The Future of Money:
A Groundbreaking Documentary Series
In May 2023, our video production team embarked on an ambitious project: a documentary series titled "The Future of Money" for a streaming platform. This series delves into the potential future financial crises and explores how the nature and use of money might evolve with technological advancements. Will all currency become digital, or will traditional forms persist? To answer these questions, over 100 interviews with experts were conducted, including influencers, politicians, and officials, capturing their insights with professional-grade cameras.
The Challenge of Visualizing the Future​​
As we began sourcing b-roll footage, we encountered a challenge. The experts were discussing futuristic concepts and technologies that do not yet exist, making it impossible to capture them on film. It was at this juncture that several AI image and animation programs released updated versions. Although these tools were not perfect, they showed promise beyond mere meme creation.
Embracing AI for Futuristic Visuals​
​​We conducted tests to recreate futuristic imagery and animations, as well as to depict current monetary systems and the modern challenges faced by cities and countries. The results were astonishing. At that time some influencers and bloggers quickly adopted AI-generated content, sparking a trend that encouraged us to integrate this technology into our project.
Source: "The Future of Money" (2023) https://vk.com/video-47393707_456243299?ysclid=m37boaedbd842376364
​While the AI-generated visuals may not seem as impressive now, 1.5 years later, given the rapid advancements in AI technology, they were groundbreaking at the time. We decided to blend these AI generations with real footage, primarily using them as b-roll and for transitions.
The Tools of Innovation​
​​After extensive testing, we settled on three AI tools to bring our vision to life:
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Midjourney
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Kaiber.AI
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Stable Diffusion
The project was edited using Adobe Premiere Pro, with Adobe After Effects employed to create captivating transitions and effects.
Source: "The Future of Money" (2023) https://vk.com/video-47393707_456243299?ysclid=m37boaedbd842376364
At the time, using AI was a complex and unpredictable process, requiring significant effort to perfect each shot. This is a stark contrast to today, where most animated shots require only 2-3 takes.
A Seamless Blend of Reality and AI​
​​We decided to mix stock footage, real footage, and AI-generated images and animations. The most attention-grabbing generations featured a seamless zoom effect created with Stable Diffusion, a style that trended on social media for months.
Source: "The Future of Money" (2023) https://vk.com/video-47393707_456243299?ysclid=m37boaedbd842376364
Pioneering the Future of Cinematography​
​​While it was indeed possible to create b-roll using 3D animation, doing so for numerous interviews across eight episodes, each over 40 minutes long, would have been prohibitively expensive. AI provided a solution to this challenge, allowing us to stay within a reasonable budget while capitalizing on a trending technology that was garnering significant attention at the time.
This project proved to us and our colleagues that AI-generated content has a significant role in the future of cinematography, documentaries, YouTube videos, commercials, and more. Today, the process is even easier, faster, and yields more realistic results.
Our work on "The Future of Money" not only set a new standard for documentary filmmaking but also demonstrated the transformative potential of AI in video production. As we continue to explore the possibilities of AI, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in visual storytelling.