Choosing talent will make or break your production. Audiences need someone they can connect with and someone believable. Imagine Michael Sera playing Batman…that would change everything!Picking the right talent is crucial. Finding the right talent for your video will help create an effective promotional, sales or marketing video for your company. This person should embody your brand values, they should have charisma and the ability to bring to life the messages you’re trying to get across.
This person might be a member of your staff, or they might be a professional actor. Whether you choose a staff member or an actor, it’s important to keep in mind who you’re speaking to and what you’re trying to say to them.
Casting a staff member
Using a staff member to star as the talent in your video is a great low/no cost idea, especially if it’s a corporate video. It’s a nice way of showing off your company, what you do and the people that work there. If you plan on using a staff member as the talent in your video, we strongly recommend ‘auditioning’ them first to ensure they test well on screen, and are able to follow direction on set. Screen testing your employee is especially important if there is a scripted speaking part. Before choosing your staff member, ask yourself…
- Do they look the part?
- Does their personality and speaking style reflect the company?
- Do they follow direction?
Leaving it to the professionals
Alternatively, you can hire an actor. This is something we would recommend if there is a good level of acting required in your script. Actors are used to working on set, under lights, following direction and producing a range of emotions. Keep in mind that finding the right actor will take time and will be an extra investment, but with their experience, you should get through takes quicker and deliver a video with extra pizzazz.
The same can be said about working with a professional voice over artist. A professional voice artist will cost more but will know how to deliver your message clearly and powerfully.
Here at Rocket Productions, we provide casting as part of a package deal. We work closely with our clients and their video production requirements. The casting can be done either in our office or in a studio. If it’s your employees you’re looking to cast, then we can help you with “auditioning” them to test they’re right for the screen. If you’re hiring a professional actor for your video, we’ll circulate casting calls to our network of talent agencies and actors to make sure we find the right fit for your video.
Gabi Miles is a Producer at Sydney based video production company, Rocket Productions. You’ll find more useful articles on our blog.