The Benefits of Using Actors and Actresses in Web Videos

Does the thought of appearing in your website’s online video give you stage fright? While you may have decided to launch a Web video, you may not have come to terms with the thought of appearing onscreen. Fortunately, you may not need to! Instead of appearing in your own online video, consider usingactors and actresses.

Online Actors and Actresses Give You Greater Control over Your Image

One of the most immediate benefits of hiring an actor or actress is that doing so gives you greater control over the image you project. For example, if you’re a middle aged man running a company that caters to teenage girls, hiring a young actress to appear in your Web video could make much more sense than appearing yourself. Similarly, if you’re a twenty-something entrepreneur selling geriatric products to an older demographic, hiring a more mature actor or actress could be the right move. When considering who should appear in your Web video, think about your audience and the type of spokesperson that would lend the most credibility to your brand.

Online Actors and Actresses are Comfortable in Front of Cameras

Because actors and actresses are professionals, they tend to be extremely comfortable in front of cameras. This comfort level leads to several benefits: a more polished production, fewer mistakes, and faster production and post-production processes. Not only will your finished Web video look better with professional actors and actresses involved, the actual shooting and editing could go much smoother as well. For example, a well prepared actress requires fewer “takes” to deliver the message. Fewer takes translates into more efficient use of studio time and less time in the editing room piecing the final video together.

Online Actors and Actresses Allow You to Take Your Ideas Virtually Anywhere

Actors and actresses play roles – it’s what they do. Because of this, you can fill your Web video with virtually anyone from doctors and lawyers to cheerleaders and fairy godmothers. No matter what you’re imagining for your Web video, hiring professional actors and actresses to play the roles can bring your ideas to life.

If you’re suffering from stage fright at the thought of appearing in your company’s Web video, take a deep breath and consider the possibilities. Appearing in your own online video may not be the best choice. Many actors and actresses specialize in Web video and can deliver several important benefits. Not only can you avoid the stress, you can project the image you want to project, produce a polished Web video with fewer takes, and bring your ideas to life!

Positioning Your Virtual Spokesperson

Video spokespeople can appear just about anywhere you want them to appear on your website. Some walk on the screen while others “drop in” from above. Others appear alongside graphics and begin to play either automatically or on demand (when the user clicks the play button). A common location is the webpage’s sidebar. However, the sidebar is not the only location for positioning your video spokesperson. Let’s take a look at the options.

Positioning the Video Spokesmodel in the Header

The header area of your website may be the perfect place to put a virtual spokesperson on your site. Eye tracking surveys reveal that the upper left corner of the screen is “hot.” Place a video spokesperson in the upper left corner of your screen and eyeballs will naturally gravitate to it.

Positioning the Video Spokesmodel in the Sidebar

Many video spokesmodels walk onto the screen and occupy the empty space of the right and left sidebars. This is an efficient use of space and appears made to order. However, not all websites are designed with empty space on each side of the page.

Positioning the Video Spokesmodel amongst Text and Graphics

Another option is to position the virtual spokesperson amongst text and graphics. In general, when using this technique, you’ll want to have the spokesperson appear “above the fold.” This is the area that is immediately visible upon visiting a webpage. The area “below the fold” is not visible until the user scrolls down.

Positioning the Video Spokesperson on Specific Pages

In addition to deciding on where the video spokesperson should appear on the screen, it’s also important to decide which pages should feature the video overlay. Because the video spokesperson reinforces calls to action, the video should be overlaid on pages featuring key calls to action.

Landing pages are also good candidates for featuring a video spokesperson. Because many of your site’s visitors will arrive to your site via landing pages, they may never see the official “home” page. Think of each of your landing pages as a mini home page and feature your video spokesperson on these pages, especially if these landing pages feature your key calls to action.

Since website design takes many forms, there’s no universal right or wrong answer as far as where to place your own video spokesperson. Your website’s header may be too cluttered for placing another element. Your site may not feature wide sidebars. A good video production company specializing in virtual spokespeople can evaluate your site’s design and recommend a suitable location.

