The Value of Pre-Recorded Content

The virtual age sure moves quickly, huh? What began as peer-to-peer video conferencing has developed into corporate conventions being hosted online. Event producers scrambling to keep virtual attendees engaged must make use of every tool available to them. But what if we told you one of your most powerful tools was one you’re probably already aware of? 

Surely the idea of pre-recorded content is nothing new to many of you. It’s commonplace to grab a quick blurb from a speaker if they’re unable to make it to your live event. But pre-recording can be much more than just a face on a screen dropped in at the perfect time. This article navigates through the three biggest benefits of pre-recording content for your show.

Due to its broad nature, let’s clarify the use of the term ‘pre-recorded content’. For the sake of this discussion, this phrase means the recording of speakers ahead of the program, rather than having them present live. 

Post-Production

Let’s start with the most obvious benefit: Pre-recording a speaker’s content presents the opportunity to edit and fix your footage before it meets the audience. Presenting from a bustling establishment with distracting background noise? Audio balancing might make it bearable. Does your speaker have trouble organizing their thoughts? Use multiple takes and cut them together. Want a better green screen? Editing software gives much sharper results than live, in-call keying.

And of course, branding. Who doesn’t love branding? With a bit of planning, you can utilize visual frameworks to create a professional, consistent look that houses your pre-recorded content. (Check out our blog post on this for more info!)

The above image is one such example. The pre-recorded speaker videos have been placed in an overlay with identifying lower thirds, a topic bar, and a company logo to enhance the viewing experience. During recording, this was a simple, face-to-face conversation. After editing, it became an informative and curated piece.

Be creative with your post-production! In what ways can you better utilize your pre-recorded footage to achieve the goals of your program?

Simplify Scheduling

Look, we get it. The world isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and sometimes your talent forgets that they double-booked the time they’d previously committed to your meeting. How were they supposed to remember the 15-minute rally they’d promised a month in advance?

Charles Dickens penned an apt quote in David Copperfield, “Never do tomorrow what you can do today.” While interactive content is strongest when done in real-time, many forms of content lose very little by being recorded ahead of time. If you take advantage of some of the strategies discussed in the previous segment, you can even ‘disguise’ this content and pass it off as live content. Discuss the idea of pre-recording with your speakers. Is their segment something that must be done live? Are there any potential risks of them presenting live? Are these factors worth the risk?

In a dry, simplified sense, you can think of pre-recorded content as content you ‘have in hand.’ There’s no risk of scheduling conflicts, travel issues, unstable connections, or anything else that can prevent delivery. Get ahead of the problem before it arrives!

Ease of Access

As we wrap up this argument, we want to emphasize a crucial point that rings increasingly true in today’s virtual age: pre-recording content with speakers is now more approachable than ever, and anyone can take advantage of the many tools available to do so.

At Geniecast, we often rely on a fantastic tool called Riverside.fm, a web-based software that brings callers together for conversations and prompts each caller’s device to record locally. This ensures clean footage, regardless of internet connection, and requires minimal technical skill from the speakers themselves.

Another excellent and accessible option is Open Broadcast Software (OBS), a free broadcasting program used by production teams around the world, both on-site and virtually. With just a little bit of know-how, speakers can record top-quality footage on their devices and access it immediately.

Of course, there’s much more to explore when it comes to how pre-recorded content can change a project’s workflow and presentation. We hope we’ve provided some valuable insight into the strategies we employ when discussing this topic with clients. As you consider how pre-recorded content can enhance your event, we encourage you to take the initiative and explore the possibilities. And remember, if you’re struggling to integrate these tactics into your next engagement, Geniecast is always here to help.

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