I just watched a video produced for a prominent Chicago hospital group, and it’s a shining example of why I rarely recommend scripting videos in advance.

Normally, when I critique a video I share it with you, but in this case I’m not going to. It featured a doctor talking about his specialties. I’m sure he had nothing to do how the video was produced. The hospital’s marketing team probably asked him to write a script, then show up to go on-camera to deliver it. No reason for me to single him out by showing it to you.

And in this case, there’s no need. You’ve seen it before. Someone who’s not accustomed to performing on-camera, looking stiff and reading with no emotion. That’s what scripting videos gets you.

I’ll bet he would have come off differently if a quality interviewer sat down with him to discuss his specialties. He would have seemed far more confident and personable.

The truth is there are few people who can take a written script and perform it without having it sound as though it’s scripted. Even trained actors and politicians have a tough time with it. That’s why interviewing people and letting them speak off-the-cuff is far more effective. It’s authentic.

Authenticity will trump managed, scripted stories everyday.

–Tony Gnau

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