It is certainly an understatement to say that the creative landscape has never shifted this fast. Currently, intense competition in the arena of AI generative video has brought us the stunning and jaw dropping Google Veo 3 and Open AI's Sora 2, all within the span of six months.

The hype is focused on the uncanny cinematic quality of the output: the perfect lighting, the impossible camera moves, and the hyper-realistic look. This technical wizardry has led to headlines screaming, "Hollywood is in Trouble."

Hollywood might indeed be in trouble - but that is a whole other story and discussion.

What is not in trouble though, is the craft of storytelling; the underlying human art form. Make no mistake: simply prompting a "cinematic" looking video is not the same as the genuine craft of storytelling. A craft requires time, investment, and focused attention from an artist.

Separating Tool from Talent

In just a few short years, these generative AI models have flooded the public square with an ocean of dazzling content. This revolution is often hailed as a total democratization of filmmaking and art, claiming to break the barriers to entry by eliminating the need for expensive equipment, specialized training, or grueling technical effort. But what this new technology breaks down are the technical barriers, not the human ones - it does not, and cannot, democratize taste, life experience, and, most importantly, unique creative expression.

To say that AI image generation turns everyone into a filmmaker or artist is like saying that just because humanity discovered fire, everyone instantly became a professional chef. Fire is an essential tool, a prerequisite for cooking, but it is not the cuisine. The chef’s art lies in the judgment of flavor, the experience of selecting and preparing ingredients, and the intention behind the meal.

Similarly, a generative prompt is merely a tool for rendering an image, not a substitute for the creative process. The true craft of storytelling requires a deep, difficult-to-hone skill set:

• Empathy: The ability to inhabit a character's emotional truth and make an audience care.

• Pace: The instinct for when to accelerate a scene and when to let tension breathe.

• Authentic Emotion: The capacity to translate complex human experiences into relatable narrative beats.

• The Intentional Omission: The judgment of what to leave out, what to hide, and what to reveal to engage an audience.

  
  

AI can deliver a technically perfect image of "a weary king in a rain-soaked forest," but it has no understanding of the weariness, the significance of the rain, or the context of the king's despair. That understanding belongs solely to the human storyteller.

The Confidence of the Creative

Creatives, filmmakers, and artists need not fear this inevitable wave of AI tools. Instead, we must embrace it, not as a threat to our existence, but as a new medium to spur us on to greater levels of creativity.

Just because everyone can create a video or image with a prompt, does not mean that they know how to craft a story with the pace of a thriller, the heart of a drama, or the authentic emotion of a memory. The craft of the storyteller is built on years of observation, failure, love, loss, and a lifetime of unique personal experience.

What we are about to live through is a painful spike of mediocre, soulless AI video slop aimed at getting your attention - content that is technically proficient but emotionally hollow. That hype will die down eventually, and what will remain is the fundamental human need for authentic stories and connection. Audiences will always crave work born of genuine intention and that speaks to the universal human experience.

This breaking of technical barriers may, paradoxically, be a good thing. It forces creatives to elevate their craft past mere technical execution and focus on what truly matters: a distinctive voice and a compelling opinion of the world. It may also lead to the discovery of a whole new generation of talented, genuine artists who may otherwise have never gotten the chance due to individual financial or geographical circumstances.

Not everyone who has a brush is a painter. Not everyone with a camera is a photographer. Creatives must be confident and secure in their unique perspective and continue honing their craft, believing that genuine creative expression will be able to triumph above mere visual trickery.

The tools have changed, but the primacy of the artist's soul remains absolute.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Justin Ivan Hong is a Cinematographer and Director of Photography known for award winning films such as "I Love New York" and "The Buddhist". He also serves as a cinematography consultant to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences