right eyes.
11. Censorship-Resistant Video Distribution Platforms
My own experience of X/Twitter permanently banning my poetry account, presumably for political reasons, is a great illustration of why it is very risky to invest time, money and effort in building an audience on a platform that is not truly committed to free speech. The X/Twitter account I had for 14 years, followed by dozens of users with 100k+ followers and 1M+ followers, in which I invested years and a lot of money in building an audience, was permanently banned without any warning or explanation, for reasons never explained. Of course, I never received any refund of the money I spent on X advertising my account to acquire the audience X so arbitrarily disconnected me from. Sadly, X is far from being the most censored platform among the “Big Tech” companies. You should learn from my mistakes.
In response to mass scale totalitarian censorship by the legacy digital media platforms (especially those owned by Big Tech), several high quality censorship-resistant video distribution platforms have emerged. Great examples are Rumble and Substack, which are committed to the protection of free speech and provide a platform for content creators to express their views without fear of censorship. These platforms allow free expression and do not censor, shadow ban or ban accounts publishing legal content which is inconvenient to government and corporate interests. Therefore, the risk of losing all of your investment of time, money and effort in building an audience in a devastating arbitrary demonetization or permanent ban is a lot lower. It may take longer to build an audience on a newer platform but at least you will get to keep it.
Rumble: Free Speech Alternative to YouTube
Rumble, a free speech video-sharing platform, has positioned itself as a champion of free speech, pledging to rally against censorship and allow freedom of speech on their platform. Rumble's commitment to free speech has also attracted a significant and rapidly growing user base. Top independent journalists such as Glenn Greenwald have championed Rumble and built large audiences on the Rumble platform. Rumble also owns Locals.com, a publishing and community management platform allowing creators to monetize their content via subscriptions and one time payments. It has garnered a large following among those who were banned or feel marginalized by censored platforms. Rumble has an estimated audience of 80 million users at the time of the publication.
(+)
Freedom of Speech: Rumble demonstrated by courageous action its commitment to free speech, despite multiple attacks by government, mainstream legacy media and corporations
Monetization: Provides an alternative revenue stream for content creators who might have been demonetized on other platforms.
User-friendly interface
Rumble’s Locals.com allows creators to build and manage active communities of users and earn revenue from subscriptions and user payments
(-)
Compared to legacy censored platforms such as YouTube, Rumble has a smaller user base. However, it is growing very quickly.
Founded in 2019, Rokfin is a platform designed to give content creators more control over monetizing their work. While it is not exclusively focused on free speech, it has attracted creators who feel restricted by other platforms' monetization and censorship policies. Rokfin represents another step in the growing trend of platforms offering alternatives to the mainstream, with unique monetization options and a focus on less stringent content moderation. However, its smaller user base and specialized content may limit its appeal to a broader audience.
(+)
Monetization Model: Rokfin utilizes a unique monetization system where creators earn revenue through the platform's native cryptocurrency, RAE Tokens, based on their contribution to network growth.
Censorship Resistance: The platform promotes itself as an alternative to mainstream platforms by offering more lenient content moderation policies.
Niche Content: Rokfin is popular among specific communities like mixed martial arts (MMA) enthusiasts Subscription-based revenue model for creators
Focus on rewarding creators fairly
(-)
Limited Exposure: Rokfin is still a growing platform and has not reached the level of user adoption that mainstream platforms have, which could limit audience reach for creators.
Cryptocurrency Complexity: The platform's use of cryptocurrency for monetization might be complex for some users to understand and could be subject to volatility.
Content Diversity: Due to its niche appeal, it may not offer as wide a range of content as more established platforms.
Subscription can be a barrier for new users
Less emphasis on free speech compared to some other platforms
Smaller audience size
Odysee is a video platform built on the LBRY blockchain, focusing on free speech and user control over data.
(+)
Using blockchain technology ensures transparency and allows users to publish directly to the network without the need for intermediaries.
Users retain control over their data
Decentralization: Built on the LBRY blockchain, adding censorship resistance.
User-Friendly: Offers a user experience similar to mainstream platforms.
(-)
Emerging Platform: Less established, with fewer features and a smaller user base.
Adoption Rate: Requires time to reach a critical mass of both creators and viewers.
Founded in 2017, BitChute aims to provide a censorship-resistant platform built on peer-to-peer technology.
(+)
Peer-to-Peer: BitChute uses BitTorrent technology, making it harder for a central authority to take down content.
Community-Focused: Strong sense of community among like-minded users.
Decentralized architecture
Lower likelihood of censorship
(-)
Limited Features: The platform lacks some of the advanced features available on mainstream platforms.
Content Moderation: Some argue that less moderation could lead to the spread of harmful or misleading content.
User interface not as polished
DTube is a decentralized video platform built on blockchain technologies like STEEM and IPFS.
(+)
Blockchain Technology: Built on blockchain, which provides transparency and resistance to censorship.