Have you seen a particularly creative use of virtual spokespeople? Feel free to share your favorites in the comments section below.

Should Your Virtual Spokesperson Have an On/Off Button?

Have you ever wished you could use a remote control to silence a loud talker in a crowded restaurant? How about when surfing the Web and landing on a webpage featuring avideo spokesperson? While having a virtual spokesperson appear on your website offers numerous benefits and adds a personal touch, it also brings with it the potential for annoying some of your site’s visitors.

This is because people have different learning styles and preferences for receiving information. Where one visitor may love being able to see a video spokesperson and hear an oral presentation, another may learn better through reading and find the audio portion distracting. By having an on/off button, you are giving your site’s visitors the option to silence the video spokesperson.

A common categorization of learning styles is known as Fleming’s VARK Model with the following four types of learners:

  1. Visual preference – these learners prefer seeing information such as through visual aids and pictures
  2. Auditory preference – these learners prefer listening to information such as through lectures and speeches
  3. Reading and writing preference – these learners prefer reading and writing information
  4. Kinesthetic-tactile preference – these learners prefer learning through experience such as through hands-on experiments

Of these learning categories, visual and auditory learners may respond well to a virtual spokesperson on your website. Learners who prefer to learn by reading, will likely want the option to silence the spokesperson as the spoken text could be distracting or annoying to them. By providing an on/off button, you are able to reach most learners in a format that appeals to them without alienating those who don’t respond well to auditory delivery methods.

You may even want to take this one step further by configuring the virtual spokesperson video to play on demand rather than automatically. Why? Having the virtual spokesperson talk “uninvited” could chase off prospects. Rather than looking for the on/off or mute button, some visitors will simply click the button that they’re the most familiar with: the Back button.

While you can’t please all of the people all of the time, you can provide options. If you’re implementing a virtual spokesmodel on your website, speak with your video production company about configuring your virtual spokesperson for on demand playing or at the very least including an on/off button.

If you’re not sure, consider running a test. Keep an eye on the bounce rate for your page for both autoplay and on demand video options. If you see significant numbers of visitors exiting your site right away, it could be because of the autoplay option. Change the video to play on demand and see if you notice an improvement.

What have your experiences been with videos that autoplay? Do you tend to leave a site if sounds start playing without your explicit approval? Or do you find the automatic playback convenient? Share your thoughts below.

Technical Considerations when Adding a Virtual Spokesperson to Your Website

Considering adding a virtual spokesperson to your website? Adding a virtual spokesperson to your site can add a whole new level of interactivity and personalization to your website. However, you may be wondering what’s involved or if your site meets the requirements for adding video overlays.

Shooting Video Overlays

If you’ve ever seen a video spokesperson walk onto a website, you’ll notice that only the actor appears; there’s no distracting background and the actor isn’t confined to a media player’s box. In fact, the actor looks as if he is part of the website. In order to create this effect, the original video must be shot in front of a “green screen.” This technology is the similar to the technology used by television stations. For example, when the weather forecaster appears in front of a weather map or satellite image, he is actually standing in front of a bright green wall. Inside the control room, a technician filters out the green color and replaces it with the background images.

When shooting a video spokesperson, the actor performs in front of a green screen just as television weather forecasters do. The green background is removed so that only the actor’s body appears. All background video is rendered transparent, giving the illusion that the video spokesperson is a part of the website’s overall design.

Because the background color, usually a bright green, are filtered out, it’s important that the actor does not wear clothes, jewelry, and other accessories featuring that same shade of green. Otherwise, those items will disappear along with the background. Professional actors and video studio staff members are well aware of this effect and know to avoid it. However, if you want to appear as your site’s own virtual spokesperson, it’s important to be aware of this before your scheduled video shoot date.

