In an AI-dominated world, the enduring value of original footage in video content for business shouldn’t be underestimated.  According to 2024 research by Wyzowl 75% of marketers have used AI to help create or edit marketing content, including video.

When it comes to brand content or the more premium end of the video scale, don’t underestimate the importance and impact filming original footage can make.

Whilst AI video tools are excellent and certainly serve a purpose when it comes to creating video content for business use. However, generally AI video is still generic and can be a bit impersonal, as you can see when comparing the AI presenter on the left with the human on the right in the simple piece-to-camera style videos below.

There are several areas where original footage really makes a difference and is worth investing in, including authenticity, brand identity, regulatory compliance, and audience engagement. 

Authenticity and Trust: Original footage conveys authenticity and fosters trust among viewers. For corporate companies, showcasing real employees, actual products, and genuine customer interactions can build a more authentic connection with their audience. In a landscape saturated with AI-generated content, authentic footage can stand out and resonate more deeply with viewers.

Brand Identity: Original content helps in reinforcing a company's brand identity. It provides a unique voice and visual style that differentiates a brand from competitors, especially in an environment where AI can replicate styles and themes. Original footage ensures that the brand's messaging remains consistent and distinct.

Regulatory Compliance and Ethical Considerations: With the increasing use of AI in content creation, there are growing concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, and copyright issues. Original footage can help companies navigate these challenges by ensuring their content is compliant with legal standards and ethical practices, avoiding potential pitfalls associated with AI-generated content.

Audience Engagement and Emotional Connection: While AI-generated content can be highly polished and visually appealing, original footage often has the unique ability to evoke emotions and engage audiences on a deeper level. The nuances of real human expressions, locations, and interactions create a more compelling and relatable viewing experience.

SEO and Originality: Search engines value original content, and this extends to video content as well. Original footage can help improve a company's SEO strategy, making it easier for potential customers to find their content online. As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, the originality of content will likely play a more significant role in search engine rankings. At this time, Google has made it clear that AI-generated video will not impact search rankings if your content is helpful, original and relevant, which is where challenges can arise with AI content. For instance, many AI models cannot discern whether the information it collects from the web is correct or not.

Cost and Accessibility: AI-generated content can be more cost-effective and accessible, especially for small to medium-sized enterprises or for purposes where the authenticity of the footage is less critical. However, for branding, marketing campaigns, or situations where trust and authenticity are paramount, investing in original footage can offer a better return on investment. Building a stock library of your brands footage will allow you to repurpose it, or use it in conjunction with AI tools giving you the best of both worlds and longer term, a better ROI.

Many companies are finding a middle ground by integrating AI and original footage. AI can enhance original content through editing, effects, and even creating complementary scenes, providing a cost-effective way to produce high-quality, engaging video content that still retains a level of authenticity and brand identity.

While AI plays a transformative role in content creation, offering efficiencies and new possibilities, the value of original footage remains significant for corporate companies. It plays a crucial role in maintaining authenticity, brand identity, regulatory compliance, and emotional engagement. As the digital landscape evolves, the strategic integration of AI and original content may become the gold standard for corporate video content.

YourFilm is your end to end video production partner who can help you achieve your video marketing goals, with AI and bespoke solutions. YourFilm also have a global network of experienced film crew, centralised video asset management solutions to build your stock library and professional video production services.  All of this means we can provide your business with a centrally managed, end to end video production that can be scaled across multiple business divisions and geographical locations.  

If you would like to see some of our work or find out more about a video production solution to fit your business needs contact the team at YourFilm.