During filming, it’s often the off-camera moments that reveal the deepest human connection.
If you’re a Communications Director — or anyone commissioning insight work — ask for examples of these moments. They’re rarely scripted, but they change the story.
Here’s one I’ll never forget.
We were in a car park basement filming a young offender. He’d been imprisoned for armed robbery, assault, and carrying weapons.
On camera, he said quietly:
“This is the place I used to go to when things weren’t going well at home.”
Then, off camera, he told us his dad had died when he was young.
One of the crew replied: “Mine too.”
In that moment, the two connected through a shared understanding of loss. The room felt different. The story opened up.
Why does this matter?
1️⃣ It shows the impact of genuine human connection.
2️⃣ It reveals that the real story isn’t always the one you planned to capture.
3️⃣ It deepens your understanding of the person you want to reach.
So, make these off-camera moments part of your debrief. Ask your team:
- What surprised you before or after filming?
- Where were you when an unplanned moment happened?
- What didn’t make it into the content—but shifted how you saw the story?
We interrogate films and interviews. But the spaces between—the silences, the tangents, the unexpected exchanges — often hold the key to the narrative.
