Talking heads video production

A talking head is a phrase used to describe an interview-style video that sees one person talking to the camera, either straight-on or slightly off centre. It is set up to look like the speaker is looking directly down the lens, addressing the viewers face-to-face. Because of this, audiences become more engaged as this creates the impression that they are being personally addressed by the speaker. If you’re new to the world of corporate video production and you’re looking for a way to get your company or brand recognised, talking heads are one of the easiest ways to start your video journey! Here at DreamingFish, our team of talented directors, producers, videographers, editors and animators will be able to assist you with any of your video questions or queries. Interested in learning more? Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you get started!

What are the benefits of using talking head videos?

Like many other types of videos, there are lots of benefits to producing a talking head video for your business. We’ve elaborated on a few of them below so you can start thinking about whether this is the right approach for your company:

• They’re often cheaper and easier to make: The production of a talking head video is fairly straightforward. All you need is a camera, a script and editing software to bring the final video together in post-production. This means they’re faster to create and is a way of keeping your costs down!

• They’re direct and generate better engagement: Because talking heads aren’t packed with animations and onscreen graphics, it makes it easier for audiences to focus on the person speaking to the camera. This means viewers are more likely to pay attention to what’s being said, rather than being distracted by something else going on on-screen at the same time.

• They’re ideal for microlearning: Microlearning has become a really popular form of educating audiences. It’s all about breaking up topics and subjects into bite-sized pieces that people can easily digest and then apply in their work and everyday life. Setting up a talking head interview with an expert is a great way to cover lots of information from a whole course, for example. You could even create a series of short talking heads which specialise within different subject matters!

• They add a human element: Did you know that we are more motivated to do something when there is someone there to guide us through it? Talking heads add a personal level to your video. Viewers can respond to a speaker’s facial expressions and hand gestures as well as picking up on non verbal cues such as their tone of voice and intonation. As a result, this may cause the audiences to find the video more interesting and engaging. Additionally, the one-to-one nature of a talking head and the fact that it feels like the viewer is being addressed personally, helps to keep people hooked on the video because they feel like the information being shared is just for them.

How to structure your talking heads video

Once you’ve got a script in place for your talking head video, the next thing you may need to think about is getting a shot list or storyboard into place. And, when it comes to filming your video, this will be a super helpful element to have as it’ll give you a clear structure to follow on the shoot day. Here are some things for you to consider:

• Who’s in each frame? (how many actors or presenters are there in a scene)
• What’s in the scene? (the props, text, background colours or visuals, or relevant branding and logos)
• Where is the scene taking place? (this isn’t necessary if you want to use a green screen)
• How will the scene be shot? (e.g. is it a close-up, medium or long shot?)

Are there any downsides to talking head videos?

The only real disadvantage of a talking head video is finding ways of keeping it exciting! Having only one person talking to the camera, from a single perspective, during a long period of time isn’t dynamic enough to keep audiences hooked. If your video is going to feature on your website, you will need to make sure that it is as creative and engaging as it can possibly be. If it’s not, you run the risk of your viewers simply scrolling past or clicking away from the video. Here at DreamingFish, we’ve had the opportunity to create lots of talking head style videos. Below is an example of how you could make your video stand out from the crowd!