sometimes Trish from Reception really is the best person for the job

A few weeks ago, I wrote a story on the blog about bus companies, their fixation with YouTube and how they were reluctant to ditch it despite poor viewing returns.

And after viewing another video yesterday something else about them struck me - how very rarely bus company promotional videos star professional actors.

Using them would obviously make any production more expensive but it would also make the end product a lot more professional. And there must be an argument that a slick video is more likely to influence the audience than a dodgy one.

So, if you're short on budget what's the alternative? 

A great many bus company videos contain their own staff, be it drivers, engineers, or cleaners. Although the outcome can be somewhat noddy (to professionals anyway), part of the appeal of this approach is the cast looking awkward on camera as no one really knows what they are doing. Ironically, the results can be quite memorable.

Some companies choose to use models in their production - people who look like they should act, but unfortunately can't. Pretty boys and girls who are great with still pictures in print, not so good with moving images on film. The result is often a video that looks wooden and doesn't convey the message perhaps as well as it could.

And then there is the 'ditch the employees, ditch the models and just use every day normal people' approach. Here you get people, often from the local area, that don't look great on camera, can't act for toffee, and don't have the comedy appeal of employees. Nothing a great script and brilliant lighting can't sort though...

So after looking at all your options, it seems that using Doris from Accounts, Trish from Reception and Big Dave who drives the 27 might give you the best results on YouTube after all!