Cryptocurrency Rewards: Creators are paid in cryptocurrency, adding another layer of freedom and privacy.
Truly decentralized
Content is stored across multiple nodes, ensuring it remains accessible
Does not have a central server, making it extremely resistant to censorship and server downtimes.
(-)
User Experience: Learning curve due to its blockchain-based model.
Variable Income: Cryptocurrency rewards can be volatile.
Requires a STEEM account
Less user-friendly
While not strictly a video platform, Minds offers video uploading alongside other types of content and focuses on open dialogue and free expression. Minds uses an Ethereum-based token to reward content creation and engagement, making it unique in how it incentivizes user interaction.
(+)
Earnings Through Interaction: Users earn tokens through interactions, which can be spent within the platform.
Open Source: The open-source nature enables a community-driven approach to development.
Broad range of content types supported
Built-in cryptocurrency rewards
(-)
Content Quality: Mixed content quality due to fewer moderation guidelines.
Legal Risk: Less censorship could potentially cause legal complications.
More of a general social platform, less focus on video content
Still building its audience
Censorship Resistant Platforms (Text)
Just as in video, several leading censorship resistant platforms focused on text content have emerged, we provide a short summary. Many of them allow video publishing as well.
Substack: Censorship Resistant Publishing Platform
Substack, initially an email newsletter platform, has emerged as a revolutionary tool for writers and journalists, offering a unique blend of personal website, blog, email newsletter, and podcasting capabilities. This platform has been lauded for its simplicity, user-friendly interface, and the ability to publish and monetize content without the need for editors or ad sales. Substack's rise can be attributed to its unique business model that allows writers and podcasters to own their intellectual property, maintain their mailing list, and start a media business. The platform's simplicity and ease of use have made it accessible to writers of all skill levels. Substack users can start a publication quickly and easily, without needing to be tech-savvy. The platform's monetization model is also unique, allowing audiences to pay writers directly through subscriptions, eliminating the need for ads.
Substack is a platform that allows writers to ask questions, challenge the establishment, and think independently. The growth of Substack has been one of the most eye-opening developments in media over the past years, with the platform enabling journalists to be journalists
(+)
Ease of Use: Substack provides an extremely user-friendly interface, making it easy for anyone to start publishing.
Monetization: Allows writers to offer subscription services and make money directly from readers.
Freedom of Speech: Substack generally has a hands-off approach to content moderation.
(-)
Market Saturation: With its popularity, the platform is getting crowded, making it challenging for new writers to stand out.
Limited Customization: Offers fewer options for customization compared to traditional CMS platforms like WordPress.
Revenue Cut: Substack takes a 10% cut from writers’ earnings.
Nostr is a decentralized and censorship-resistant protocol designed for public messages. It allows users to generate a public key and private key, and post messages on a network that is free from censorship by its technical design. This means that it does not rely on a central authority or server. Instead, it operates on a network of nodes, each of which stores and forwards messages. Messages on the Nostr network cannot be blocked or removed by any central authority. This makes Nostr a powerful tool for free speech and open communication. Each message in Nostr is cryptographically signed for by the author, ensuring authenticity and accountability.
Nostr can be used using Nostr web and mobile client apps listed here
Nostr already has hundreds of thousands of users, see current stats here
(+)
Decentralization: Nostr is a decentralized protocol, making it highly censorship resistant
Cryptographic signatures: each message is cryptographically signed for by the author, ensuring authenticity and accountability.
User Control: Users on the Nostr network have complete control over their data. They can choose which nodes to trust and which messages to receive. This gives users a high degree of control over their online experience.
(-)
Nostr audience is still much smaller than that of censored Big Tech platforms such as Meta and X but it is growing very fast.
The potential impact of decentralized platforms such as Nostr is vast. For individuals, it offers a platform for free speech and open communication, completely free from censorship and control. For businesses, it offers a new way to reach customers and engage with audiences. And for society as a whole, it offers a new model for online communication that prioritizes user control and freedom of speech.
Nostr: An Introduction. Medium, Nagacevschi, V.
(+)
Wide Readership: Medium has a large built-in audience that can offer instant exposure.
Curation: Articles are often curated into topics, offering another avenue for visibility.
Monetization: The Medium Partner Program allows you to earn based on how many people read and engage with your stories.
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Curation Bias: Some have criticized Medium for bias in what gets promoted on its homepage or within categories.
Revenue Uncertainty: Earnings are based on reading time and engagement, which can be unpredictable.
Content Ownership: You don't own the platform; Medium does, and they can change their terms at any time.
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Full Control: Ghost is open-source, giving you complete control over your content and how it’s displayed.
No Revenue Cut: You keep 100% of the revenue if you host the platform yourself.
Performance: Known for high-speed performance and clean UI.
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Hosting: You're responsible for hosting your site, which can be technical and may cost extra.
Limited Audience: Unlike Medium or Substack, Ghost doesn't have a built-in audience, so all promotion is up to you.
