The Outtakes You'll (Probably) Never See

If you've watched our videos, you might think filming content for True Prizes is fairly straightforward.

Set up the camera.

Press record.

Say a few lines.

Job done.

If only it were that simple.

The truth is, some videos take far longer than they should because I'm an expert at getting things wrong.

"Can We Just Do That Again?"

If I had £1 for every time I've said, "Can we do that one again?", I'd probably have enough money to give away another car.

I'll forget what I was saying halfway through a sentence.

I'll look straight into the wrong camera.

I'll trip over my own words.

Sometimes I'll get right to the end of a perfect take... and realise I never pressed record.

That one hurts.

Samantha Deserves A Medal

If there's one person who deserves far more credit than she gets, it's my wife, Samantha.

She has the patience of a saint.

She'll happily stand there holding the camera while I attempt the same 20-second introduction over... and over... and over again.

"Morning everyone..."

"No... let's do that again."

"Hi everyone..."

"No... I don't like that."

"Hello everyone..."

"No... that's even worse."

At this point, Samantha usually just smiles and says, "Go on then... one more."

I think she's said "one more" about 47 times in a single filming session.

It's Never The Script

The funny thing is, I know exactly what I want to say.

The moment the camera starts recording, though, my brain seems to go on holiday.

Simple words disappear.

Sentences stop making sense.

I'll confidently start talking about one competition and somehow end up talking about something completely different.

Sometimes we both just burst out laughing because there's no saving that take.

The Best Moments Are The Unplanned Ones

Ironically, the videos people seem to enjoy the most are often the ones where something unexpected happens.

A laugh.

A mistake.

The dogs deciding they want to be involved.

Someone walking into shot.

Those little moments remind us that we're a real family business, not a television production.

And I think that's why people connect with them.

Why We Leave Some Of It In

Over time, we've realised something.

People don't expect us to be perfect.

They just want us to be ourselves.

That's why we sometimes leave the odd laugh or mistake in a video.

It's real.

It's honest.

And to be honest, it's usually much funnier than the version I was trying so hard to get right.

Thank You, Samantha

Running True Prizes is a team effort, even if I'm usually the one in front of the camera.

Behind many of the videos is Samantha.

Holding the camera.

Checking the lighting.

Giving me the look that says, "You've forgotten your lines again, haven't you?"

And somehow still managing to encourage me to have another go.

Without her patience, there probably wouldn't be half as much content on our social media.

So if you've ever enjoyed one of our videos, there's a very good chance Samantha deserves just as much credit as I do.

The Lesson

Today's lesson is one that's taken me a while to learn.

Perfection isn't what people connect with.

Authenticity is.

People don't remember the perfectly delivered sentence.

They remember the laugh.

The personality.

The little moments that make someone feel real.

Whether you're building a business, creating content or simply trying something new, don't wait until everything is perfect.

Start.

Learn.

Laugh at the mistakes.

Then keep going.

One Final Thought

So, the next time you watch one of our videos, just remember...

For every 30-second clip you see online...

There's probably another ten minutes of me getting it completely wrong.

Thankfully, Samantha is always there to remind me that eventually... we'll get there.

Usually on take number twenty-three.

Joe

Owner, True Prizes