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 simplifies complex medical topics.

The channel works with practising medical specialists to cover general health, addiction medicine, emerging research, and other topics where accuracy matters. Tony conducts research and writes scripts before doctors review them for medical accuracy.

However, producing expert-led health videos posed a practical challenge. Doctors are busy, filming is time-consuming, and Tony was spending up to 45 hours a week managing the channel alongside his paid work.

"It became extremely time-consuming and unmanageable. It has become manageable again because of the tools now available," Tony said.

HeyGen has become an essential part of keeping that workload manageable.

Creating videos without another filming session

MedHeads depends on practising medical specialists, but their demanding schedules make regular filming difficult.

"We have two specialists on our MedHeads channel, and both are very busy, making it difficult to schedule them for filming," Tony said.

The team still films doctors directly 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 making every piece of content dependent 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 quality of the production was particularly impressive.

"It looks real," Tony said. "I showed my wife and said, 'Hey, look at this.' She said, 'Oh yes, that's much better.'"

AI presenters give Tony another way to share expert information with viewers without requiring doctors to make additional time for cameras, multiple takes, lighting and production.​

"You can create excellent content right now without any on-camera experience," Tony said. "You'll be able to share your message much more easily and with less stress."

Ensuring every script is backed by doctors

Using AI presenters does not mean handing medical communication over to AI. The expertise still comes from people.

Tony researches topics and writes 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 approve it to ensure the content is accurate," Tony said. "I conduct all the research and then write the scripts."

That distinction matters 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 deliver that information without scheduling another filming session. The research, writing and medical review remain firmly in human hands.

Automating 90% of the production process

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 belong and creates an XML file for DaVinci Resolve.

​"I've got 90% of everything ready to go," Tony said. "I just need to edit it."

​That speed becomes particularly valuable when MedHeads needs to respond promptly to a current health story.

​"If I were in a hurry and the topic was truly urgent, I could write the script and produce the final output within a couple of hours," Tony said. "The finished product would be ready and fully edited."

Reducing weekly production time from 45 hours to eight

The most significant impact is the time Tony gets back.

​At its peak, MedHeads took up around 45 hours of Tony's week, despite not being his full-time job. Filming could mean giving up weekends, as Saturday evening was sometimes the only time a doctor was available.

​Today, Tony estimates that the core workload takes about eight hours a week.

​"It is significantly less stressful," Tony said.

​HeyGen gives MedHeads greater flexibility to continue publishing without making every video dependent on another filming session. Doctors can remain focused on the medical information while Tony transforms their expertise into polished videos.

​It also gives Tony greater creative flexibility. Instead of organising a new shoot on location, he can change an AI presenter's setting to suit the topic.

​“The lighting will look right, the background will look clean, and the overall result will appear more professional,” he said.

​After years of traditional video production, Tony now has a workflow that combines medical expertise with AI-powered production. Doctors continue to provide the information, Tony retains control over the final product, and HeyGen helps bring that expertise to viewers more quickly.

​"It is a game changer for businesses," Tony said.