Many videos feature people in the visual component or the audio component or both. Choosing the right people is critical to the success of the finished product. Some of the ways in which people can be used in a video are:

• narrating, reporting or presenting – visual and audio, or audio only (voice-over)
• interviewing or being interviewed
• live action, ‘reality’ or documentary-style observation of real activities
• acting or dramatising in scripted or posed scenarios
• directly addressing the camera as an essential or core content
• as background imagery, providing context or examples, or as visual fillers accompanying audio narration
• as real people or animated characters, doing any of the above.

As with all design decisions, when casting people for your video, you should consider how the choice of particular people supports your message and creates an effective rapport with the audience. It can be useful to think about the people in your video as characters and answer the following questions about them:

• What is their purpose? (eg providing expert evidence, bringing credibility, representing different socioeconomic demographics)
• What or who are they representing? (eg a profession, organisation, ordinary person)
• How should they behave? (eg casual, friendly, stern, authoritative, excited, sombre)
• What do they need to do or say? (ie what are the key messages they need to communicate?).