Show Me Your Hands or Risk Losing Authenticity in Video Content.
- Michael Mediavilla
- Nov 18
- 5 min read
The Classic On-Camera Question
In every corporate interview shoot I’ve ever done, there comes that familiar moment.
The lights are on, the mic is clipped, and as the subject takes their mark, they glance at me and ask, “What should I do with my hands?”
My go-to response has always been, “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
And it’s true — when people are comfortable, their gestures follow naturally. Some move their hands freely when they speak, others stay still. The problem begins when someone tries to look natural — or worse, when they’ve been coached in rigid, over-rehearsed presentation techniques that make every motion look staged.
For professional communicators — especially in today’s content-driven marketing world — authenticity has become the real currency. Video audiences can sense insincerity instantly. And often, that gut feeling starts with what your hands are (or aren’t) doing.
Why Hands Matter More Than You Think
Trust Starts With Visibility
By chance, I recently heard an interview on The Diary of a CEO podcast with Vanessa Van Edwards, a behavioral researcher and former CIA trainer who studies human behavior on camera. She described a simple but powerful rule from her interrogation training:
What Science Says About Gestures
In her analysis for Wistia, Van Edwards explains that hand gestures activate the visual centers in a viewer’s brain. They literally make speech easier to understand. Gestures also humanize the speaker — helping them appear more passionate, credible, and relatable.
Conversely, exaggerated or repetitive gestures trigger the opposite effect: distraction, discomfort, and even distrust.
The Science Behind the Gesture
One of the most compelling studies on the subject comes from psychologists Judith Holler and Geoffrey Beattie in “Gesture Use in Social Interaction: How Speakers’ Gestures Can Reflect Listeners’ Thinking” (2007).
Their research revealed that gestures aren’t random or self-serving. They’re socially adaptive — shaped by the speaker’s awareness of the listener’s needs.
When explaining something potentially confusing, speakers used gestures 46% of the time to clarify meaning. In 5% of those instances, gestures alone communicated what words could not.
That means your hands aren’t just an accessory to your message — they’re part of it. Gestures become a bridge between your words and your audience’s understanding.
Why This Matters for Corporate Video
For marketers and brand leaders, this has major implications. When your executive steps on camera, their gestures help shape how the audience perceives not just them, but your company’s credibility. Hands communicate far more than comfort — they reveal confidence, self-awareness, and sincerity. When the movement looks right, the message feels right.
The Fine Line Between Confident and Contrived
Every seasoned producer has seen it: the executive who’s memorized a script and accompanies every line with a pre-planned movement.(Hand chop here. Finger point there. Smile. Nod. Pause.)
The intention is good — but the outcome? Awkward. Gestures that look rehearsed can make even the most polished professional appear disingenuous.
As communications strategist Sandy Gerber points out, finger and hand positions convey a wide range of signals — openness, dominance, confidence, frustration. The wrong gesture, at the wrong time, sends mixed messages.
A clenched fist during a “team empowerment” speech?
Not ideal. A “steepled fingers” pose while discussing empathy? Also not great. The best gestures don’t look planned. They emerge naturally when the speaker truly believes what they’re saying. Which brings us to the bigger picture — authenticity on camera.
Authenticity Is the New Production Value in Video Content.
For years, marketing videos emphasized polish: perfect lighting, smooth teleprompter reads, symmetrical framing. Those elements still matter — but not as much as trust.
In the age of AI-generated everything, authenticity is the differentiator. Your audience doesn’t just want information; they want to believe the person delivering it.
Corporate marketing teams investing in branded video content are realizing that emotional credibility beats technical perfection every time. A message delivered with genuine expression, relatable tone, and open body language connects far deeper than a flawlessly lit but lifeless delivery.
At Crescent Beach Productions, we’ve learned that helping a client “look comfortable” on camera isn’t about direction — it’s about environment. Our job as producers is to remove barriers: simplify lighting setups, minimize crew footprint, and keep the conversation human. When the subject forgets about the equipment and focuses on the story, their gestures — and their credibility — fall naturally into place. The result, greater authenticity in video content.
The AI Factor: Why Machines Still Don’t Get It
When Real Hands Mean Real People
As artificial intelligence tools become more capable of generating realistic faces and voices, one thing still gives them away: the hands.
AI-generated avatars — whether in marketing videos, influencer content, or even fake job interviews — often stumble on the subtleties of human gesture. Movements appear too symmetrical, too smooth, or oddly timed with speech. Small finger motions, the micro-pauses between gestures, and the imperfect rhythm of human movement are still incredibly hard to replicate convincingly. These imperfections are precisely what make humans believable on camera.
The Rise of Gesture-Based Deepfake Detection
Interestingly, this challenge has turned into a form of digital truth verification. Several companies now use gesture-tracking algorithms to detect deepfake avatars in remote video interviews or online verifications.
By analyzing how a person’s hands move — their spontaneity, micro-delays, and sync with speech — AI detectors can flag whether the video feed is real or synthetic. It turns out that our natural, imperfect gestures are one of the best proofs of authenticity.
So when a hiring manager says, “Show me your hands,” it’s not just a figure of speech. It’s a literal authenticity check. And that’s exactly what viewers are doing — consciously or not — every time they watch your brand’s video content.
Practical Tips for Authentic On-Camera Gestures
Whether you’re a marketing director prepping your CEO for a corporate brand film, or you’re the one stepping into the frame, these guidelines always help:
Keep Your Hands Visible
Don’t hide them behind a desk or clasp them off-screen. Open gestures signal honesty and engagement.
Avoid Symmetry
Perfectly mirrored movements look robotic. Let your gestures vary in rhythm and size.
Match Movement to Meaning
Emphasize key points with natural gestures — but only when they reinforce what you’re saying.
Use Props Wisely
Holding a pen, tablet, or cup can provide a comfortable anchor. Just don’t let it become a fidget.
Practice With Purpose, Not Choreography
Rehearse your message aloud, but don’t plan gestures line-by-line. Let them arise from the emotion of your message.
Watch Your Playback
Record short takes. If your gestures look stiff or repetitive, try smaller movements or adjust posture to reset.
Relax — the Camera Amplifies Authenticity
Viewers forgive small imperfections; what they don’t forgive is insincerity.
For Corporate Marketing Teams: Why This Matters
Your brand spokesperson — whether it’s a CEO, client success manager, or product lead — is your company on camera. Their credibility reflects your culture.
Viewers decide within seconds whether they trust the person speaking, and that decision often happens before a single word registers.
Understanding gesture science isn’t about micromanaging body language. It’s about aligning physical presence with verbal message — ensuring your visuals support the story your brand is trying to tell, a story rooted in transparency and confidence.
When your audience feels they can “see your hands,” they feel they can trust you.
Final Cut: The Human Element Still Matters
In a world where AI can generate scripts, voices, and even synthetic faces, real human gestures remain one of the last, irreplaceable markers of authenticity.
At Crescent Beach Productions, we help corporate and institutional clients create videos that feel credible, conversational, and true to their mission — not staged performances.
Because the most persuasive content isn’t the one that shouts the loudest — it’s the one that gestures honestly. So next time you step on set and wonder what to do with your hands, remember: Put ’em up. Or else.