In this guide
Professional actors suit scripted roles, presentations and dramatised scenes. Staff and customers can speak from first-hand experience about their work or the service they received. The choice depends on what you need people to do in your video productions.
- 00:17 – The Hard Choice
- 00:42 – Actors
- 01:40 – Real People
- 02:20 – Either Way
Here are the main production considerations for each choice. This is one of the decisions to discuss when planning your corporate video production.
Option #1: Actors
An experienced actor can help when you need someone who is comfortable on camera. This is a real advantage if you need a host to guide your viewers through your video. Maybe you’d like to take visitors to your website on a guided tour of your facility, explaining what your company does and what services you provide. Look for someone with experience delivering a script to camera. Their suitability for the role, preparation and rehearsal time all affect how the shoot runs.
Allow for casting, performance and usage fees, along with rehearsal time. Actors can portray a role, but should not be presented as actual employees or customers giving a first-hand account.
Option #2: Real People
Team members can explain work they know and demonstrate how it is done. Customers can describe their own experience. This suits a documentary-style approach built around interviews and footage of people at work.
Staff and customers may need more support in front of the camera. Allow time for a briefing, practice and extra takes where needed. Using staff avoids an actor’s fee, but their preparation and time away from work still need to be considered. Our video interview guide explains how to prepare questions and record useful answers.
Before filming, explain how the video will be used and who will see it, then agree participation and record permissions. Suitable release forms can document the agreed use. They do not guarantee protection from every legal issue or replace other applicable obligations.
Ryan Spanger is the founder and managing director of Dream Engine, a Melbourne video production company established in 2002. Over the past two decades, he’s produced hundreds of videos for businesses, government departments, universities and healthcare organisations across Australia. Ryan specialises in helping organisations explain complex ideas through clear, engaging video content, with particular experience in corporate communications, training and education.