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Monetization Flexibility: Offers a range of monetization options, including one-off donations and subscription tiers.
Multimedia: Allows you to post a wide range of content types, including text, videos, and podcasts.
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Revenue Cut: Patreon takes a percentage of earnings, and there are also processing fees.
Limited Discoverability: Patreon is not primarily a publishing platform, making it less effective for writers looking to be discovered.
Comparison:
Ease of Use: Substack and Medium are the most user-friendly platforms, ideal for those who want to focus solely on writing.
Monetization: Patreon offers the most flexible monetization options, but also takes a significant cut. Substack and Ghost allow more direct monetization.
Freedom of Speech: Substack and Ghost are generally more lenient when it comes to content moderation compared to Medium and Patreon.
Customization: Ghost offers the most customization options, allowing you to create a unique site, while Substack and Medium offer limited customization.
The Future of Censorship-Resistant Platforms
The rise of censorship-resistant platforms like Rumble and Substack reflects a broader trend in the digital landscape towards decentralization. With the rise of blockchain technology and decentralized networks, users are gaining more control over their data and content, leading to a more secure, transparent, and censorship-resistant platform for content creators and viewers (UpSocial, n.d.).
This trend towards decentralization is expected to continue, with some predicting that decentralized video will dominate and displace traditional platforms like YouTube and Rumble in 2023 (UpSocial, n.d.). However, the success of this prediction will depend on a variety of factors, including the ability of decentralized platforms to attract a large user base and generate sufficient revenue to sustain their operations.
In conclusion, censorship-resistant platforms like Rumble and Substack are playing a crucial role in upholding the principle of free speech in the digital age. The trend towards decentralization suggests that censorship-resistant platforms will continue to play a crucial role in the digital landscape in the years to come.
References:
BBC. (n.d.). The web firm that wants to stop you getting 'cancelled'.
New York Times. (2022). Rumble, the Right's Go-To Video Site, Has Much Bigger Ambitions.
OutKick. (n.d.). Rumble and Substack Plan To Change Media Industry.
Substack. (n.d.). Rumble Files Lawsuit to Challenge New York's Social Media.
12. Online Communities for Video Creators
The world of video creation is booming, thanks to platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Vimeo, among others. While talent and creativity are essential, community support can make a world of difference in the life of a video creator. Here’s a list of popular online communities for video creators, with plusses and cons for each.
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Highly specialized advice from YouTube itself and fellow YouTubers.
Official community, which means you can get verified information.
Best for those who are focused on YouTube as a platform.
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Moderated by Google, so conversations are curated to some extent.
Primarily focuses on YouTube, making it less useful for multi-platform creators.
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Diverse range of topics including technical advice, gear recommendations, and creative strategies.
Democratic voting system for ranking advice.
Active and large community.
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Less specialized in topics related to specific video platforms.
Information is crowd-sourced, so accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Professional advice on high-quality video production.
Platform-specific tips that are highly applicable for Vimeo creators.
Tutorials on various filmmaking techniques.
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Less of a community and more of a tutorial hub.
Most useful for those who are or plan to be active on Vimeo.
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Real-time communication with peers.
Wide range of niche communities.
Collaboration opportunities.
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Unmoderated servers can have questionable advice.
Need to be proactive to benefit from the community.
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Updated news on the video industry.
Interviews with successful video creators.
Effective for keeping up with trends.
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More of a news source than a community.
Limited interaction between members.
The best community for you will depend on your unique needs, the platforms you focus on, and the type of interaction you seek. Joining multiple communities can also offer a more rounded view and better networking opportunities.
13. Special Mention: Journalist Studio from Google
Offers a comprehensive collection of tools to empower journalists to do their work more efficiently, creatively, and securely like templates, fact-checking, and data commons.
Journalist studio is part of the Data-Driven Reporting Project, a partnership between Northwestern | Medill and the Google News Initiative, the Data-Driven Reporting Project helps investigative journalists serving local and underrepresented communities.
14. Ethical and Legal Considerations in Video Production with AI
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism and video production is both a promising and challenging frontier, with unique ethical and legal concerns to grapple with. Integration of AI technologies has the potential to revolutionize the way content is created, distributed, and consumed. However, as these capabilities grow, so, too, do the ethical and legal questions which journalists, content creators, and legal professionals must answer.
The most immediate concern is intellectual property rights compliance. Traditional notions of copyright are designed around human creators, but what happens when an AI algorithm plays a significant role in creating the content? Who owns the resulting product? Is it the developers of the AI, the users, or a combination of both? This is a critical legal gray area that has yet to be fully explored in courtrooms. Here’s a relevant article and a useful video discussion of relevant legal issues arising from use of AI by UC-Berkeley Law School.
Ethically speaking, transparency is vital. It is essential to be upfront about how much of a video's creation was AI-assisted, and where the algorithm ends and human creativity begins. For transparency, multiple AI tools were used in the production of this article and related art and music.
