Mid-Year 2025 Report: Machine Learning (AI) for Digital Video Professionals

Office Hours LIVE! June 2025 – Exploring AI’s Role in Color Grading and Beyond

In this Office Hours LIVE! session, we dive into machine learning (AI) and its implications for post-production professionals, especially colorists. Host Patrick Inhofer brings together contributors Katie Hinsen, a technologist with deep insights into industry tools, and Jason Bowdach, an editor and colorist who shares practical applications. Our special guest, Dado Valentic, founder of Colourlab AI and a pioneer in AI-driven color grading, returns for his second consecutive appearance after a lively discussion on log grading sparked this machine learning follow-up.

“If [they] just hired the colorist for half a day, it would have made that video look unbelievably better… you take it, you grade it, you soften a little bit those shadows, you put the little grain, you put the little lens simulation, you make it look a little bit like film, you create a little depth of field… suddenly, it looks like it’s not generated by Google VEO.”

Dado Valentic, Colourlab.ai

An alternative view of machine learning’s impact on our business

Dado shares his journey after betting his career on AI seven years ago. We explore how machine learning can automate tedious tasks, enhance creativity, and reshape workflows—while addressing fears about job loss, data ethics, and the human touch in art. Katie and Jason add perspectives on adoption, misconceptions, and the balance between technology and artistry.