Perplexity for video producers: fact-check every script

Corporate and charity scripts are full of claims: dates, figures, what a law requires. If one is wrong after delivery, it means a re-record and a re-edit. If a producer writes 3 scripts a month and checking the facts by searching takes 4 hours each, that's 12 hours a month.

Perplexity answers with inline citations to the pages it used, on every plan. At the brief stage, the producer runs a Deep Research question on an unfamiliar subject; Pro ($17, about $17£13€15A$25C$24 a month billed annually) gives fuller Deep Research than the free plan. For the script, the producer pastes each factual line and asks for the primary source, such as a government page or the organization's own report, then opens each citation and checks the page says what the script says. The source list goes to the client with the script, so they sign off the facts before recording.

A two-person video production company in Cardiff writes about 3 scripts a month for charities and public bodies. The producer uses Perplexity Pro for the brief research and to source each factual line before the client review.

About $399£300€357A$576C$564 a month in time saved, against about $17£13€15A$25C$24 for Perplexity Pro. 2.5 hours saved on each of 3 scripts is 7.5 hours, at an assumed $53£40€48A$77C$75 an hour.

1. 1Sign up for Perplexity Pro, $17 (about $17£13€15A$25C$24) a month billed annually, for the producer.
2. 2At the brief stage, run a Deep Research question on the subject and keep it in a Project for that client.
3. 3Paste each factual line of the script and ask for the primary source, such as a government page or the organization's own report.
4. 4Open every citation and check the page says what the line says; rewrite or cut any line you can't source.
5. 5Send the client the script with a source beside each claim and ask them to confirm the facts before recording.

• A citation can point to a page that doesn't support the claim, or to an old version. The check is opening the source, not seeing that one exists.
• Blogs and news pieces often repeat an old figure. Ask for the original source and use that.
• Keep a client's unreleased plans out of a personal plan. Perplexity's Enterprise Pro, $34 (about $35£26€31A$50C$49) per user a month billed annually, states it doesn't train on customer data.
• The free plan gives cited answers but limited Deep Research, so the brief research may run out partway through a month.