AI in professional Trailer Production

The starting point for this project wasn’t a tool – it was a camera idea.

I wanted a shot that feels instantly cinematic: a smooth camera move straight through an airport body scanner, revealing the title “Airport Security USA”. A shot that would normally be expensive, hard to shoot and full of logistical hurdles. Similar stock footage was nit available – perfect territory to explore what AI can actually contribute to professional trailer production.

I began the process very traditionally: with a rough sketch. Just enough to define perspective, framing and the moment where the title should appear. This sketch then became the basis for my Midjourney prompts.

I generated lots of variations – tweaking scanner design, lighting, lens feel and crowd density. The goal wasn’t realism alone, but something that already felt like a frame from a TV production.

Once I had a promising base image, I moved into Photoshop. Here I cleaned up the composition, removing unnecessary people and visual noise to make the camera path clearer and the focus more intentional.

Next stop: Runway AI.

I defined a dolly move straight through the scanner, describing the camera motion, speed and depth in detail. It took a few attempts to get a usable result – some versions felt too floaty, others broke perspective – but eventually I landed on footage that felt grounded enough to work with.

With that clip in hand, I switched back to familiar territory: After Effects.

Even though the footage was AI-generated, I treated it like real camera material:

• tracking the camera move
• stabilizing and refining the motion
• placing the title cleanly into the scene

On top of that, I added small details that sell the realism:

• a subtle blinking light on the scanner
• restrained depth blur
• cinematic color grading
• a touch of grain to break the “too perfect” AI look

All of it aimed at making the shot feel like something that could have been filmed on a real set.

This project wasn’t about replacing traditional production – it was about extending it. AI helped me prototype a complex shot, iterate quickly and arrive at a result that would otherwise require a full location, extras and VFX work.

Used thoughtfully, these tools don’t lower quality – they unlock ideas that were previously out of reach.