Why Most Video Production Is a Waste of Money (And What Actually Works)

Let’s cut the fluff—most video production today is a complete waste of time and money.

And yes, that includes the high-budget brand pieces with cinematic drone shots, slow-motion coffee pours, and overly scripted voiceovers.

You’ve seen them: a two-minute video that costs five figures, gets 43 views, and lives forever on a forgotten page of a company website. Meanwhile, shaky iPhone footage on TikTok racks up 2 million views in a day. So what gives?

Here’s the hard truth: traditional video production is stuck in the past. It’s still operating like it’s 2013, focusing on polish over performance. But in today’s content economy, authenticity wins. People don’t want perfect—they want real.

You don’t need a RED camera and a five-person crew to tell a good story. You need to understand what actually connects with your audience. That’s strategy. That’s storytelling. That’s knowing when to ditch the tripod and pick up your phone.

Still think production value matters most? Try this: put a professionally lit talking-head interview next to a raw, behind-the-scenes clip of your team doing something meaningful. Then watch which one gets shared more. Spoiler—it’s not the glossy one.

The future of video isn’t higher quality. It’s smarter content. Agile, fast, audience-first. If your video doesn’t have a hook in the first 3 seconds, it’s dead on arrival. If it doesn’t provide value, tell a story, or spark a reaction, why even make it?

So yes, most video production is a waste. Not because video doesn’t work—but because the way we think about it doesn’t. Shift your mindset. Focus less on perfection and more on purpose.

Then watch your content actually perform.