Confused about what authentic video means?

Confused about what authentic video means?

Simple. If someone met you in the street and they said ‘oh wow, you’re just like you are on camera’…

then you have nailed authenticity.

In real life, I’m a mix of energetic, enthusiastic, determined, professional and I keep my sloppy/moody/grumpy self behind closed doors.

and that’s how I try and turn up on camera

The Wrapper Matters - authentic doesn’t mean cheap looking

Prominent marketer and thinker Seth Godin has many exquisite and pithy maxims; the wrapper matters is one. 

It's worth mentioning here, as there is often a tension between authenticity and quality that takes time for new New Video Professionals to resolve.

Authenticity relates to the contents of the package. How you present the contents should be driven by the wants, needs, desires of your audience. A Fortune 100 company executive posting fuzzy webcam videos with dirty dishes stacked in the background is not authentic, it's lazy. That same executive - with broadcast quality camera, lighting and sound - speaking unscripted, with conviction and passion and an obvious fire-in-the-belly can be utterly compelling. If your audience expects better quality packaging, then give it to them. Just don't do it at the expense of the content.

In the context of a lot of talking-head style business videos, we remember how people make us feel. We remember the way people say things. We rarely remember the way things looked. Don't kill the authenticity by letting high production values get in the way.

In a world hungry for authenticity and truth, don't fall for the oldest trick in the book. There was a maxim that served TV well when there was little competition: you can't polish a turd but you can always roll it in glitter. Those days are gone. No amount of clever packaging will elevate weak content. We're all media experts now. We've all seen it all too often. Shortcuts like this don't work anymore. Throwing production dollars at a weak script is dumb.