Hosting Video Overlays

Fortunately, the technology required to host a virtual spokesperson on your site doesn’t require much technical tweaking on your end. If you have a live website, chances are good that it is fully capable of hosting a virtual spokesperson. In fact, most virtual spokesmodel videos are hosted on the video production company’s website, not yours. All you need to do is enter a line or two of code into your website and the production company takes care of the rest.

Some video spokesperson production companies allow you to host the video overlays on your own or through a third party host. Before you opt to host the video elsewhere, make sure to find out about video streaming and bandwidth requirements because if the server doesn’t have enough bandwidth to support the video overlay, the streaming video could suffer through pauses and other interruptions.

All in all, if you want to incorporate a virtual spokesperson into your website, going with a professional video company from start to finish is the smart move. You’ll have few technical considerations and you’ll have a lively, interactive spokesperson working on your behalf 24/7.

The Mechanics of Video Spokesperson Production

Adding a video spokesperson to your website requires a basic understanding of the video production process. After all, a video spokesperson needs a script to follow and must be filmed and edited. In general video production is broken down into three stages: pre-production, production, and post-production.

Video Spokesperson Pre-Production Tasks

Think of pre-production as the planning stage of the video production process. During this time, you’ll need to: consider how you’ll use the video spokesperson throughout your website, write the script, cast the virtual spokesmodel, and schedule production.

  • Planning the virtual spokesperson’s role – A successful video spokesperson implementation begins with a plan. Where will your virtual spokesperson appear on your site? What will she talk about? What type of person should play the role? Which demographic will you try to reach?
  • Writing the script – Once you understand the video spokesperson’s role, it’s time to write the script. You’ll use a portion of the script during auditions and then later during filming.
  • Casting the video spokesperson – If you are not planning on being on camera yourself, you’ll need to find an actor to fill the role. Many video production companies have demo reels of local video spokesmodels that you can view or you can hold open auditions.

Video Spokesperson Production Tasks

Once the plans have been made, the script written, and the talent hired, it’s time to move into the production stage of the process.

  • Lighting, staging, and sound – Filming should take place in a video production studio where you’ll have full control over lighting, staging, and sound. Virtual spokesmodels are typically filmed in front of a green screen which is later filtered out of the shot, allowing the video spokesperson to appear as an overlay on your website without distracting backgrounds.
  • Rehearsals – While many video spokespeople will prepare for the shoot on their own time, allow plenty of time before shooting begins to rehearse the script and fine-tune its delivery.
  • Filming the video spokesperson – Finally, cameras roll and filming begins. It may take several takes before everyone is satisfied with the delivery. Even if the video spokesperson delivers a flawless delivery the first time, shoot several additional takes as a backup.

Video Spokesperson Post-Production Tasks

Now that filming is complete, it’s time to head into the editing room to select the best scenes and complete the production. If you’re paying for editing time by the hour, view the videos at your own location and take extensive notes so that you can limit the amount of time spent in the editing bay.

  • Editing the video – You’ll work with a video editor to select the best scenes and piece them together.
  • Overlaying the video onto the website – Once the video spokesperson’s scenes have been selected and edited, the video production company will package the video for your website. On your end, you’ll simply need to copy and paste a line or two of code into your website. Once the code is embedded, your virtual spokesmodel will appear on your website.

Like any video production, adding a virtual spokesperson to your website involves pre-production, production, and post-production tasks. Hiring a reliable, professional video production company ensures your success.

Should You Use Multiple Video Spokespeople on Your Website?

By now, you’ve likely encountered a video spokesperson on a website. Video and Web technology have blended to create a welcoming video presence on websites. While one virtual spokesmodel appearing on a website is fresh and innovative, would two be even better?

It’s something to consider. For example, morning news programs regularly use co-anchors to add banter and different perspectives to their programs. These same concepts can be transferred to the Web. As with adding a single virtual spokesperson to your website, you’ll want to carefully consider the actors, the script, and whether or not your site lends itself to co-spokespeople.

