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Creative & Generative AI Production

AI Video Production: Commercial, Social, & Training Content

We use generative AI to make brand spots, social videos and training series. The workflow we test on in-house films produced six product training videos for BatchGeo in two to three weeks.

Client
BatchGeo and in-house
Services
Creative & Generative AI Production
AI Video Production: Commercial, Social, & Training Content
The workflow

Here for the process? Skip to how we make an AI video, step by step: custom voice, human read, still frames, animation and edit.

The Challenge

Modern video production presents consistent challenges across industries:

  • High costs for short-form and frequently updated content
  • Long timelines that limit iteration and experimentation
  • Difficulty maintaining consistency across large video libraries
  • The need to produce multiple versions for different platforms and audiences

Clients increasingly need video that is clear, repeatable, and easy to update. The challenge was to design an AI-driven video workflow that could move quickly, scale efficiently, and still deliver polished, professional results.

The Concept

Rather than treating AI as a replacement for creative teams, we approached it as a production accelerator and creative collaborator.

Using generative AI tools, we produced a range of content types, including:

  • Concept-driven AI commercials
  • Short-form narrative and experimental videos
  • Social media videos designed for rapid deployment
  • Training and instructional videos that require clarity and consistency

Internal projects, such as Alien and Bigfoot-inspired commercials, allowed us to explore bold visual styles, pacing, and tone. These experiments informed how we approach client work, especially where speed, consistency, and scalability are critical.

Stills from two AI brand spots: Bigfoot at a podcast microphone and an alien florist in an apron

Concept Exploration and Internal R&D

Concept-driven pieces served as a proving ground for our AI video production workflow. These internal projects allowed us to test where generative AI is most effective, how far visuals can be pushed, and how AI-generated footage holds up when shaped by traditional storytelling techniques.

Working in-house made it possible to:

  • Iterate rapidly without resetting production
  • Test multiple visual directions and narrative approaches
  • Refine prompt strategies, pacing, and editing techniques
  • Identify where human direction adds the most value

This experimentation directly informed how we structure client-facing projects, reducing risk and improving efficiency.

  • Play
    Brand spot · 0:55

    The Alien Florist

    A local business owner from somewhat further away explains a website upgrade. Script by ChatGPT, voice by ElevenLabs, animation in Veo 3.

  • Play
    Brand spot · 1:06

    Bigfoot's Digital Survival Guide

    Written, voiced and animated with AI in a few days: Midjourney concept art, a ChatGPT and Gemini script, an ElevenLabs voice, HeyGen and Runway animation.

  • Play
    Holiday film · 0:40

    Happy Holidays from SLIDEFACTORY

    A short story about a child's favorite toy, made in two days with AI tools.

  • Play
    Halloween film · 0:20

    Happy Halloween from SLIDEFACTORY

    Vampires, wizards, witches, astronauts, rock stars and dragons turn up for one office Halloween party and a group photo.

Applying the Workflow to Client Video Production

The insights gained from internal R&D translate directly into client-facing AI video production. The same tools and processes are used to deliver a wide range of practical, production-ready content.

For clients, this includes:

  • Training and instructional videos used for onboarding, education, and internal communication
  • Social media videos designed for speed, volume, and platform-specific formats
  • Marketing and explainer videos that require clarity and visual consistency
  • Ongoing content series that benefit from fast updates and repeatable structure

Because AI-generated footage can be revised without reshoots, clients are able to update messaging, scripts, or visuals quickly. This is especially valuable for training content that evolves over time or social content that needs frequent iteration.

The workflow supports:

  • Faster turnaround times
  • Consistent visual and tonal output
  • Multiple versions for different audiences or platforms
  • Lower production overhead compared to traditional video shoots

For BatchGeo, a mapping platform we have worked on since 2021, this workflow produced six product training videos and a set of supporting social assets in two to three weeks, at about 25 to 33% of the cost of a traditional shoot. The video below is one of the six.

AI Actors and AI Spokespeople

AI actors and AI spokespeople play a central role in many client projects. These virtual presenters provide a consistent on-screen presence for training, marketing, and social content, without the scheduling or logistical constraints of live production.

This approach is particularly effective for:

  • Employee training and onboarding videos
  • Product walkthroughs and explainers
  • Social video content requiring frequent updates
  • Internal communications and announcements

Using AI spokespeople allows teams to:

  • Update scripts without reshooting footage
  • Maintain a consistent delivery style across large video libraries
  • Scale video production across departments or campaigns
  • Localize content for different regions or audiences

By pairing AI presenters with thoughtful scripting, editing, and creative direction, the videos retain a professional, human feel while remaining flexible and easy to maintain.

