What AI Video Models I Use
One of the first questions people ask me is which AI video model I use.
The honest answer is annoying:
I use several.
That is not because I am trying to sound advanced. It is because models have personalities. Some are better at motion. Some are better at faces. Some hold style well but ignore camera direction. Some give you gorgeous nonsense. Some are boring until you need boring, and then they become heroes.
Models Are Instruments
I think about models like instruments in a studio.
You do not ask, “what is the best instrument?” You ask what the song needs. A drum machine, a cheap synth, and a human voice can all be correct in the same track.
AI video is similar. One model might be good for a fashion shot. Another might be better for a strange creature. Another might handle image-to-video with less drift. Another might be the only one that gives me the camera move I want.
So I test against the shot, not against hype.
What An Aggregator Is
An aggregator is a service that gives you access to many models through one interface or API.
Instead of opening ten different tools, buying ten subscriptions, and learning ten billing systems, you can route work through one place. Sometimes the aggregator gives you a web app. Sometimes it gives you an API. Sometimes it gives you both.
This matters because model choice is part of the creative process.
If I can test the same reference across several models quickly, I learn faster. If one model collapses on a shot, I can try another instead of pretending loyalty is a production strategy.
Why I Still Use Direct Tools
Aggregators are useful, but they are not always the whole answer.
Direct tools often get features first. They may have better controls, better previews, special modes, or pricing that makes sense for one kind of work. Some tools also have workflows that are hard to reproduce through an aggregator.
So the practical answer is mixed:
- use aggregators for speed, comparison, and routing
- use direct tools when a feature matters
- keep local tools for privacy, control, and repeatable post-production
- keep editing software because generation is not the finish line
That last point is where many people get stuck. They compare models as if the winner will remove the need for a workflow.
It will not.
My Real Selection Rule
For each shot, I ask:
- does this model respect the reference?
- does the motion help the edit?
- does the face drift?
- does the camera feel intentional?
- how many retries does this shot usually need?
- can I afford those retries in time, money, and patience?
That is more useful than a league table.
The “best” model changes by shot. It also changes by week. The habit that stays useful is knowing how to test without falling in love too early.
The Trap
The trap is building your whole identity around one model.
You can have favorites. I do. But if you are making client work, music videos, campaign pieces, or team workflows, you need options. The point is not to be a tool collector. The point is to avoid being stuck when the model you love is bad at the shot you need.
That is why my model stack looks messy from the outside.
From the inside, it is simple: choose the tool that gives the shot the best chance of surviving the edit.
If you are trying to choose your AI video stack, I can help you design a model and aggregator setup around the kind of work you actually want to make.