What types of sites lend themselves to having two video spokespeople? Let’s say that you and a partner run a real estate business and have built a brand around your partnership. Your photos appear on your business cards and signs and the two of you appear together in local advertisements. In this case, having both of you appear as virtual spokespeople on your website remains true to your brand. You could walk onto the website from the left and your partner could walk onto the site from the right. You could appear side-by-side near the top of the screen. You could “interview” each other as you relay information important to your site’s visitors. You could position yourself as the expert in one category and your partner as the expert in another category. You could appeal to one demographic while your partner appeals to another. . . the possibilities are endless.

Another type of site that could benefit from having two virtual spokespeople would be a website that has distinct segments. For example, a website that covers the latest mortgage and auto insurance news might want a female virtual spokesperson for the mortgage content and a male virtual spokesperson for the auto insurance content.

If you’re considering a co-video spokesperson strategy, speak with your video production team. Just as you’ll need a solid plan for incorporating a single video spokesperson into your site, you’ll need even more planning when incorporating two spokespeople. Will they appear together? Will they provide light banter before digging deeper? Will they have a similar appearance or do you want contrast? Will the video spokespeople be peers (such as two coaches) or will one be more authoritative (like a coach and a trainee) than the other? Should one always appear on the left while the other always appears on the right?

Keep in mind that having two video spokespeople will likely cost more than having just one. After all, there are two actors to hire, not one, and additional scripts to write. If you and a partner are playing the roles, it may take more time in the studio before you both are satisfied.

Having two video spokespeople appear on a website can make perfect sense for some websites. When done correctly, doing so can also make for a unique user experience and set your site apart from others.

Video Spokesperson: Owner or Professional Actor?

Video spokespeople on websites add a personal touch and provide site visitors with guidance and information along the way. When it comes to choosing the person to act as a virtual greeter, you have several options including having the company owner play the role or hiring a professional actor. Both can work beautifully. However, when the company owner steps in front of the camera, problems can occur.

When it Makes Sense to Feature the Company Owner as the Video Spokesperson

For some companies, the company owner is the obvious choice. For example, if you were in charge of casting a virtual spokesperson for MarthaStewart.com, who would be your first choice? Martha Stewart! Companies that are led by well-known personalities who already have a strong media presence should take advantage of the brand and talent available to them.

A company owner doesn’t need to have Martha Stewart’s reach in order to make a strong impression as a video spokesperson. Basic speaking skills and confidence in front of the camera may be enough for small business owners who want to appear on their websites as virtual spokespeople, especially when combined with a good script and a professional video production crew.

Websites that lend themselves to featuring the company owner as a video spokesperson include:

  • Websites where the user needs to “get to know” the company owner such as individual attorney websites, photographer websites, and professional speaker websites. For example, it makes sense for a motivational speaker’s website to feature the speaker as the video spokesperson.
  • Websites where the company owner has a local or national following. For example, an accounting firm owned by a retired NFL quarterback could benefit from featuring the owner as the video spokesperson.

When it Makes Sense to Hire a Professional Virtual Spokesperson

Hiring a professional video spokesperson makes sense most of the time. After all, professionals can project the exact image that you want to project and they’re able to quickly and naturally deliver the script’s message.

Even if it makes sense to feature the company owner, it may also make sense to hire a professional actor. For example, if the quarterback-turned accountant is uncomfortable in front of the camera, it may be best to let a professional spokesperson handle the job.

Websites that lend themselves to professional virtual spokespeople include:

  • Websites that are trying to reach a specific demographic. For example, a clothing company catering to skateboarders may want to feature an urban, young adult and not the balding, 50-year-old company owner.
  • Websites that want a polished image. While it’s possible for a company owner to project the right image, hiring a professional ensures site-wide continuity.

Each website and website owner is unique. Before you make the final virtual spokesperson decision, ask your video production company for input.