AI Tools for Camp Professionals: Descript and Synthesia

If you've ever filmed a staff training video and then realized you said "um" forty-seven times, this post is for you.

Video has become essential for camp operations. We use it for staff training, parent communication, marketing, and documenting everything from emergency procedures to activity instructions. The problem? Creating professional video traditionally required expensive equipment, editing skills most of us don't have, and hours we don't have either.

This week I'm looking at two AI tools that approach video creation from opposite directions. Descript lets you edit existing footage as easily as editing a Word document. Synthesia lets you skip the camera entirely and create videos using AI avatars. Both could save camp professionals serious time.

Descript: Edit Video Like You're Editing Text

What It Does

Descript flips video editing on its head. Instead of dragging clips around a timeline, you edit the transcript. Delete a word from the text, and it disappears from the video. It's exactly as simple as it sounds.

Upload your footage, and Descript transcribes it automatically. From there, you can cut sections, remove filler words, and rearrange content just by working with the text. The AI features handle the tedious stuff: one click removes all your "ums" and "uhs," another cleans up background noise to make any recording sound studio-quality.

Pricing

Descript moved to a media minutes and AI credits model in late 2025:

• Free: Limited features, watermarked exports at 720p

• Hobbyist: $12/month (annual) or $24/month

• Creator: $24/month (annual) or $35/month, supports small teams

• Business: $40/month (annual) or $65/month, full feature access

The credit system can be confusing at first. Media minutes count your uploads, and AI credits cover features like noise removal and filler word detection. For occasional use, the Hobbyist plan should be plenty.

Camp Applications

Staff training videos become much easier. Record your session, then clean it up by deleting the tangents and false starts right from the transcript. The filler word removal alone can make a rambling explanation sound polished.

The "Overdub" feature lets you fix mistakes without re-recording. Mispronounce a camper's name in your welcome video? Type the correction and the AI generates it in your voice. It works best for small fixes rather than full sentences, but it's saved me from reshooting more than once.

For parent communication videos, Studio Sound can turn a recording made poolside into something that sounds like it was filmed in a quiet office. The noise reduction is genuinely impressive.

Pros

• Text-based editing has a gentle learning curve

• Automatic transcription works well

• Filler word removal is a game-changer

• Studio Sound cleans up audio remarkably well

• Collaboration features for team editing

Cons

• Can lag with longer projects or multiple tracks

• Credit system takes getting used to

• Not built for complex video effects or transitions

• Overdub works best for short corrections only

Best For: Camp professionals who record their own training content, tutorials, or announcements and want to clean them up quickly without learning traditional video editing.

Synthesia: Professional Videos Without a Camera

What It Does

Synthesia takes a completely different approach. Instead of editing footage you've recorded, you write a script and an AI avatar delivers it. No camera. No lighting. No awkward on-camera presence required.

You choose from over 125 AI avatars (or create a digital version of yourself), type your script, and the platform generates a video of the avatar speaking your words. It supports over 160 languages and accents, which is remarkable for camps serving international families.

Pricing

• Free: 3 minutes of video per month, watermarked

• Starter: $18/month (annual), 120 minutes per year, 125+ avatars

• Creator: $64/month (annual), 360 minutes per year, 180+ avatars, brand kit features

• Enterprise: Custom pricing, unlimited videos

Creating a personal avatar (your digital twin) costs $1,000 per year as an add-on, though it's included in annual Starter and Creator plans.

Camp Applications

Multilingual parent communication is where Synthesia shines. Write your welcome video script once, then generate versions in Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese, or any of 160+ languages. The avatar's lips sync to each language naturally. For camps with diverse family populations, this could transform your communication strategy.

Standardized training modules become much simpler. Create a video explaining waterfront safety procedures, and every staff member gets the exact same information delivered the exact same way. Update the script next summer, regenerate the video, done.

The platform also works well for quick explainer videos. Need to walk parents through your new registration system? A three-minute Synthesia video might replace a lengthy email nobody reads.

Pros

• No filming required at all

• Excellent multilingual support

• Easy to update content by changing the script

• Consistent quality across all videos

• Templates speed up production

Cons

• AI avatars still look like AI avatars

• Not ideal when authentic human presence matters

• Content moderation can flag unexpected topics

• Personal avatar creation has a learning curve

• Starter plan minutes go quickly

Best For: Camps needing consistent training content, multilingual communication, or standardized informational videos where the personal touch of real footage isn't essential.

The Bottom Line

These tools solve different problems. Descript helps you polish footage you've already recorded. Synthesia helps you create videos when recording isn't practical.

If you're already comfortable on camera and just want to clean up your recordings faster, start with Descript. The text-based editing approach genuinely makes video editing accessible to anyone who can use a word processor.

If you dread being on camera, need multilingual content, or want to create standardized training that stays consistent year after year, Synthesia is worth exploring. The free tier gives you enough to test whether AI avatars work for your communication style.

For most camp operations, I'd lean toward Descript first. The ability to quickly clean up real footage of real people at your real camp feels more authentic than avatar-generated content. But for specific use cases, especially multilingual family communication, Synthesia offers something no traditional tool can match.

About the Author

Matt Kaufman has spent 40 years in summer camp as a camper, counselor, and director, studying what makes people belong, grow, and thrive. He writes about intentional community, leadership, and the intersection of technology and human connection.

Connect with Matt:

• Instagram: @mattlovescamp

• LinkedIn: Matt Kaufman

• Website: ilove.camp

Books by Matt Kaufman:

• The Campfire Effect: How to Engineer Belonging in a Disconnected World (February 2026)

• The Summer Camp MBA: 50 Leadership Lessons from Camp to Career