If you need people in your content either visually or audibly then it’s worth considering whether it is best to use members of your own team or professionals such as actors, models and voiceover artists. Here are 5 reasons why you might want to consider paying for professionals.
Using your own team members for video content might seem savvy when it comes to cost, but you need to consider that not everyone feels confident in front of a camera. Sometimes you can find that employees may not feel comfortable with being part of a production or that their discomfort may come across on your footage. When filming with internal staff who may not have experience, we try and factor in time to help them feel comfortable with the process and what is expected of them. However, with professional actors or models there is no need for this additional time as they will be prepped and ready to go.
Professional actors, models and voiceover artists are experts in their field and will have done this sort of work before. They know what is expected of them and are paid to deliver. They make sure that they have learnt any lines in advance (if required) and that they have any relevant costume, make-up, props etc needed. Actors particularly are trained in the use of autocues and being able to deliver pre-written lines into the camera so that they look natural. Voiceover artists know how best to project and intonate their voice as they are used to using recording equipment. Models are aware of how best to present themselves for both video and photography. Equally important is that professionals are paid to come in and do your specific job, so for the hours they are recording they are 100% committed. When using your own team, because creating content might not be their primary focus they may be pulled out to deal with day-to-day work or emergencies and this can have an impact on shoot schedules.
Because professional actors, models and voiceover artists know what to expect and come prepared they can often achieve the desired results in less time and takes than a non-professional would be able to. Professionals are also used to taking direction and so if they need to change their performance, they are able to take on feedback and channel this into a better end result. As a result, although it can seem costly to hire professionals for a project, sometimes when weighing up the cost of time from the whole crew involved and the cost per hour of using an in-house team member, going for a professional can often be a better choice.
Using your internal team in your content can be savvy but the last thing you want is to feature an employee who then leaves the company and isn’t happy with you using the content anymore or whose appearance in a video makes it instantly dated. By using professionals in your content, this is not an issue. Professionals are contracted for specific projects, so that you know a video, animation or photograph can be used as long as you need it to be.
When using an internal talent pool to create content chances are we can’t consider everyone. Whether because some people are too busy, are uncomfortable being involved or simply too expensive to use, all these things mean you may have restricted choices. This means that often no matter how diverse your company, you aren’t able to provide this full range of talent for recording. When using professionals we can cast to specific criteria and so ensure that you have a full range of actors who reflect your target market or the range of people that couldn’t be involved.
Although hiring a professional actor, model or voiceover artist can be the best choice for some projects it isn’t for all. If you want your content to successfully portray your company culture and brand, the best way to do this may be through your internal team as they can give an authentic performance. The key is to think about the needs of your content and what makes the most choice based on your end goals.
Not sure what the best approach is for your next project? Why not get in touch with our team of experts and we can talk you through the options.