Tony Laughton has spent 40 years working in broadcast television and video production. Today, he brings that experience to MedHeads, a certified health channel on YouTube that makes complex medical topics easier to understand.
The channel works with practising medical specialists to cover general health, addiction medicine, emerging research, and other topics where accuracy matters. Tony researches and writes scripts before doctors review them for medical accuracy.
However, producing expert-led health videos posed a practical challenge. Doctors have busy schedules, filming takes time, and Tony was spending up to 45 hours a week running the channel alongside his paid work.
"It started taking up too much time and became unmanageable. With the tools available now, it has become manageable again," Tony said.
HeyGen has become a key part of making that workload manageable.
Creating videos without an additional filming session
MedHeads relies on practising medical specialists, but their demanding schedules make regular filming difficult.
"We have two specialists on our MedHeads channel, and they are both very busy, so it is difficult to schedule filming with them," Tony said.
The team still films doctors in person when appropriate, sometimes recording up to 10 segments in a single session. However, Tony needed a way to consistently turn their expertise into video without every piece of content depending on another shoot.
With HeyGen, Tony created AI presenters Annabelle and Elliot to present medically reviewed scripts alongside graphics, animations and other visual elements.
For Tony, a broadcast producer and editor with 40 years of experience, the production quality stood out.
"It looks real," Tony said. "I showed my wife and said, 'Have a look at this.' She said, 'Yes, that's much better.'"
AI presenters give Tony another way to share expert information with viewers without asking doctors to set aside additional time for filming, multiple takes, lighting and production.
"You can create excellent content right away, even without any on-camera experience," Tony said. "You'll be able to share your message much more easily and with less stress."
Keeping doctors at the heart of every script
Using AI presenters doesn't mean handing medical communication over to AI. The expertise still comes from people.
Tony researches topics and prepares scripts before sending them to doctors for review. As MedHeads is a certified health channel, the team takes particular care to ensure that medical claims are accurate.
"I write it, and doctors then review and approve it for accuracy," Tony said. "I do all the research and then write the scripts."
That distinction is important in healthcare, where MedHeads prioritises accuracy even when more sensational topics might attract more views.
Once a script is approved, HeyGen gives Tony another way to share that information without scheduling another filming session. The research, writing and medical review remain firmly in human hands.
Automating 90% of the production workflow
Tony has built his own software to bring research, scripting, HeyGen, graphics and editing together in a single workflow.
His system identifies potential topics, organises research and scripts, and adds sources and pronunciation guidance. Once the script is approved, HeyGen generates the presenter video.
Inspired by HeyGen's HyperFrames, Tony also built a system that analyses each script and generates ideas for animated graphics. It determines where those visuals should appear and creates an XML file for DaVinci Resolve.
"I've got 90% of everything ready," Tony said. "I just need to edit it."
That speed is particularly valuable when MedHeads needs to respond to a current health news story.
"If I was short of time and the topic was particularly urgent, I could write the script and produce a video within a couple of hours," Tony said. "Fully edited and ready to publish."
Reducing weekly production time from 45 hours to eight
The most significant benefit is the time Tony saves.
At its peak, MedHeads took up around 45 hours of Tony's week, even though it was not his full-time job. Filming sometimes meant giving up weekends, as Saturday evening was occasionally the only time a doctor was available.
Today, Tony estimates that the core work takes around eight hours a week.
"It's considerably less stressful," Tony said.
HeyGen gives MedHeads greater flexibility to publish regularly without needing a new filming session for every video. Doctors can focus on the medical information while Tony turns their expertise into polished videos.
It also gives Tony more creative flexibility. Instead of organising a new location shoot, he can change an AI presenter's setting to suit the topic.
"The lighting will look right, the background will look clean, and it will look more professional," he said.
After years of traditional video production, Tony now follows a workflow that brings together medical expertise and AI-powered production. Doctors continue to provide the medical information, Tony retains control over the final output, and HeyGen helps bring that expertise to viewers more quickly.
"It makes a significant difference for businesses," Tony said.
