Scripted vs Unscripted: The Two Styles of Corporate Video Production

In corporate video production, there are two fundamentally contrasting approaches to the craft: the scripted and the unscripted. Both have their place. Both have their merits. But in a world where attention spans are shrinking and audiences crave quick and authentic connection, knowing when to choose one over the other (or blend the two) is the difference between content celebrity and content calamity.

As someone who’s spent years crafting corporate videos across professional services, finance, utilities and supply chain businesses, I’ve worked with every format and style you can imagine. From full scripts read off autocue to unscripted content drawn from spontaneous conversations and off-the-cuff interviews. And while there’s no single “correct” method, there is a meaningful difference in what each approach delivers.

If you’re sitting comfortably, let’s begin – by defining our terms.

Scripted video involves a pre-written text, often signed off in advance and delivered near word-for-word on camera. Sometimes there’s a teleprompter, sometimes there’s a presenter memorising lines. It’s controlled, repeatable and safe. It’s the norm for training modules, legal explainers and many traditional marketing videos.

Unscripted video, by contrast, uses a conversational or “interview-led” approach. It can incorporate filmed discussions, testimonials, or guided talking points delivered naturally. This is not freestyle chaos!  In fact, some of the best unscripted videos are still carefully structured. But they aren’t verbatim recitals. Instead, they allow space for spontaneity, tone, personality and crucially, human nuance.

There are times when scripting is not only appropriate, it’s essential.

If you’re filming a training scenario or product demo, outlining the specifics of a commercial offer, or navigating strict regulatory compliance issues, you need accuracy and consistency. There’s no room for “roughly right”. You need a concise message, a structured format, and delivery that doesn’t go off piste.

Scripted content also helps when messaging needs to be repeated across markets, languages or departments. You get uniformity. And if your contributors are comfortable on camera, a script gives them confidence.

But that’s the catch: most people aren’t comfortable on camera. Especially if they’re not trained actors or presenters. Without proper coaching, a script often becomes a crutch and audiences spot that un-naturalness instantly. Eye contact wavers, tone flattens, and the message however beautifully written, loses focus and power.

As a former journalist, I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is for “civilians” to make scripted delivery sound natural. News anchors earn their vast wages making it look easy. It isn’t.

What unscripted content lacks in control, it more than makes up for in genuineness and authenticity. It sounds like them, because it is them.

When people speak in their own words, something subtle but powerful happens: the audience starts to listen. They hear a voice, not a script. They pick up on tone, expression, even hesitation. In short, they make a human connection.

In my interview with Damien Swaby on his Filmmaking Conversations podcast recently, I said the goal of any corporate video should be to “look into the soul” of the people involved. Nine times out of ten. Actually, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, that simply does not happen with scripted delivery. You need to let people be themselves and that means using their own words.

Whether it’s a CEO explaining company culture or a junior analyst reflecting on their role, unscripted videos rely on openness and honesty. It’s not about being slick, it’s about being relatable.

And the data supports it. Platforms like Wistia and LinkedIn report that unscripted formats, particularly interview-based content and behind-the-scenes stories,  outperform traditional scripted video in both audience engagement and completion rates. People stay watching because they’re watching something real. We’ve certainly seen this first hand through the engagement stats for LinkedIn videos we created for a bank recently.

The truth is, most projects benefit from elements of both. Think of it as a spectrum rather than a binary choice.

You might use a broad outline to structure an unscripted video, ensuring key messages are hit without forcing scripted language. Or you might blend a scripted intro with free-form interview clips, capturing the best of both worlds.

The key question is always: What are we trying to say, and to whom?

• If you need to deliver training scenario, use a script.
• If you’re trying to build trust, showcase culture, or recruit people who align with your values – unscripted is the way.
• If compliance is nervous, bring them in early. Help them shape the interview questions so contributors stay on track without being silenced. They are just another audience, albeit one with considerable power.

Unpacking this a little further, the hybrid approach where structure and spontaneity work hand in hand is a highly effective way to create content that’s both clear and credible.

There are always messages that need to be delivered. But trying to force someone into reading a script they didn’t write, in words they wouldn’t use, is almost guaranteed to result in a flat, hesitant, unconvincing performance that takes take after take after take to record. This is particularly true when lines have been written by another department, comms, HR, legal, with little regard for how they’ll sound coming out of someone else’s mouth.

One solution is to give contributors the ability to re-write these core messages into their own words. If they understand the point that needs to be made, they’ll usually find a way to say it naturally. It might not be perfect, but it will sound like them and that’s what matters. The moment someone stops performing and starts speaking, the camera picks it up. So does the audience.

This collaborative method doesn’t mean a loss of control for comms teams. It just means planning ahead, being prepared a bit earlier and shaping the content to fit the speaker, rather than the other way round. We often work with high level outlines, guiding contributors with questions or bullet points rather than asking them to memorise or read. The result? Something that feels far more human and engaging, but still built on well-defined foundations which are hidden out of sight of the viewer.

There’s a practical side to all this too.

This middle ground approach affects how productions run. A scripted video might mean less footage to sort through (if contributors perform well), but it demands more time upfront with drafting, sign-off, perhaps even rehearsals. A hybrid or unscripted video often involves longer interviews, more setup time on the day and more effort in post-production to select the clips for the final edit because you’re shaping the narrative from real material rather than dropping pre-written lines into a timeline.

But what you gain from this flexibility is far more valuable. You capture real voices, not corporate speak. You create unscripted content that delivers the message, just in a way that people actually want to watch.

In our experience, this approach works particularly well in areas like employer branding, leadership messaging, and customer storytelling – wherever authenticity, trust and relatability are key.

Choosing between scripted or unscripted isn’t just a matter of style, it’s a strategic decision. Some stories benefit from precision. Others demand emotional connection. Often the most effective content is the one that strikes a balance between the two.

Start by asking what success looks like. Do you prioritise clarity or connection? Control or personality? Are you explaining a product or service, or trying to convey a sense of culture? Are your contributors comfortable on camera, or are they more likely to relax into conversation?

Just as importantly, who is your audience? What and how do they want to hear from you?

In today’s world of compressed attention spans, compulsive scrolling and content fatigue, corporate videos need to do more than inform, they need to connect. And connection rarely comes from non-actors reading a script word for word.

That’s not to say scripts don’t have their place. But relying on them entirely can flatten everything that makes your people interesting. That’s why the best results so often come when structure is combined with spontaneity and when contributors are given permission to be themselves.

At Mahne Creative Media, we work with clients to find the right format. Not just for the content, but for the contributors and the audience. We believe that the most effective video production doesn’t come from perfect lines, but from real people saying what they believe.

Because whether scripted or unscripted – or somewhere in between – it’s not about reciting. It’s about telling the story. So think of the format as your choice of lens.

Christian Mahne is the founder of Mahne Creative Media, a video production company specialising in the financial services sector. With a background in journalism, a deep understanding of regulated environments and a passion for intelligent storytelling, Christian has worked with banks, fintechs, wealth managers and insurers to deliver creative content that builds trust and drives results.