Data privacy is another major concern that dovetails with the ethical implications of AI in video production. AI often necessitates a large dataset for training and operation, which can include not only existing videos, but also user interaction and behavior data. Ethically, the use of this data must be respectful of individual privacy, especially when utilizing personal videos or information. Legally, organizations must be aware of stringent data protection laws like Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or California's Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These laws often require explicit consent from users to collect and use their data, making compliance a legal necessity.
One of the most widely discussed aspects of AI in video production is the rise of deepfake technology. Deepfakes use AI algorithms to create highly realistic fake videos that can be almost indistinguishable from real footage. The ethical ramifications are staggering. Journalists and content creators have a responsibility to their audiences to verify the authenticity of content that they produce or disseminate, especially if it could deceive or misinform the public. From a legal perspective, the use of deepfakes in a manner designed to deceive or cause harm could cause charges of defamation or fraud.
On the flip side, one of the most promising applications of AI in video production is enhancing accessibility. Automated captioning and real-time language translation are just two examples of how AI can make video content more accessible to people around the world. While this is a significant step forward, the ethical obligation remains to ensure the accuracy of these features. Inaccurate captions or translations can cause the spread of misinformation. Legally, there may also be requirements for making content accessible under laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the U.S., which mandates that certain organizations make their content accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Bias and discrimination are another set of challenges to confront. Algorithms are only as good as the data they're trained on and can inherit societal biases. Journalists and content creators have an ethical obligation to acknowledge these biases and strive to mitigate them in their AI applications. Discrimination that arises from these biased algorithms can also lead to legal action under various anti-discrimination statutes.
In summary, the integration of AI technologies into the field of video production presents a plethora of opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and accessibility. However, it also raises complex ethical and legal questions that must be diligently considered and addressed. Whether it's the thorny issue of intellectual property rights in AI-created videos, the ethical and legal implications of data privacy, the potential for the misuse of deep fakes, or the need for accessible and unbiased content, each concern requires a thoughtful approach. As AI continues to evolve, keeping these ethical and legal considerations in mind will be crucial for responsible journalism and video production.
15. Next Steps
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This is a major research project so errors, omissions and issues are inevitable. Please notify the author of any issues via email at thefrontierm(at)gmail.com or via Telegram at @versesandvisions
Advanced Video Production (for paid subscribers only)
Advanced AI Writing Tools
Advanced Text-to-Video AI Tools
AI Animation and Talking Avatar Tools
AI Text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text (STT) tools
Licensing Copyrighted Image, Music and Video Content
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16. Advanced AI Writing Tools
ShortlyAI (AI)
ShortlyAI is an AI-powered writing assistant that aims to augment human creativity. Unlike FinalDraft, ShortlyAI is more flexible, designed for all sorts of writing including articles, stories, and yes, even scripts. It offers a clean interface and uses OpenAI ChatGPT technology to provide real-time writing suggestions.
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AI-Powered: Utilizes ChatGPT for creative writing suggestions.
Flexible: Suitable for all types of writing, not just scripts.
Clean Interface: Minimalistic design to keep you focused on writing.
Idea Generation: Helps you overcome writer's block by suggesting ideas.
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Not Specialized: Doesn’t offer industry-standard formatting for scriptwriting.
Consistency: AI suggestions can sometimes lack narrative consistency.
ShortlyAI vs. FinalDraft: FinalDraft is the go-to software for those looking for an industry-standard scriptwriting tool that offers comprehensive features like real-time collaboration and story mapping. However, if you're an independent writer or a journalist in need of a more flexible writing tool that can assist you in all kinds of writing tasks, ShortlyAI would be the better choice. You could also combine both and use ShortlyAI for the creative writing aspect, and FinalDraft for final formatting and collaboration.
Copy.ai (AI)
Copy.ai is a writing tool to generate high-quality, engaging content with the help of AI. Copy.ai offers a range of features and capabilities that can streamline the process of creating compelling marketing copy, blog posts, social media content, and more.
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Versatility: Copy.ai is designed to cater to various types of content creation, including marketing copy, blog post intros, social media captions, and more. This versatility ensures users have access to a wide range of tools to meet their specific needs.
High-quality output: Copy.ai utilizes advanced AI algorithms to generate content that is convincing, engaging, and aligned with the desired tone and style. The resulting copy is often indistinguishable from human-written content.
User-friendly interface: With a simple and intuitive interface, Copy.ai allows users to quickly navigate through the platform and generate content without getting overwhelmed by complex features or technical jargon.
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Limited customization: While Copy.ai provides various options and parameters for customization, there might be occasions where users desire more control over specific details or nuances of the generated content.
General writing tool not specifically designed for journalists.
AI21's AI Writing Assistant (AI)
AI21's AI Writing Assistant is an advanced writing aid powered by machine learning algorithms. It is designed to assist writers in crafting high-quality content by offering real-time suggestions for improvement, structural changes, and more. It is often used for writing articles, blog posts, and other long-form content, but can also be adapted for scriptwriting.
