If you are interested in making a video for your company or brand, sometimes it can be tempting to use your own friends, family, work colleagues instead of engaging professional actors and models, especially if you know good looking people with a great smile.
But can they deliver a performance, sell a product or communicate an idea that is going to get your message across? Most importantly, can they take direction?
If they can’t do any of those things you have not only wasted your money on video production, you have hurt your brand’s public reputation as soon as you release your video.
Think about how many times you’ve watched a low budget tv show and spent the entire time laughing at the bad acting instead of immersed in the story. It’s distracting. You don’t want to give your audience anything that will distract them from your call to action or understanding who you are.
Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes, if the message calls out for it, it’s important to use your staff in the video. An example of this would be, when we need to hear directly from a subject matter expert. In this case, we want that authenticity. Hands up who remembers the commercials with the good looking chemist in the lab coat selling a specific product. I didn’t believe they knew what they were talking about, therefore I didn’t trust them, therefore I was not enticed to buy the product.
There is certainly credibility in putting the expert in front of the camera. But if you do this, please give your director the space and time to pre-interview them, work with them to prepare their answers before the shoot day comes around. If you or your staff are used to talking in front of a small audience with lights and cameras, it can be scary and we want everyone to feel as comfortable as possible in order to achieve an engaging delivery. Preparation is key. An actor would never turn up on set without learning their lines, so don’t expect your subject matter expert to be able to wing it, especially if they have never ‘acted for camera’ before.
If your concept requires what we call B roll footage, which is pretty overlay footage with no dialogue, you can also get away without hiring talent. If that’s the case, you’ll need to select a variety of keen participants who are willing to stand around for a long time and walk from A to B a number of times.
But when you most certainly do need to hire a professional, is when there is scripted speaking involved, when emotions need to be conveyed or they need to read a teleprompter without sounding like a robot.
A director can only do so much on set without trained talent. It is the directors job to draw out authentic performances and make sure they are communicating the right ideas in an engaging manner. NOT to give an acting lesson while the cameras are rolling. Actors study their craft for most of their life. I come from an acting background, a lot of directors come from a camera background, so my speciality is working alongside my talent and with that shared experience of training to capture the performance.
When I work with what I’ll call ‘real people’ instead of actors or models I will always give them a little ‘how to act for camera’ tutorial before we roll. But it’s better if I can do that days before production starts so they can go away and practice their new found skill and emotionally and mentally prepare themselves for the fun they are about to have.
Casting is everything! So before you go and hire your best friend, please speak to your director and allow them to go through the casting process. They want what is best for your video.