Two years ago almost nobody sold AI video production. Now hundreds of companies do, and from the outside they look identical: a dark website, a fast showreel and the word “cinematic” in every paragraph. Some of them are excellent. Some are one person with a subscription and a weekend of practice.
This checklist is the one we would use if we were hiring a studio ourselves.
1. Look for finished pieces, not impressive shots
Anyone can generate one beautiful five-second clip. The hard part is making thirty of them belong to the same film, with the same person, the same light and the same product. Ask to see complete pieces that ran somewhere: a full ad, a full reel series, a full product film. Watch them with the sound on.
2. Ask how they keep your product accurate
This is the question that separates studios from hobbyists. Generated video tends to drift: labels change, proportions shift, colours wander. A serious studio works from your own photos, packshots or 3D files and checks the product in every frame before delivery. If the answer is vague, expect a vague product.
3. Find out who does the thinking
The model does not write the idea, choose the hook or decide where the camera goes. Ask who does. You want to hear about a person with a background in advertising, film, design or content, because the tools are available to everyone and taste is not.
4. Check how they handle people
If a real person appears, or an AI presenter is based on a real person, there must be written consent. If the presenter is invented, ask who owns the character afterwards and whether you can keep using it if you change supplier. Avoid anyone who is relaxed about imitating a celebrity or a competitor’s spokesperson.
5. Get ownership and usage in writing
You should own the finished videos and be free to run them anywhere, including paid advertising. Music needs a licence that covers advertising too. These points belong in the contract before work starts, not in an email afterwards.
6. Ask about the approval stages
Good AI production is front-loaded. You should approve the idea first, then still images that define the look, and only then moving footage. Changes at the image stage take minutes. Changes after the edit take days. A studio that goes straight to finished video is making you pay for its guesses.
7. Prefer a fixed price
Generation is unpredictable, and some shots take forty attempts. That risk should sit with the studio. A fixed price with a stated number of revision rounds tells you the studio understands its own process. A day rate tells you it does not.
8. Test how quickly they reply
Short-form content moves fast, and a studio that takes three days to answer a message will not deliver a weekly reel schedule. Send a short brief by WhatsApp, Telegram or email and see what comes back. A useful reply asks two or three sharp questions and gives you a price.
9. See whether they ever say no
AI is the wrong tool for some jobs. A founder’s story, a real customer, a place people will actually visit: these usually need a camera. A studio that says yes to everything is selling you its tools. A studio that sometimes recommends a shoot is selling you the result.
A quick scoring table
| Question | Good sign | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Can I see full finished pieces? | Complete ads and series | Only a showreel |
| How do you keep the product accurate? | Starts from your files, checks each frame | “The AI handles that” |
| Who owns the video? | You, in writing | Unclear or licensed back to you |
| How is it priced? | Fixed fee, set revisions | Open-ended day rate |
| Do you ever recommend filming? | Yes, with examples | Never |
If you would like to run this checklist on us, send a short brief and judge the reply. You can also look at what we make and the work itself.
Questions people ask
What does an AI video production company do?
It plans, generates and finishes video using generative AI tools instead of a physical shoot. The good ones still do the traditional parts by hand: the idea, the script, the edit, the sound and the grade.
Is an AI video agency cheaper than a traditional production company?
Usually, because there is no crew, location or travel to pay for. The saving is largest on ideas that would be expensive to film and smallest on simple talking-head content.
Can I use AI-generated video in paid ads?
Yes, on all major platforms, provided the ad is not misleading and you follow each platform's rules on labelling realistic AI content. Make sure your contract gives you the right to use the video in advertising.
How long does AI video production take?
Short-form content typically takes one to two weeks from brief to delivery. Longer brand films take several weeks, mostly because of look development and approvals rather than generation time.