How to make authentic video content

Video is everywhere.

I always think that the content that resonates the most is always authentic video content. The ubiquitous nature of video on the internet today can make it hard to stand out. What’s more, audiences are getting very savvy as to how content is scripted, directed, produced, and edited. This can lead to video marketing that doesn’t land. Rather than building a relationship with your audience, it can have the opposite effect. So I thought this would be a nice topic for a blog post to consider a few ways in which we can create authentic video content.

What is authentic video content?

We can summarise authentic video content as content that feels natural, real, not overly prescripted or produced, and in the case of branded content, has a tone of voice that perfectly fits the brand represented. It is authentic because it appears to be genuine, of good intent, and immediately connects to the audience it is trying to reach. Live video does this by the very nature of the medium, the experience is lived by the audience together at that moment, and the brand and the audience are connected through the experience. The best authentic and brilliant advertising sells to you without you even realising it.

Documentary Style.

The visual style, look and feel of documentary films might be one way in which you can bring the audience a sense of realism that will make your content feel less produced. Hand-held cameras can be highly effective (if not too shakey!) It’s not suitable for every subject matter but it certainly helps to think about what makes a documentary appealing. Documentary films tend to be unscripted – so you could make a documentary about the history or story of your brand. Perhaps you can make it personal by putting your team at the center of the video.

Can you send me the questions you’re going to ask me

Many people do not like being on camera and want to know everything you plan to talk to them about in advance. Our job as filmmakers is to put people at ease. There are many techniques that we use to do this. Having a relaxed conversation, reassuring the contributor that they can rephrase or retake responses. Encouraging them. Letting them know that they look great on camera, and generally super relaxed and yet professional. If it’s the CEO of a multi-national organisation then they are probably going to need to know what questions you are going to ask. Here the skill comes in enabling them to use this to their advantage and direct them to make sure that the responses sound natural and not rehearsed and wooden.

Humanising your authentic video content.

Post-production is everything when making your content feel genuine. Choice of music, pace, rhythm and shot selection is key. So much can be done through the way in which a video is cut that makes the end product ‘authentic video content. But it’s not just how content is shot or edited. There is no magic formula for this. Spellbinder’s approach has always been that we make genuine content by connecting with people. That is to say, we connect with our team, our clients, and the brands we represent in a real and meaningful way. This means we are more in tune with the messaging and what people are trying to convey. So be it a scripted commercial, multi-camera Livestream, or brand animation the end result ought to be something that is genuine that can be described as authentic video content.

Check out this example that uses some of the techniques and ideas described in this article: Pearson iprimary-case-study