AI-generated videos are already here, and this machine is unstoppable. According to a Wistia report, 41% of videos will be created with AI in 2025 -- double the share from last year. AI now plays a role in everything from pre-production planning to post-production tasks, such as dubbing, captions and visual generation.
In such a fast-moving industry, manual resources alone aren't enough. That's why at HOLYWATER, which specializes in storytelling and distribution, we focus on balancing creative minds with AI automation to scale and reach new markets more efficiently. Whether you're creating marketing videos, educational content or entertainment series, my tips on how to effectively combine AI automation with human creativity will help you stay ahead of the competition and create engaging storytelling.
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If you work with AI to create content, don't just rely on one particular tool. Instead, consider testing different technologies and choose the ones that really work for you. Here are some of our top AI tool combinations.
For video creation, we turn to Runway and Marey. The first one removes backgrounds, customizes frames, adds effects and creates videos based on text prompts with support for different formats for different styles. Marey creates cinematic camera moves using just a single image. It transforms any 2D scene into a 3D environment so you can direct the camera as if you're on set.
Working with audio and voice, we use ElevenLabs. It generates high-quality AI voices that bring characters to life for a more engaging narrative. For visuals, Flux is a must-have. We use it to create visual assets for AI-series and promotional materials.
If you work with fiction texts a lot, try Sudowrite and its wide range of features, from outline creation to automatic writing and self-editing. This software can create a character outline, world, synopsis, plot and even write the first chapters based on user input. Meanwhile, GPT agents can help build personalized AI assistants that analyze context, learn style and deliver relevant results for tasks from analytics to content structuring.
A mix of these tools delivers exponentially better results. In our experience, "using multiple AI tools ends up in better content." But the key is the human who works with these tools and creates the stories.
When creating viral content, aim not just to make hits, but to build a long-term story. Think about how you can further develop your product and retain your audience.
For example, we pioneered AI Companion, allowing viewers to directly interact with AI characters from their favorite shows. Users can text with characters, creating deeper emotional connections that extend beyond the viewing experience.
This interactive approach is not limited to content creation. Fashion brands can develop AI-powered virtual stylists, and educational apps can integrate AI tutors that adapt to a student's pace and learning style, like Duolingo. The key is moving beyond one-way communication to create experiences where your audience becomes an active participant in your story.
At my company, we also use AI in our marketing. Our AI-driven marketing machine generates over 200,000 creative concepts monthly across 12-15 languages. All of this is made possible with a team of marketers leveraging AI tools and robust user analytics to power their ideas.
The foundation of this scale is our data-driven solution, which identifies viral elements from series, extracts them, combines strategically, and adds titles to produce finished marketing concepts at scale. In addition to our in-house tools, our marketing team uses a powerful stack of AI solutions:
That's how we can quickly create tailored promotional content for different audience segments, A/B test creative approaches and optimize marketing based on real-time performance data.
Related: How to Leverage AI for Content Creation While Avoiding Potential Risks and Penalties
The most successful AI implementations happen when every team member finds their own way to work smarter with these tools.
We encourage our team to use AI, not as a shortcut, but as a skill. Everyone finds their own way to work smarter with it. Our content ops manager uses it for brainstorming and training models on specific tones. The brand designer refines visuals with focused prompts. Our developers code with pair programming tools like Cursor. The brand lead analyzes user interviews to spot patterns and spark stronger ideas.
The approach is complex yet scalable: Let AI handle the repetitive stuff, so your team can focus on the work only humans can do -- strategy, creativity and original thinking.
