Talking Heads
What is a talking head video and how can it work for your organisation?
A talking head video is when someone is directly addressing the camera or someone else to the side of the camera. In these videos you can see the head, shoulders and often the torso of the person speaking hence the name. They are cheap and quick to produce and offer a fantastic return on investment. They can be filmed in landscape but delivered in both landscape and portrait making them perfect for websites and social media respectively.
All examples were shot by Morgan Films either in our studio or on location.
Talking head example. Talking directly to the camera using autocue is perfect when you want to directly address the viewer.
Get your message out there and engage the audience.
If you have a grand vision and many willing contributors, then you can put together powerful documentary style interviews that while answering questions, leave the viewer curious to learn more. These videos can require extensive filming time depending on the number of contributors. You also need dedication and focus to keep on top of any developing narrative. As with any video, planning is the key to success.
Part of a powerful series of Videos for a Community Interest Company, Billy & Beyond that aims to raise drug awareness for Adults and Children.
Business uses for talking head videos:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
These videos are fantastic for building trust with potential customers or clients and also free up your staff from answering the same questions again and again. A frequently asked question video is often the final point that converts a viewer into a customer. These videos also boost your SEO once uploaded to YouTube with links to your website, detailed descriptions and (if long enough) good chapter titles.
An example of what’s possible. No media training necessary when using our autocue and a bit of direction and on-the-fly script editing from Morgan.
Testimonials
In these videos you interview real customers or clients and have them talk about their experience working with your company. Testimonials are a modern upgrade to the review or referral. People prefer videos over written reviews and because we can see and hear the customer or client, the video adds a layer of authenticity and engagement that the written word can’t give.
For those that are shy or with little to no media training, looking just off camera is perfect. They can be reassured by the interviewer and as they’re not selling the service but giving their opinion, they don’t need to look down the lens.
Testimonial interview example. These can also be conducted on location, remotely or a mix of the two as shown above. I particularly like this one for the interaction between business and client.
Product Launch / Walkthroughs
These are great for focusing on a product or service you provide. It combines product footage with the talking head to explain the product services in more detail. Perfect for email marketing, websites, social media or trade show stands.
Product Launch no autocue. The client didn’t wish to use an autocue. He is a good salesman and managed by client learning large swathes of text while I used some clever editing techniques.
How much does it cost to have a talking head video made?
Our prices start from £500 and can be tailored to suit your needs with a variety of focussed add-ons.
Are there any other uses for talking head interviews?
There are so many uses for talking heads; ‘Meet the Team Interviews’, ‘Interactive Sales Videos’ etc and we’d be happy to talk to you about them. To find out how we can help make your talking head video, you can visit our talking heads product page or you can arrange a free consultation via our contact page.
You can see more examples of our talking head work by visiting our portfolio and filtering by ‘commercial’.