Pro Humans Pro Tools

Why I’m pro-human and still pro-AI—used right.

There’s a lot of noise about AI in our world—some of it earned. I get why actors and voice artists side-eye it. We trade in breath, contradiction, and lived stakes; no model can replace that. At the same time, used correctly, AI is a craft tool, not a shortcut—a way to think faster, prepare cleaner, and show up more fully human.

This is how I’ve been using it the last few months, what I won’t use it for, and a few prompts you can steal.

What AI will never replace (for me)

• Human presence. The thing that books isn’t words—it’s you: risk in your eyes, history on your face.

• Voice acting. A model can mimic timbre; it can’t intend. Breath, restraint, mischief—those are choices, not waveforms.

• Taste. Tools can suggest; we decide.

So why use AI at all? Because the job is bigger than lines. It’s research, logistics, packaging, and a hundred micro decisions that steal time from performance. AI helps me win back that time.

How I use AI

(real examples)

1) Audition prep → beat maps in minutes

When sides drop, I ask for a tactics outline, not “how to act.”

• Typical output: containment → coax/logic → flash of steel → containment with two 0.6–0.8s beats marked.

• Win: saves ~30 minutes I spend on specificity instead.

Try:
“Break this scene into 4–6 tactics (verbs), not emotions. One sentence per beat. Mark two spots where a 0.6–0.8s pauseraises stakes.”

2) Buttons & alt lines (staying in-world)

I’ll ask for closing buttons that don’t add new plot facts, then choose one that fits my lane.

• Example (gritty/drama): “That’s yours. I stay till morning.”

• Win: keeps leverage without asking permission.

Try:
“Give 10 closing buttons that deepen menace without new plot. 2–6 words. Downward-inflection options.”

3) Pacing & trims

After a test record, I get a silence map: where to halve long gaps, where to keep two featured beats, and where to hold 2s at the end. It’s like having a calm editor.

Try:
“I want exactly two feature beats (~0.7s). Suggest where to trim anything >1s and where to land the final 2s stillness.”

4) VO polish

(keeping the grit)

I don’t let AI process my audio; I use it to sanity-check targets:

• Aim ≈ −18 LUFS, peaks ≤ −1 dBFS

• High-pass 80–100 Hz, 2:1 compression, light de-ess 5–7 kHz

Try:
“What’s a voiceover-safe chain for a grounded read that preserves texture? Give target LUFS, peak, HPF, comp, de-ess ranges.”

5) Packaging & materials

Titles, loglines, EPK structure—AI is great for first drafts and options. I still rewrite, but I’m never starting from zero. That’s how I landed lines like “Headshot. Résumé. Now the EPK.”

Try:
“Give 12 homepage hero titles for a dramatic actor: cinematic, 6–8 words, no clichés.”

6) Logistics

I use it to timebox travel, draft availability one-liners, and build checklists for short-notice callbacks. Not sexy—very useful.

Try:
“Make a 48-hour NY-local playbook: same-day self-tape → next-day in-person, with travel and contingency steps.”

Boundaries I keep

(actor-safe rules)

• No NDA leaks. I don’t paste full sides or proprietary docs; I reference beats, not content.

• No cloning. I don’t clone my voice or face. That’s a line.

• No AI ‘rewriting’ my performance. Tools can suggest options; they don’t choose my choices.

• Consent & compensation. Any synthetic use must be written, consented, and paid.

• Human final pass. Every output gets a human scrub for tone, ethics, and taste—mine.

For the actors who hate this stuff (I hear you)

You’re not wrong to worry. There are bad uses—exploitative contracts, synthetic voices sold without consent, “notes” that iron out the messiness that makes you you. My stance:

• AI is here to stay.

• Human craft is non-negotiable.

• We set terms: use it to reduce friction, not replace people.

If it helps, think of it like a treadmill. It doesn’t run the race; it keeps you warm so you can.

Steal my prompt kit (copy/paste)

Beat Map (actor-safe):
“Summarize the tactics in this scenario: wounded scavenger negotiating shelter with a reluctant medic. 5 beats max. Label each with a verb, and mark two spots where a 0.6–0.8s pause raises stakes. Don’t tell me how to act.”

Buttons:
“Give 12 closing buttons that reinforce leverage without new plot facts; 2–6 words; drama/thriller tone; downward inflection options.”

Pacing Trim Plan:
“I want exactly two feature beats (~0.7s) and otherwise snappier pacing. Where should they land in a 70–90s scene like this?”

VO Tech sanity check:
“Target loudness/peaks for a grounded VO read; safe HPF range; gentle compression and de-ess settings that keep grit.”

EPK Microcopy:
“Write 10 call-to-action lines for a reel button (2:00), actor brand: visceral/grounded/volatile-with-heart. No clichés.”

Bottom line

I’m pro humans and pro tools. AI hasn’t replaced anything essential in my work; it’s just made the unglamorous parts faster so I can spend more time on the thing that actually books: honest, specific choices in front of a lens.