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Advanced Suggestions: provides a range of suggestions beyond basic grammar checks, such as tone and style.
Customizability: Allows users to tailor the writing assistant's behavior to specific needs or writing styles.
Content Generation: Capable of generating text based on provided prompts, which can be particularly useful for overcoming writer's block.
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Learning Curve: it may take time to adapt to the software's full range of features.
Not Fully Reliable: while powerful, the AI is not infallible and may sometimes offer irrelevant or incorrect suggestions.
AI21 Writing Assistant vs ShortlyAI: Both offer robust AI-powered writing assistance, but are tailored for slightly different use-cases. AI21 is versatile and especially effective for professional and academic writing, while ShortlyAI excels in creative writing tasks and offers a more minimalistic user interface.
Automated Insights' Wordsmith (AI)
Wordsmith uses Natural Language Generation (NLG) to transform data into narrative reports. It's extensively used for producing financial summaries and sports recaps. It can generate multiple reports in a fraction of the time it would take a human writer. Requires a subscription.
17. Advanced Text-to-Video AI Tools
FullJourney.ai (AI)
FullJourney.ai is a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) media generation platform. It offers a suite of AI creation tools that allow users to generate a variety of media content, including videos, images, and music, from simple prompts. The platform is accessible via a Discord server, where users can join and interact with the AI tools (FullJourney, n.d.).
FullJourney.ai's primary offering is its AI video generation tool. Users can create AI videos from text prompts, providing a unique and innovative way to generate content. The platform also offers a batch video generation feature, which can produce two similar but uniquely different video clips from the same prompt. This feature allows users to explore different interpretations and presentations of the same content (FullJourney, n.d.).
Besides video generation, FullJourney.ai also offers a raw batch video feature. This tool provides users with raw access to the AI model, resulting in more movement in the generated videos at the expense of visual fidelity. This feature is likely designed for users who prioritize dynamic content over high-resolution visuals (FullJourney, n.d.).
FullJourney.ai operates through a series of commands that users can input to generate their desired content. The platform provides a help guide with general commands and specific commands for video generation. For instance, the '/help' command displays on-the-fly help information in any room, while the '/video' command initiates the AI video generation process (FullJourney, n.d.).
The platform also offers a unique lip sync command, which requires users to upload files to the Discord channel. This feature likely allows users to generate videos with lip-syncing capabilities, adding another layer of realism and complexity to the AI-generated content (FullJourney, n.d.).
Zeroscope (Open Source) / Full Journey (Zeroscope based Discord service) (AI)
Zeroscope V3 is an open-source text-to-video AI model that is revolutionizing how we create and consume content. Hosted on the Full AI Discord server, this innovative tool allows users to transform text into high-resolution videos with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The platform has undergone multiple iterations, with each version improving upon the last, leading up to the highly anticipated Zeroscope V3. Recent article about Zeroscope here. The easiest way to use Zeroscope is by using the Full Journey discord server running Zeroscope based service. A version of Zeroscope is also hosted on Hugging Face Spaces by fffiloni. Zeroscope XL can upscale your videos.
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Open-Source: As an open-source project, Zeroscope V3 invites coders and programmers to contribute to its development, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
High Resolution: Zeroscope V3 offers higher resolution videos compared to its predecessors, enhancing the quality of the generated content.
A vibrant community of users and developers backs community: Hosted on the Full AI Discord server, Zeroscope V3.
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Limited Information: As the platform is still in its testing phase, there is limited information available about its full range of features and capabilities.
Accessibility: The platform is exclusively available on the Full AI Discord server, which may limit its accessibility to users unfamiliar with Discord.
In conclusion, Zeroscope V3 is a groundbreaking platform that is pushing the boundaries of text-to-video AI technology. Despite some limitations, its open-source nature and vibrant community make it a platform worth exploring for anyone interested in the future of content creation.
Magisto (AI)
Magisto is an AI-powered video creation and editing tool. It automatically turns your photos and video clips into professionally edited movies.
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Quick video creation
AI-driven editing
Multiple styles and themes
Mobile-friendly
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Limited manual editing options
Requires subscription for premium features
Not suitable for complex projects
Captions (AI)
Captions.ai is an AI-powered creative studio offering a suite of video creation tools: compressing videos, correcting eye contact in post-production, adding subtitles, translating captions, to generating scripts and creating background music, Captions.ai is a one-stop solution for creating studio-grade videos. Captions.ai combines a wide range of features into a single platform, making it a comprehensive solution for video creation offering unique features such as AI Eye Contact, AI Voiceover & Voice cloning, and AI Speech Correction. Has over 3 million users.
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Comprehensive Suite of Tools: Captions.ai offers a wide range of tools for video creation, including script writing, voiceover, voice cloning, speech correction, visual editing, and more.
