Working with Actors on Corporate Projects

For this project, we worked closely with The Marketing Den to develop the individual stories. We also worked with Tim Tippets to create and score the music for each of the films.

In Time is a series that features three business owners at different points in their careers. This TVC series was developed to help reposition SaskTel Business as a leader in the IT sector within Saskatchewan.

This project was created to reposition SaskTel Business as a service provider and leader in the IT sector within Saskatchewan. The goal of this project was to help change perceptions about what SaskTel business was capable of through a creative video campaign.

Why Working with Actors is Helpful

Ability to do Multiple Takes

Sometimes it takes a few setups to capture a scene. By being able to have the talent do multiple takes, you are able to tell a more rounded story. However, one thing you will want to make sure you don't loose is the authenticity of the action.

They Can Be Directed

Be being able to direct the actors, you are able to more easily accomplish what you set out to do. For me, I generally like to go into any environment and spend some time analyzing how the space works on a daily basis. After doing this, I then try to reproduce with actors when possible. Some of the challenges with bringing actors is in a corporate world is that it disrupts the daily tasks. This is something you will need to keep in mind and respect as much as possible.

You Can Choose the Look That Supports the Brand Story

By selecting who to feature, you are able to control the image on screen and create brand consistency across assets. It is important that you don't stray too far from what is realistic however - which depends on the size of business. The bigger the business, the more you can curate this experience.

They Can Work on Your Schedule

Setups can often take some time. Having people that are willing to work on your schedule makes the process much easier than having to work around real employees schedules and commitments.

How to Work with Actors on Corporate Projects

Careful Selection

Head shots can only take you so far. Screen testing and / or casting calls are imperative for a number of reasons. I have been in situations where people provide headshots that are five years old or were from when they had a different hair colour. Seeing people in person is key. Further to this, these in person tests can give you a chance to meet the person and get to know if it is a personality you want on set.

Clear Communication

Being clear about expectations up front is imperative when hiring actors for corporate jobs. I have had people come in claiming they were method actors on corporate jobs. Although it is great to know this, it clearly set the tone for me of how the experience was going to go.

Read Their Body Language

Like with any situation, reading body language is important. This ensures you are getting the most out of the actors you are working with. Keeping the energy high when working on corporate projects can be challenging. However, if you learn to read your cast and crew and create an environment that they are excited to be apart of, you will be able to produce a much stronger project.

What I Learned

From this project, the biggest takeaway was the importance of clear communication and strong pre-production. With the amount of moving parts on this production including cast, crew and locations, it was imperative that things worked like a well oiled machine. Like virtually all projects, it became clear very quickly of how important selecting a strong team was for this production.