Real People, Real Places: Why Authentic Stories Still Matter

I was digging through my archives looking for an image for a customer and came across a behind-the-scenes photo from a recent Raleigh video shoot. This image got me thinking about all the new AI video tools out there and the doom-and-gloom surrounding what it means for video and photography.

You’d have to be willfully ignorant not to believe that AI is changing digital media at a rapid pace. For my business personally, it’s helped automate a lot of the “business” side of what I do, like scheduling and planning projects. It’s also helped speed up a lot of the mundane tasks with editing, writing, and graphics.

But when anyone can create a professional video or photo in just a few minutes using these tools, digital media is commoditized. Maybe we’re already there.

Maybe I’m naive, but I tend to feel more optimistic about this topic than most. I think the ease of access to these tools will just get rid of the unserious creators. The cream will rise to the top, and the people that are focused on telling real stories about real people and real places will shine through.

When you watch a corporate video, commercial, or a movie, you want to connect with it. And nothing does that better than authenticity. When something gets commoditized, the value of that thing goes down. But if AI-generated content is the norm, then human-made and human-focused content will skyrocket in value.

I recently read a great quote by an AI tech founder that sums it up perfectly:

“We’re heading towards an economy of meaning.”