10,000 Scenes Later: What AI Video Revealed About Authenticity

Today, the race in healthcare creativity is moving toward “perfecting” AI-generated video. As we embrace curiosity and experimentation, we get one step closer to closing the gap between artificial and authentic. But with greater capabilities come even greater questions: Will we still need actual video shoots? Can we just use AI? Is the best option a combination of the two? The truth is that all options have an important role if they can make us feel the vitality of the human experience. For a recent Spectrum Science campaign, our journey had us trading the camera for code—and what an inspiring journey it was. 

Sure, with AI we were able to do a full-scale, multi-location promotional video shoot without doing a shoot at all. But let’s get one thing straight: AI didn’t hand us a shortcut—it handed us a gauntlet. When we set out to create Spectrum’s AI-driven R.F.P. (Real. Fast. Partnership.) video, we weren’t chasing novelty, we wanted something disruptive and delightful. Something that could cut through the noise, land with humor, and still feel remarkably “real.”  

What we got wasn’t perfection on the first try—or the hundredth. It was a relentless, unpredictable yet always surprising process that forced us to rethink what authenticity means in a world where AI can be used to substitute reality. Here are 5 key takeaways from our process that prove why the future of AI assisted creativity is anything but completely artificial.  

1. Know AI’s Limits Then Push Them
   We started by mapping out what Veo could do well: hyper-realistic, straight-to-camera clips with solid audio. But we didn’t let its limitations box us in. Instead, we wrote the script as we wanted to see it, then let the tech challenge us to adapt, improvise and sometimes scrap entire scenes. The result? A cast of 15+ unique characters; each more memorable than the last, and a process that thrived on flexibility. 
2. Prompts Are Your Paintbrush—Keep Painting
   Every accent, every punchline, every bit of personality was coaxed out of Veo through relentless prompt engineering. We used large language models to fine-tune dialogue prompts, then fed them into Veo repeatedly. Sometimes, a single word change unlocked a whole new level of hilarity – like the Russian cabbie, which was the product of hundreds of prompt tweaks and a refusal to settle for “good enough.” 
3. Embrace the Numbers and the Process
   10,000 scenes. That’s how many we generated, reviewed and whittled down to the final cut. For every clip that made it, dozens were left on the cutting room floor. We scrutinized every detail: accents, uniforms, object interactions and emotional delivery. The process was rigorous, but it proved that persistence—and a willingness to pivot—are the real keys to resonant, AI-powered creativity. 
4. Collaboration Beats Control Every Time
   “Shooting” the storyboard will only shoot you in the foot. Our best work came from letting go, experimenting, inviting feedback and letting the technology surprise us. We reviewed top picks as a team, debated what felt “real,” and let the process take us closer to the vision we set out with. In this new creative age, the future belongs to clients and MLR teams who can partner with their creatives in real time, leveraging the iterative power and potential of AI. 
5. Humanity Is the Secret Ingredient
   AI can mimic, but it can’t fully replicate the human experience (it never lived in New York like us). So, it’s no surprise that the scenes that landed hardest were those rooted in real emotion, our own insight and a deep understanding of what makes these characters interesting. We even brought in a human-composed score from MAS (Music and Strategy) to elevate the feeling of levity, joy, urgency and excitement. 

AI-generated video isn’t about replacing the human touch but enhancing it. Our journey proved that emotive creativity thrives on curiosity, flexibility and collaboration between human and machine. Whether we’re behind the camera or behind a prompt, our mission will always be to create work that pulses boldly. With that focus, the future of AI in healthcare creativity continues to be incredibly inspiring, and more importantly, human. 

Need help taking your creative into the future? Contact us today.