User-Friendly: With its intuitive interface and easy-to-use features, Captions.ai makes video creation accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical skills or experience.
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While Captions.ai offers a range of useful features, some are only available in the Pro or Premium plan. Users who stick with the free version will have to contend with watermarks on their videos and miss out on some of the app's capabilities
Vision Story (AI)
VisionStory AI is a new text2video tool. It can generate more extensive and realistic human movements. It utilizes pre-trained models through REST and RPC APIs, similar to Google's Vision API, which assigns labels to images and quickly classifies them into millions of predefined categories (Google Cloud, n.d.). VisionStory AI could potentially detect objects and faces, read printed and handwritten text, and add valuable metadata to the image catalog, enhancing the storytelling process.
Moonvalley.ai (AI)
Moonvalley.ai is a text-to-video generative AI model that creates breathtaking cinematic and animated videos from simple text prompts. This platform supports a wide range of styles, from photorealistic to cartoon, providing users with a versatile tool for their content creation needs. The platform's AI model is capable of understanding text prompts and transforming them into high-definition animations and videos, eliminating the need for manual video editing.
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The platform is also easy to use, with a user-friendly interface that allows users to create videos with ease.
The platform also boasts a large library of stock footage and images, providing users with a wide range of resources for their video creation needs.
Moonvalley.ai offers customizable templates, allowing users to create videos that align with their brand identity and aesthetic.
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Limited capability for complex storytelling. While the platform is excellent for creating simple, engaging videos, it may not be suitable for creating videos that require complex narratives or intricate details.
Another limitation is that the AI might not always grasp the nuances of the text. While the platform's AI model is capable of understanding text prompts, it may not fully comprehend the subtleties of the text, which could potentially affect the quality of the video content. Some features of Moonvalley.ai require a subscription.
References
Descript (AI)
Descript is an all-in-one audio & video editing platform that uses AI and natural language processing to enable content creators to edit audio and video files just by editing text. Descript offers a range of features like automatic transcription, voice cloning, and even the ability to generate synthetic voices.
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Ease of Use: No extensive training in audio/video editing required.
Multi-Functional: Offers a range of services from transcribing to editing and voice cloning.
Collaboration: Allows for easy collaboration between team members.
Time-saving: The automatic transcription service can be a massive time-saver.
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Cost: Advanced features require a paid subscription.
Accuracy: Automatic transcription and voice cloning aren't always 100% accurate.
What sets Descript apart from traditional editing software is its text-based interface, which allows you to edit media by simply editing text. This feature makes it incredibly user-friendly and opens up audio and video editing to individuals who may not have the technical skills required for more complex software.
18. AI Animation and Talking Avatar Tools
Toon Boom Storyboard Pro is a specialized software designed for creating storyboards and animatics, widely used in the film and animation industry. It offers a comprehensive set of tools for both drawing and animating, allowing users to bring their ideas to life from the initial concept to the final frame. The software is suitable for various types of media, including TV shows, movies, and games.
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High-Quality Drawing Tools: Offers advanced drawing tools for creating detailed and visually appealing storyboards.
Support for Various Media: Suitable for movies, TV shows, advertising, and video games.
Collaboration Features: Allows multiple team members to collaborate on the same project in real-time.
Industry-standard
Highly customizable
Highly Specialized: Designed specifically for storyboard and animatic creation, it offers a highly tailored experience.
Toon Boom Storyboard Pro integrates seamlessly with other Toon Boom products like Harmony, offering a more cohesive animation pipeline.
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Cost: The software can be quite expensive, especially for freelancers or small teams.
Learning Curve: Given its extensive features, it might take time to master.
Resource-Intensive: Requires a powerful computer system to run smoothly.
Synthesia (AI)
Synthesia is an AI-driven platform that allows users to create synthetic videos where avatars can be made to speak the text input by the user. It is often used for corporate training videos, personalized messaging, and more.
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Quick and simple video creation
No need for filming equipment or on-screen talent
Customizable avatars and languages
Integration options with other tools
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Synthetic voices may lack natural emotion
Not suitable for all types of video content
Limited facial expressions and movements
Plotagon (AI)
Plotagon is a software application designed to help users create animated videos in a simplified manner. The AI interprets the script to generate real-time scenes, characters, and dialogues. Unlike traditional animation software, Plotagon focuses on ease of use, allowing people with no animation background to quickly generate animated scenes. The software comes with a library of characters, backgrounds, and emotions that can be combined to create a variety of scenarios. It is generally used for educational purposes, simple storytelling, or business presentations.
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Ease of Use: Extremely user-friendly interface that requires no prior experience in animation.
Quick Content Creation: Enables rapid production of animated scenes and videos.
Includes real-time rendering
Library of Assets: Comes with a variety of pre-designed characters, backgrounds, and actions.
Text-to-speech Feature: Allows for quick voiceover integration through its text-to-speech functionality.
Affordable: Typically more affordable than professional animation or storyboard software.
