Talking Head

Read this when the ad opens with a person speaking to camera.

Core Principle

Talking-head UGC is not just lip sync. It is:

• believable eye line
• natural cadence
• useful gestures
• emotion that matches the claim

If the mouth moves correctly but the performance feels dead, the ad still loses.

Route Choices

Real creator footage

Best when:

• authenticity matters most
• you already have a creator
• the ad relies on micro-expressions and real trust

AI avatar

Best when:

• speed matters
• you need many script variants
• you need localization or repeated refreshes

Performance transfer

Best when:

• you have a strong source performance
• you want the destination character to inherit rhythm and gestures

Script Rules

• write for speech, not copywriting
• add pauses and sentence breaks
• keep claims concrete
• avoid overloaded sentences

Performance Prompting

If the model accepts a performance prompt, direct:

• tone: warm, urgent, skeptical, relieved
• gesture level: restrained, medium, expressive
• body language: direct eye contact, slight forward lean, hand emphasis

Do not over-direct every movement. That usually makes outputs stiff.

Shot Rules

• vertical framing for short-form ads
• face clearly visible
• product appears early if relevant
• lighting simple and believable
• background should feel native to the category

UGC talking heads often work better in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, cars, and desks than on over-designed studio backgrounds.

Common Failure Modes

• robotic delivery
• uncanny overacting
• product mention too late
• gestures unrelated to the line
• lip sync accuracy prioritized over credibility

If a talking head feels fake, cut away earlier and let B-roll carry more of the proof.