Filming commercials is fun but exhausting work - but what about those corporate training videos that are used? What do you think is going through the talent's head as they dredge through corporate lingo written for a limited audience?
esjay86 asked: People who were filmed in corporate training videos, how cringy was the experience, and how seriously did you expect people watching the final production to take you?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.
He's back, and now he's famous.
I created an entire series of videos on how to use my company software. I left the company and apparently after about a yr someone in training found my video and started using them to train new people. I came back to the company 3 yrs later and im now "that guy from the video" it made me a mini celebrity internally and its kinda cool.
I did poke fun at the VP when I reminded him my videos are nearly a decade old and completely relevant and thats maybe not a good thing.
I did poke fun at the VP when I reminded him my videos are nearly a decade old and completely relevant and thats maybe not a good thing.
You're fired.
This kid is going places.
Something I can finally answer!
At 17 I worked a high school job at Barnes and Noble, and one day I (skipped school and) went in to get my check, and the COO was touring our store. My store manager introduced me (after giving me a 'shouldnt you be in school rn' glare). I recognized him as the 'happy customer' from one of our training videos, and gave him sh*t for ruining the magic.
A week or so later I get news that he enjoyed meeting me, and had asked for my participation in the new manager's training video.
So I took my first 'business trip' to Newark, had the whole driver with a card thing at the airport (SO cool as a teenager), and starred in the training video! I was known for selling a ton of memberships (loyalty programs being huge in retail), so that was my portion.
Wasn't really cringy. Fun experience. But I was definitely the only store employee (everyone was mostly regional managers and above), the only person of color, and the only person under 40...
So when I got the DVD at my store it was a jarring juxtaposition going from old white person to old white person, and all of a sudden there's this broey, pigmented teenager with long hair and a skunk streak talking about how to sell memberships while seriously overutilizing the words 'dude' and 'like.'
10/10 would do again.
HOLLYWOOOOOOOD.
Not me, but my husband. He was filmed for an Internet instillation video. I didn't know about it until his work buddy called him by a nickname. He is now known at work as Hollywood.
Been there. I even wrote out my text for doing the voiceover for where it shows the screen and recorded them. Then my boss got lazy and never put the video together.
Gaylord Cubhaven. Really.
I used to work at a Cub Scout Camp as the Kitchen Director when I was like 18 or 19. One day a guy with a really nice camera showed up, and the camp director told me that they're filming promo videos to distribute to families who may be interested in signing up for camp next summer... And they wanted me to say a few words about the types of food we serve and just how meal processes go. He told me this in the middle of a meal which is kind of a big deal for kitchen staff.
So I'm already nervous, I'm not even really sure what to say, and I have some social anxieties so everything combined made me kind of stumble through the damn thing. I don't remember what I said, something generic about how we have a variety of foods, vegetarian options, and pizza occasionally.
When I watched the video afterwards I cringed pretty hard. The production quality was pretty good, but me mumbling about what foods we serve while glancing off into the distance and stressing out about getting back to work was pretty awkward.
Edit: oh god I just went on Youtube and watched it and my part is even worse than I remember.
Edit2:
Gaylord Cubworld? Has to be the gayest boy scout camp name of all time... No offense, eagle scout myself. But seriously...
The camp I went to was called Boyhaven and it gets some snickers when you mention the name. Gaylord Cubhaven is like 10x worse.
Boring, but lucrative.
From the film crew side, I can say that everyone brings their A game because of professionalism. Corporations will invest good money into media like corporate training videos. Sadly you are just stuck with a narrative and some suits telling you what they want. You do your best to give them what they want. It's a money grab on your end. Corporate work. But you are still a professional.
I've known a few actors, and yeah, they're professionals. These aren't the crowning achievements on their resume, but they pay the bills (important), and they approached them as a job to do, and do well. Also, in my area, it was also a networking opportunity. The director of this cheesy corporate film might be directing a play later on that would be something noteworthy on a resume.
This extra who was just too good for his own good.
The cringe was actually requested by the director.
I was an assistant manager at the hotel that was picked to film a new hire video series at. All I had to do was my job, pretend to answer the phone, check the actress in etc.
Apparently my acting skills were too good as the director remarked that it looked like I was actually on the phone and he wanted more... Camp.
I had to figure out how to act like I was on the phone and ignoring the camera, while also making it obvious I was aware of the camera and my mannerisms needed to be more animated to keep viewers engaged.
Why though?
Wouldn't it be more realistic if you actually acted properly and not intentionally did things that make it obvious you're not actually on the phone?
Why is realism so god damn hard for people?
Because every other movie ever has done it unrealistically, so actual reality looks weird as sh*t on the screen.
I want to watch this.
Just a story, but I had to watch a training video on forklift safety at my last job. I'm lucky nobody was in the room because I lost it laughing. The company had decided to put the song Bring Me To Life by Evanescence Over clips of forklift accidents. It was the most 2007 thing I've ever seen.
On a similar note, there's a German forklift safety video which is so over the top that it could have been directed by Quentin Tarantino.
https://youtu.be/-oB6DN5dYWo
Not gonna dance? Fire them til they do.
We were filmed doing a little song and dance number on Pharrell Williams' Happy. This was then played at the begining of each work day, and the workers were also put to do the song and dance thing to boost their moral and have a happy day while working. There were some people who refused to do this, but they were fired...
PopaXXXPopaXXX
"The firings will continue until morale improves."
Moral: Act happy to not get fired.
Can't live this down, ever.
A while ago, my friend acted as a perp in a Anti-Sexual Harassment video by HR. He still cringes to this day...
I wish I could watch it now that I know this. I bet he had to say and do things that were inappropriate at work, but HR still appropriate.
I'm going to guess awkward hands on a woman's shoulders?
Grandma got burned up inside the steeple...
I was filmed for an ad for our nice little church, chatting after the service.
It looks like I'm really wholesome and enthusiastic.
I was actually recounting how my workplace had a fire drill and I was in charge of evacuating my building and some lady refused to leave so I reported her and she can get FINED for that... big arm waving, probably swearing a bit, glorying in her ultimate defeat...
But I look so sweet and happy. Come worship with us! Lol
our nice little church
and some bitch refused to leave
https://i.imgur.com/WwPCYDt.gif
Yeah, that was unkind of me to say, even though she was horrible to me and I enjoyed her comeuppance. Apologies.
Upvote for "comeuppance"
Have you ever filmed a commercial? What was the experience like?