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Limited Customization: The library of assets and actions is fixed, leading to less creative freedom.
Not Professional Grade: Lacks the depth and quality of features required for high-end professional work. The animations generated are relatively simple and may not meet professional standards.
Limited Support for External Assets: Does not easily integrate with other software or external assets.
Plotagon is a quick and easy tool for those looking to create basic animated videos with little effort, whereas Toon Boom, Storyboard Pro, and Celtx are more suited for professionals and serious hobbyists involved in detailed pre-production work.
Rephrase.ai (AI)
Rephrase.ai is an AI-powered service that allows users to generate high-quality videos using natural language input. It allows for the creation of lifelike digital avatars that can speak the text you provide.
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High-quality video output
User-friendly interface
Multiple avatar customization options
Text-to-speech feature
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Limited range of expressions for avatars
May require a powerful computer for optimal performance
Not suitable for complex video editing tasks
Free tier has limited features
Humanpal (AI)
HumanPal offers a wide range of voice production options in various languages, accents, and dialects. This tool is designed to transform any text into a realistic human voice, which can be used in videos with perfect lip-sync avatars. It also includes a versatile drag-and-drop video scene editor, allowing users to create custom videos in any topic or niche. This feature provides the flexibility to add, delete, edit, and reposition video scenes on the fly. Users can change backgrounds, colors, fonts, text, and HumanPals to create their custom masterpiece with total control.
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Extensive selection of voices in all popular languages, accents, and dialects. This feature allows users to cater to a global audience, making the software a versatile tool for content creators, marketers, and businesses.
Realistic human voices can enhance the quality of videos, making them more engaging and appealing to viewers.
The built-in video scene editor is a powerful tool that allows users to create custom videos in any topic or niche, with the flexibility to create unique and personalized content.
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Requires subscription
19. AI Text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text (STT) tools
Text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text (STT) tools have a lot of potential applications for independent journalists. Here are some additional ideas for each:
Text-to-Speech Tools
Article Narration: Use TTS to create audio versions of written articles, expanding accessibility and reaching a broader audience.
Proofreading: Listening to articles via TTS can help identify awkward phrasing or errors that may be missed during visual proofreading.
Multitasking: Journalists can listen to source documents or reports while doing other tasks, increasing efficiency.
Podcast Automation: Use TTS for automated segments in podcasts, such as reading out statistics or facts, allowing journalists to focus on the main content.
Language Translation: Coupling TTS with language translation tools can help journalists better understand foreign content by hearing it in their native language.
Speech-to-Text Tools
Interview Transcription: Automatically convert audio interviews to text for easier analysis and quoting.
Voice Memos: Journalists can use STT to transcribe on-the-go voice memos which can be especially useful during field reporting.
Real-time Subtitling: Use STT to provide real-time subtitles for live broadcasts or streaming content.
Voice-Activated Research: Combine STT with AI to perform voice-activated searches and data collection, freeing up hands and eyes for other tasks.
Meeting Minutes: Automatically transcribe editorial meetings or interviews with multiple people, ensuring no important details are lost.
By incorporating these TTS and STT technologies, independent journalists can make their workflows more efficient, improve accessibility, and potentially reach a wider audience. However, it's essential to remember that these tools are meant to assist rather than replace human skills and judgment.
ElevenLabs.io (AI)
ElevenLabs.io is a cutting-edge platform that specializes in Generative AI text-to-speech and Voice Cloning technologies. The company is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions that leverage artificial intelligence to transform text into speech and clone voices with remarkable accuracy. They launched a voice translation tool which instantly translates spoken content into multiple languages while preserving the original speaker’s voice and you can try it here.
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Advanced Technology: ElevenLabs.io utilizes state-of-the-art AI technology to deliver high-quality text to speech and voice cloning services.
Versatility: The platform's services can be used in a wide range of applications, from entertainment to accessibility solutions.
Innovation: ElevenLabs.io is constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI, offering users the chance to experience the latest advancements in voice technology.
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Limited Information: As of now, the website provides limited information about the specifics of their services, making it difficult for potential users to fully understand what they're offering.
Accessibility: The advanced nature of the technology may make it less accessible to individuals without a background in AI or tech.
Unlike many other platforms, ElevenLabs.io focuses specifically on Generative AI Text to Speech and Voice Cloning. This specialization allows them to hone their technology and deliver superior results. Furthermore, their commitment to innovation sets them apart, as they continually strive to improve and expand their services in line with the latest advancements in AI technology. ElevenLabs.io is a promising platform for anyone interested in AI's potential for voice technology. Despite some limitations, their focus on innovation and quality makes them a standout in the field.
Maestra (AI)
Maestra is automated cloud-based software for content creators. It allows users to automatically transcribe, caption, and voiceover their video and audio files to over 100 languages, thereby enabling them to reach and educate people all over the world. The platform works in real-time and enables brands to run complex omni channel campaigns, personalized promotions, web-, and mobile personalization using a single comprehensive tool.
