The Casting Dilemma
It pays to have a quality video to market your business. The talent you hire for such a video will be the “face” of your business – the image you project to the world and to your customers. So who do you hire: an experienced professional or just anyone who is cheaper of the lot? Watch the video to know more!
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How do you cast talent for your video? Do you focus on quality or do you settle for mediocrity, just to save some cost?
Hi I’m Ravneet Oberoi, founder, French Fries Films and here’s why you should never compromise on quality when it comes to casting talent for your video project.
Nothing is worse for your corporate image than cheesy over-actors trying to over-sell and over-hype your product or service. Anyone who appears on your video is essentially the “face” of your organization – the image you project to the world and to your customers. So, it’s extremely important to find someone who is capable of expressing your project in the way you see fit. You want your video to build brand awareness and basically shout out to the world that your business exists.
Oftentimes, and quite understandably, the Client is working on a strict budget and has no other option than to cut its costs by hiring the cheaper talent, not realizing that one such bad decision can ultimately jeopardize the whole video production. In fact, you may end up paying extra for the delays or extensions that the talent may require to deliver on your expectations. This is where professional experience comes into play and makes a huge difference. Artists with experience can make your video engaging, memorable, and effective, in a much smaller amount of time than it would take someone like your employee or friend or just someone you know.
Well, here are a few ways how you can get the best of both worlds:
Ask the talent you want to hire to do your video project for a lesser cost than he/she usually charges, and sweeten the deal by offering them another job at their original cost or higher value. You could even refer this talent within your network for additional opportunities. More often than not, a lot of artists are looking to explore new territory and also exposure. If you have a large social media following, be sure to tell the potential talent that they will also be promoted.
2. Adjust, not compromise. If you are hiring talent for a campaign series, lay out a contract and instead of cutting costs, spread out the payment over a period of time.
3. Ask and you shall receive. Believe this. Practice this. Try asking a rental company for a one time favour, you never know how they will respond. Everyone in the video production industry knows the value of grabbing the right talent for a project. You may even be saved from inadvertently hiring someone who is a bad cultural fit to your organization.
4. Even some of the most talented artists out there are struggling. Show them you care and you want to truly make them a part of your project and you may just see a more positive response from them after all.
Consider this. If you spend too little on a video which will represent your brand for years to come, what’s the “real” cost of spending less? Casting can make or break your video. Remember, a good talent will always add value to your project and bring more returns on your investment, than someone who is not equipped to handle such work.
In the comments, let us know if there are any other ways that you think could help acquire the right talent at the right cost.
