HJ VOICENOTES

As the appetite for social media footage and moving content increases, George Smith asks whether a look Behind the Scenes (BTS) has overtaken our view from Behind the Lens…

GEORGE SMITH

"NO MATTER YOUR VIEW ON BEHIND THE SCENES, WE MUSTN’T LOSE FOCUS IN CREATING ART. WE MUST CONTINUE TO PUSH BOUNDARIES FOR THAT FRONT COVER IMAGE, AND NOT JUST TO GET 1,000 LIKES

BTS or BTL – these two very similar abbreviations are sparking a very modern debate. If either of these terms are new to you, BTS refers to behind the scenes and BTL, refers to behind the lens. If you don’t already get heavily involved in BTS, then I’m here to tell you that you need to.

BTS has opened up a whole new job role for photographers or content producers. The pressure is on to invest in someone to capture this creative gold dust for us, whether that’s on a shoot day, a fashion show or even education. Gone are the days of shooting some quick clips on your phone. Partly it’s a question of logistics, simply because we can’t be in two places at once, but it’s also a question of quality. Everything has to be shot in 4K and on a gimbal, then we have to put that footage into editing apps just to make a 30-second reel. And arguably, this still isn’t enough. There’s choosing royaltyfree soundtracks, cutting audio to fit and assembling graphics that are magazine-worthy. Look around you and you’ll see brands and individuals big and small churning out high-quality moving content. In the hair world, we’re getting better – but we are behind. And that’s frustrating because as creatives, we have so much to share.

In order to achieve the high standard that’s expected, you have to pay the price. I’ve used an expert to create good quality still images and put reels together for me. I have also been forced to get creative when the budget isn’t there. Following a discussion with a client of mine, we came to an arrangement where he would come to my shoot and get portfolio content for himself. I later found out he was a genius at videography, so I now cut his hair with a discount, and he does his magic at a reduced fee.

Are you wondering why you should spend that much on something, when the main event is surely the most important thing? Take for example, a shoot day. Let's say you’ve managed to secure yourself a budget and you want to shoot a collection for a photographic competition. Why would you sacrifice the budget you have for a photographer, models, the stylist or make-up for a video of you effectively doing your job? The answer is mileage. BTS extends your story from beyond the lens. This is how and where we tell our followers what we do and how we do it. It brings our brand to life, it’s good for educational purposes and shows new stylists how they can grow. And, we do it because the world has changed – everything is social media driven.

When all is said and done, no matter your view on BTS, we mustn’t lose focus in creating art. We must continue to push boundaries for that front cover image, and not just to get 1,000 likes. The legends in our field will disappear, and it will all be about who has more followers on TikTok… Personally, I will continue to keep up with the demand for BTS, but I will always put game-changing imagery first. For me, this can’t be sacrificed. But if you’re serious about staying relevant, you have to invest in both.