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ease of use and functionality
automatic features for creating subtitles, video descriptions, converting voice messages to text, and translating the text into different languages
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difficulty in matching text to video flawlessly
translations provided by the tool may be off since the translation quality largely depends on the clarity and distinctness of the speech
Compared to similar tools like Transkriptor, Maestra holds its own. While Transkriptor has a higher ease of use rating (4.8) compared to Maestra (3.4), Maestra offers more features (25) compared to Transkriptor (17). This suggests that while Maestra may have a steeper learning curve, it offers more functionality and versatility to its users.
Maestra is a robust and versatile tool that offers a wide range of features to content creators. While it has some drawbacks, such as difficulty in matching text to video and occasional inaccuracies in translations, its benefits, including automatic transcription, captioning, and voiceover capabilities, as well as the ability to run complex omnichannel campaigns, make it a valuable tool for content creators.
Maestra Reviews & Product Details
Maestra Platform Reviews
Coqui (AI)
Coqui provides realistic, emotive text-to-speech through generative AI.
20. Licensing Copyrighted Image, Music and Video Content
Sourcing quality video content has become an essential part of storytelling for publishers, journalists, and content creators. However, using copyrighted material without proper authorization can cause legal consequences. Thankfully, various tools and online platforms are available that allow for the legal licensing of copyrighted video content. This article will explore the best tools and services for this purpose, detailing their strengths and weaknesses.
Stock Video Libraries
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Extensive Library: Extensive range of news, sports, and entertainment videos.
Credibility: Renowned for its professional-grade content, often used by large media companies.
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Cost: Premium content comes with a premium price tag.
Limited Flexibility: License terms may be restrictive.
Latest: Getty launched it’s “commercially safe” AI image generation
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Diverse Range: Features an extensive collection of videos across various genres and themes.
Quality: High-quality videos available up to 4K resolution.
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Expensive: While a bit less costly than Getty, it’s still on the expensive side.
Limited Customization: Does not offer editable project files for videos.
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Affordable Pricing: Offers a wide range of pricing options, including some very low-cost videos.
Extensive Library: Boasts an expansive collection of genres and themes.
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Quality Variation: The platform’s open submission policy can cause varying levels of quality.
Specialized Libraries
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Unique Content: Specializes in unique and less conventional video clips.
Flexible Licenses: Offers more flexible licensing options compared to many other platforms.
Free Content: Provides a selection of free clips alongside its premium content.
User-Friendly Search: Offers an intuitive search function with a range of filters.
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Variable Quality: The quality of videos can be inconsistent.
Mixed Pricing: While there are low-cost options, premium content can be pricey.
Subscription Services
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Affordable: Offers a subscription model that gives access to a wide range of videos.
Royalty-Free: Once downloaded, the videos can be used multiple times without additional charges.
Flat-rate Subscription: Allows access to an extensive library for a fixed monthly or annual fee.
High-Quality Content: Curated collection ensures better quality.
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Generic: Content can sometimes lack the uniqueness or specialized focus found in other libraries.
Limited High-End Options: May not offer as many professional-grade options as some premium sites.
Limited Selection: The most affordable plans come with limitations on the number of downloads or quality.
Subscription Services
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Free Tier: Offers a substantial number of free clips.
Affordable Premium Plans: Videvo Plus and Videvo Pro plans are competitive.
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Watermarked Free Clips: Free clips often come with a watermark, requiring a paid upgrade for removal.
Platforms with Specialized Content
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Authenticity: Provides real, unfiltered videos from around the world.
Niche Content: Specializes in user-generated news videos, ideal for journalistic use.
Variable Licensing Options: Offers a variety of licensing terms, including short-term options.
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Limited Editorial Control: Since content is user-generated, it may require more editing.
Unpredictable Availability: Content based on current events may be limited in scope and availability.
Narrow Focus: Not ideal for those looking for a wide variety of themes or genres.
Direct Licensing Platforms
Copyright Clearance Center (CCC)
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Legal Assurance: Specializes in providing legal clearances for copyrighted content.
One-Stop Shop: Can secure permissions for various types of media, including videos, articles, and more.
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Complicated Process: The licensing process can be long and may require legal consultation.
Costly: Fees can add up, especially for large projects.
Finding and licensing copyrighted video content is a complex but necessary process for publishers who want to adhere to legal standards. While stock libraries like Getty Images and Shutterstock offer premium content, they can be expensive. On the other hand, services like Pond5 and Newsflare provide unique, specialized options. Subscription-based platforms like Storyblocks offer affordable, but sometimes generic, alternatives, and direct licensing through the Copyright Clearance Center provides legal assurance at a cost.
Each of these options has its own set of advantages and drawbacks, so the best choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and the level of quality you are seeking.
Licensing Music for your Video
If you need music for your video, these are copyright-free music libraries:
Very helpful. I come back to this post to review tools, time and again.