Four AI-generated characters: a presenter speaking to camera, a child opening presents, Bigfoot at a microphone and an alien florist

How We Make an AI Video, Step by Step

Our AI videos start with a script and a voice, not with a prompt. Once the voice track is locked, every later step has something fixed to build around.

Diagram of the AI video workflow: script, human read, ElevenLabs custom voice, Midjourney still frames, animation in Veo 3, Seedance, Runway and HeyGen, then edit and delivery in 16:9 and 9:16
The six steps, from script to finished video.

1. Build a custom voice in ElevenLabs

We design a custom voice for the character or presenter in ElevenLabs. That voice carries across every video in a series, so a library of training videos sounds like one presenter instead of six.

ElevenLabs Voice Creation screen with Instant Voice Clone, Professional Voice Clone and Voice Design options
Voice Creation in ElevenLabs, where each custom voice starts.

2. Record a person reading the script

Someone on our team records the script out loud. A text-to-speech read gets the words right; a human read also gets the pauses, the emphasis and the comic timing the script was written for.

3. Convert the recording to the custom voice

ElevenLabs speech-to-speech turns that recording into the custom voice. The delivery stays human and only the voice changes. When a line changes later, we re-record that one line and convert it again, with no studio session to book.

4. Design the still frames

Each shot begins as a still image of the character, the set and the lighting, made with image tools such as Midjourney. Approving the look as a still before anything moves keeps a character consistent from shot to shot.

5. Animate the stills to the voice in Veo 3, Seedance, Runway and HeyGen

The approved stills and the converted voice track go into Veo 3, Seedance 2.5, Runway or HeyGen, which turn each still into a moving shot and sync the character’s mouth to the audio. We choose the model by content type, and a finished video often mixes shots from more than one.

Runway video generation screen turning stills of an alien flower shop into five-second shots
Runway turning stills of the alien florist’s shop into five-second shots.
HeyGen Avatar IV presenter video with options to revise in AI Studio, translate, upscale and clip
A HeyGen Avatar IV presenter video, ready to revise or translate.

6. Edit, mix and deliver

The generated clips are cut together in Adobe Premiere Pro with music, sound effects, titles and captions, then exported in each format the video needs, such as 16:9 for a training library and 9:16 for social.

Adobe Premiere Pro timeline with AI-generated clips, a music track and the SLIDEFACTORY end card
The final cut in Adobe Premiere Pro, with music and the end card.

Technologies Used

Our AI video production workflow combines best-in-class tools selected based on project needs:

  • Google Veo 3 for high-fidelity generative video and cinematic motion
  • Runway for generative video, scene extension, and visual experimentation
  • Seedance 2.5 for cinematic and animated generative shots
  • OpenAI Sora for concept exploration and next-generation video generation
  • HeyGen for AI actors, AI spokespeople, and presenter-driven content
  • ElevenLabs for custom voices, and speech-to-speech conversion of recorded reads into those voices
  • Midjourney for still frames, characters and concept art
  • Adobe Premiere Pro for the edit, music, sound, titles and final exports

These tools are combined with traditional editing and creative direction to ensure each video feels intentional, polished, and aligned with its audience.

The Results

This AI-driven approach enabled:

  • Faster delivery of training and social video content
  • Reduced production costs for frequently updated videos
  • Greater creative flexibility without expanding scope
  • Consistent quality across large volumes of content

For clients, this means more video, produced more efficiently, without sacrificing clarity or professionalism.

Why AI Video Production Works

AI-powered video production is effective because it:

  • Compresses ideation, production, and iteration into a single workflow
  • Reduces risk when testing new ideas or formats
  • Scales across platforms, audiences, and content types
  • Keeps creative teams focused on storytelling and strategy

For training, social media, and marketing content, generative AI provides speed and flexibility that traditional production struggles to match.

Key Takeaways

  • AI video production supports scalable, repeatable content creation
  • Internal experimentation directly improves client outcomes
  • AI actors and spokespeople enable consistent, updatable video libraries
  • Hybrid workflows deliver speed without sacrificing creative control

Looking Ahead

This work demonstrates how AI video production can support commercial storytelling, social media, and training initiatives at scale. By continuing to invest in in-house exploration and applying those insights to client projects, we’ve built a production model designed for adaptability, efficiency, and long-term value.

As generative tools evolve, this approach provides a future-ready foundation for creating high-impact video across industries and use cases.

Planning a training series, a brand spot or a social campaign? See our AI video production services.

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What's next should be worth building.

New products. Better systems. More compelling experiences. Whatever the opportunity, we bring the thinking, creativity, and technical expertise to make it real.

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