Drastically Cutting Film Production Costs with AI: Practical Support Ideas and Their Impact

Will AI Make Creators Obsolete?

There’s hardly a day without news about AI—especially tools like ChatGPT.

Mainstream media tends to focus on the “negative” aspects that appeal to the general public, so it’s no surprise that most coverage highlights AI’s downsides.

Naturally, new legal and ethical issues will arise. And yes, if students use AI to complete writing assignments, it defeats the purpose of the exercise. So of course, AI should be used appropriately and in the right context.

Creative fields will face similar debates. We’ll likely see submission guidelines for literary contests that prohibit AI-generated content. If an AI-assisted novel were nominated for a prestigious award like the Naoki Prize, controversy would be inevitable.

But honestly, for audiences who just want to enjoy a good story, it doesn’t matter whether the author wrote it by hand, used a ghostwriter, made changes during translation, or relied on AI. That’s my personal take.

Of course, if a work is heavily AI-assisted, people may feel less inclined to admire the author’s structure or writing style. But if that diminishes your interest, you can simply choose not to read it.

Personally, if I found a novel that made me say, “This is exactly what I wanted to read!” and it turned out to be written with AI, I’d gladly read more AI-generated fiction. After all, the key lies in how well the creator gives instructions to the AI—there’s still plenty of room for artistic expression.

Photoshop as a Power Tool for Filmmakers

In the world of filmmaking, I believe AI should be embraced wholeheartedly.

Some may say, “That’s not real cinema,” but I see film as a form of entertaining spectacle. Just like special effects, AI is a tool—and I intend to use it.

I use Adobe Premiere Pro for editing, and it’s constantly evolving with new AI features. Honestly, I haven’t kept up with all the updates.

Still, even without mastering the latest tech, I’ve found that combining Premiere Pro with Photoshop gives me all the basic visual editing I need.

A Practical Example of AI-Assisted Correction

Here’s a technique I’ve used long before AI became mainstream—removing unwanted objects from footage using Photoshop.

With AI features, this process becomes even easier and cleaner.

For still images, Photoshop’s AI tools can quickly remove unwanted elements. You’ve probably seen this in commercials.

But “removal” is more complex than it sounds. If you try using the eraser tool, you’ll notice that it deletes both the object and the background. Just erasing something doesn’t make it disappear convincingly.

What you’re really doing is recreating the background to make the object appear gone—like painting over it with digital brushstrokes. This requires artistic skill and technical know-how.

Photoshop’s AI tools handle this for you, even if you lack those skills.

Applying the Technique to Video

Video requires one extra step, but it’s a practical method that can save significant shooting time.

To use this technique effectively, make sure:

• You’re shooting with a fixed camera
• The object you want to remove doesn’t overlap with moving subjects like people
• The background behind the object is static (no rippling water or swaying grass)

If these conditions are met, the process is quick and simple. Here’s how to do it using free stock footage:

Let’s say you want to remove a structure and a traffic light from the right side of the frame.

1. Export a Still Frame
   From your video editing software, export a single frame as a JPEG or similar format.
2. Edit the Still in Photoshop
   Open the image in Photoshop, select the unwanted elements, and use “Content-Aware Fill” to erase them.
3. Import the Edited Still into Your Video Editor
   Bring the cleaned-up image back into your editing software.
4. Trim the Still to Create a Patch
   Use the trimming tool to isolate the edited area—this becomes your “patch.”
5. Overlay the Patch on the Original Video
   Place the patch over the original footage. Voilà—no more structure or traffic light.

This process is surprisingly simple. For example, if a parked car is ruining your shot, you can film anyway and remove it later—no need to wait or relocate. That saves time.

Similarly, placing a microphone close to an actor’s face often risks it appearing in the shot. But if you plan to digitally remove it later, you can prioritize audio quality without wasting time on positioning.

There are many other ways to use Photoshop’s AI features. One method I’ve developed—called the “Masuda Super Previz Technique”—pairs perfectly with this approach, but I’ll save that for another article.

Hope this was helpful.