CALL SHEET / JOOVOICE TRANSFERS CAMPAIGN / EST. ONLY, NOT A QUOTE
The crew it would have taken
Three short films, just under two minutes of finished runtime, made by one person with AI tools in about 50 hours. Here is what the same work would take on a conventional shoot.
The voices in these films are all JooVoice. Try JooVoice
The contrast
| With a crew (estimate) | What actually happened | |
|---|---|---|
| People | 55 crew34 of them on set each day | 1 personplus AI tools |
| On camera | 14 castplus about 75 background days | 0 people filmedevery face is AI-generated |
| Calendar | 9 weeks4 prep, 2 shoot, 3 post | About 50 hoursfirst storyboard to last take |
| Shoot days | 8 days | 0 days |
| Total work | About 600 person-days | 2 days of one person directing |
| Cost | $500K to $900Kmid-size crew estimate | $90 to $140video and image credits only; other AI bills not counted |
| Animals and kids | A cat, a dog, a child. Trainers and a studio teacher | No wrangler, no hour limits |
| Versions tried | A handful of takes per setupcast is locked before the shoot | 219 video takes, 108 cuts64 recorded voice sessions |
The shoot schedule
| Days | Location | On set |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Call center floor and break room | Jada, Lyle, about 25 background a day |
| 4 to 5 | Eight small workplace sets on a stage | Eight business staff: bank, power, gym, internet, streaming and others |
| 6 | Park, golden hour | Alex and his daughter on a bike, studio teacher |
| 7 | Period landlord office, built or dressed | Landlord, a cat with its trainers, the NO PETS door |
| 8 | Grooming van | Brooke, a dog with its trainers |
| 9 to 14 | 13 more locations, about two a day | Newborn, birthday cake, lamb, henna, dancing, tai chi, sofa delivery, glassblowing, concrete pour, crab boat, tattoo studio, brisket smoker, bouquet |
Every job, and days per person
| Job | People | Days each |
|---|---|---|
| Producing and direction | 6 | |
| Producer | 1 | 43 |
| Line producer | 1 | 26 |
| Production coordinator | 1 | 25 |
| Director | 1 | 28 |
| Writers | 2 | 8 |
| Marketing | 5 | |
| Marketing lead | 1 | 20 |
| Copywriter | 1 | 9 |
| Data analyst | 1 | 3 |
| Social producer | 1 | 8 |
| Legal and clearances | 1 | 5 |
| Casting | 2 | |
| Casting director | 1 | 10 |
| Casting assistant | 1 | 10 |
| Locations | 2 | |
| Location manager | 1 | 20 |
| Location scout | 1 | 8 |
| Assistant directors and script | 6 | |
| 1st assistant director | 1 | 13 |
| 2nd assistant director | 1 | 10 |
| Script supervisor | 1 | 9 |
| Production assistants | 3 | 8 |
| Camera | 5 | |
| Director of photography | 1 | 13 |
| B-camera operator | 1 | 8 |
| 1st camera assistant | 1 | 9 |
| 2nd camera assistant | 1 | 9 |
| Digital imaging technician | 1 | 8 |
| Lighting and grip | 6 | |
| Gaffer | 1 | 10 |
| Electricians | 2 | 9 |
| Key grip | 1 | 10 |
| Grips | 2 | 9 |
| Sound on set | 2 | |
| Sound mixer | 1 | 8 |
| Boom operator | 1 | 8 |
| Art department | 7 | |
| Production designer | 1 | 20 |
| Art director | 1 | 18 |
| Set decorator | 1 | 16 |
| Prop master | 1 | 14 |
| Set dressers | 2 | 13 |
| Graphic designer (signs and props) | 1 | 6 |
| Wardrobe, hair and makeup | 4 | |
| Costume designer | 1 | 14 |
| Wardrobe assistant | 1 | 11 |
| Key hair and makeup | 1 | 10 |
| Hair and makeup assistant | 1 | 8 |
| Animals and minors | 3 | |
| Animal trainers | 2 | 3 |
| Studio teacher | 1 | 1 |
| Post-production | 7 | |
| Editor | 1 | 20 |
| Assistant editor | 1 | 15 |
| Colorist | 1 | 4 |
| Sound designer and mixer | 1 | 8 |
| Composer | 1 | 5 |
| Motion designer | 1 | 6 |
| VFX artist | 1 | 6 |
| Total crew | 55 |
Assumptions: a mid-size commercial crew, 4 weeks of prep, 3 weeks of post, and the rules on minors vary by state. Cast is about 14 in the finished films, 27 with the alternate endings. A real production could trim this list or grow it.
What it would cost
| Version | Crew and shoot | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Lean, non-union | 20 to 25 crew, 6 to 7 shoot days | $150K to $300K |
| Mid-size crew (the list above) | 55 crew, 8 shoot days | $500K to $900K |
| Union crew at top commercial rates | 55 crew, 8 shoot days | $1.3M to $1.7M |
| Mid-size, with the 13 alternate endings | 56 crew, 14 shoot days | $750K to $1.3M |
Built from person-days at average crew rates of $350 to $1,200 a day, plus payroll costs, cast, background, gear, locations, sets, transport, catering, post and 10 to 15% contingency. Published rate guides vary widely, so treat these as ranges and not a quote. Media spend is not included.
Sources for the rates
- C&I Studios, commercial production cost in 2026
- UseCalcPro, video production cost calculator
- Wonderful Machine, multi-day campaign estimate
- Beverly Boy, cost to hire a film crew
- SAG-AFTRA, commercials rates
The crew list, days and totals are Claude Opus estimates built on these guides, most of which are vendor pages. No verified 2026 union actor rate was found, so union cast costs are assumed.
What changed and what didn't
- AI takes have no off days. A line can be retaken as often as it needs, and nobody gets tired.
- Real sets produce accidents you could not prompt for.
- The director's job did not go away. One person still had to reject takes and pick the final cut.