Why I Don't Care Which AI Video Model is 'Best'

2026-08-07 · AI News · 2 min

Veo, Seedance, Runway, or Firefly. Why professional AI production shouldn't depend on one model and why workflow is key.

Veo.

Seedance.

Runway.

Firefly.

And chances are, this list will be outdated by the time you read this in a few months.

Almost every week, I see a new comparison pop up somewhere.

Which model creates the most realistic humans?

Which understands physics best?

Which can execute the best camera move?

Which generates the highest resolution?

I understand the excitement.

After all, I'm constantly experimenting with these tools myself.

But from a production standpoint, I eventually find these discussions rather inconsequential.

Because a client doesn't come to us and say:

"You absolutely must produce my campaign with Model XY."

Ultimately, they want a great film.

And that's precisely why I believe professional AI workflows will increasingly decouple from individual models.

Adobe is making this direction quite clear.

Various models are now appearing side-by-side within Firefly and its integrated Creative Cloud workflows.

And for me, that's probably closer to the future than the idea that a single model will eventually do everything perfectly.

Because even today, these systems have completely different strengths.

One model understands a particular character better.

Another generates motion more credibly.

Another is excellent for making changes to existing footage.

Another delivers better product visuals.

And sometimes, the best solution isn't generative AI at all, but 3D or a live-action shoot.

This is exactly how we work at Chris Jean.

We don't start with the tool.

We start with the image.

What do we want to see?

What emotion should the scene evoke?

How must it look?

What needs to remain consistent across multiple shots?

Only then do we decide how to get there.

I consider this a pretty important distinction.

Because if you define yourself as a creative solely by a specific AI tool, you'll have a problem the moment something better emerges tomorrow.

If, however, you understand how film, design, camera, 3D, editing, and storytelling work, you simply gain a new tool.

And we're likely to get many, many more of those in the coming years.

So, for me, the most exciting part isn't which model wins.

The exciting part is that they're slowly ceasing to be isolated toys.

They're becoming part of a production pipeline.

And that's where AI truly starts to get interesting for me.