Although you may have some employees in mind for your corporate video production, quite often employees aren’t as confident as they need to be for a successful shoot. They might be good at their job and look the part, but acting is a profession in itself and those without experience can struggle. Using employees may also limit the use of the video if they were to leave the company at any time in the future.
The advantage of using actors is that you can get the ‘look’ that you want to represent your company. Being on camera requires confidence and competence at taking direction. If you have a script then professional talent will be able to deliver that easily and you’ll save costs with less re-takes.
If you come to the conclusion that you’re not going to use employees on your corporate video production, then you’ll need to know how to work with actors.
Corporate videos are constructed in the same manner any professional video production and will include the following parts which you’ll need to consider from the actor’s point of view:
Pre-production
This is the planning part for the corporate video production. It is about making decisions on how many scenes will be shown and at which locations. A shooting plan will be developed, and actors involved should not be rushed so that they can relax and perform well.
Production
On the day itself, the crew and the actor(s) will run through the shooting plan itself, capturing everything that is needed.
Post Production
This where the magic happens, pulling everything together to create the masterpiece. Post production will include the overall edit, graphics, colour grading, sound, music ect. There’s a lot of elements involved once the production company are back in the edit suite.
Here’s what else you need to take note of:
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Agreeing costs
Different actors have different rates, due to experience. Make sure to agree a rate before the shoot date, and make it clear if travel is included or not.- A lot of actors have agents who will haggle the cost, which is understandable. However if you can make direct contact with the actor the costs will be substantially lower.
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Contact them with the right info
- There’s a few things that actors want to know; Where is the video being showed (YouTube, TV, Website etc.)? Where is the shoot, what is the rate, what is involved?
- A few actors have certain beliefs and may not feel comfortable working on certain projects, make sure you’re clear on the subject of the video
- Allow time for lateness, if you’re in an unfamiliar location for most you may want to allow 30 mins contingency for lateness
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Make up and Wardrobe
- Budget doesn’t always stretch to the luxury of getting make-up involved and offering wardrobe
- If this is the case, be clear on what the actors need to bring. Sometimes they may surprise you and only bring one option for clothing, be super clear on what the actors need.
At the end of the day, employees may be preferred for tight budget shoots, but investing in a professional actor can deliver outstanding results. Careful pre-production along with strong direction can deliver an outstanding corporate video production.
Call us if you’re looking for help with making your corporate video production.