Will AI Video Editing Replace Us? (Premiere VS AI Editor)
Education
Introduction
In a recent video challenge, an individual set out to battle an AI video editor in a head-to-head editing competition. The stakes were high: if AI won, the individual would fire their editor—well, themselves, since they edit their own content. The challenge involved both competitors working with the same short recording to cut bad takes, add b-roll, color grade the footage, and mix audio to perfection. The results would be rated based on speed, creativity, and quality.
Round One: Cutting Away Bad Takes
The first part of the challenge was cutting away bad takes. The editor was confident, considering their extensive experience in the field. However, they quickly realized that the AI editor was significantly faster. After judging the results, they rated AI five stars for speed while giving themselves three stars for quality due to minor adjustments needed for their cuts. For creativity, both received two stars since neither displayed any creative flair in this round.
Key takeaway: While the AI excels in speed, fine-tuning decisions and creativity are still better suited for a human editor.
Round Two: B-Roll Selection
Next up was the b-roll selection, an area where creativity is paramount. The editor utilized Story Blocks, an extensive stock footage library, to find the perfect clips, aided by a convenient plugin that allowed seamless downloads from within Premiere. Meanwhile, the AI struggled, not surprisingly, as its capabilities in selecting context-rich footage were limited.
In terms of speed and quality, the AI received zero stars, and creativity wasn't any better. Human touch remains essential in this stage of the editing process.
Key takeaway: Creative selection of b-roll is still a domain where human intuition prevails over AI.
Round Three: Color Grading
The third part of the challenge focused on color grading, where personal style and fine adjustments have a significant impact. The editor initially created a color grade for one clip but found themselves needing to tweak every clip individually for cohesion. They used a new AI tool called Color Lab for simplifying the process, which allowed for quick application of the same color grading across clips. This option, however, came at the cost of some control, emphasizing that while AI can speed things up, it might sacrifice quality and personalization.
The ratings were four stars for speed and quality, but only two for creativity.
Key takeaway: AI tools can significantly speed up the color grading process but risk losing personalized touches.
Round Four: Audio Processing
In audio processing, the editor felt confident due to their background in music production. Using Premiere Pro's built-in features, they effectively tackled background noise, set EQ, and applied compression to enhance sound quality. The AI's voice enhancement tool, which had improved over time, did a commendable job at enhancing audio quality. However, although it provided quick results, it felt somewhat robotic compared to the personalized touch of a human editor.
For speed, the AI received five stars, while the individual earned three for quality and zero for creativity.
Key takeaway: AI is capable of quick and decent audio processing, but human emotion and creativity are still vital in crafting a narrative.
Conclusion
After all rounds of the competition, it became clear that while AI showed speed and efficiency, it could not match the quality and creative expression offered by a human editor. The editor firmly believes that AI should be leveraged to perform repetitive tasks, freeing up time for focusing on the creative aspects of video production.
Keyword
- AI Video Editor
- Premiere Pro
- B-roll
- Color Grading
- Audio Processing
- Creativity
- Editing Challenge
- Story Blocks
FAQ
Q: Can AI video editing replace human editors?
A: While AI can significantly speed up certain tasks like cutting or audio processing, it lacks the creative intuition and personalized touch that human editors provide.
Q: What advantages does the AI video editor have?
A: The main advantages are speed and efficiency in handling repetitive tasks, allowing editors to focus on more creative aspects of video production.
Q: How does the human editor approach b-roll selection?
A: The human editor utilizes platforms like Story Blocks to find contextually relevant clips, emphasizing creativity and artistic judgment in their selection.
Q: What tools were used in the challenge?
A: The human editor used Premiere Pro with Story Blocks for b-roll and Color Lab for color grading, while the AI editor utilized preset tools for basic editing functions.
