About

Authentic Video is a documentary-style video practice led by Nick Agafonoff, combining qualitative research, documentary filmmaking and human-centred storytelling.
We help businesses, researchers, organisations, communities and individuals turn real stories and lived experience into clear, useful and emotionally engaging video.
Our work sits at the intersection of research, documentary and communication. We are interested in real people, real contexts and real stories — not overproduced marketing content.

  • Real Storytelling

    We capture real people, real contexts and real experiences with curiosity, care and respect. Our films are grounded in lived experience, not overproduced marketing messages.

  • Co-creation

    We make videos with people, not just for people. Clients, participants, families and communities can be involved in the process, helping create films that feel more personal, grounded and true.

  • Human Connection

    With a background in qualitative research and documentary filmmaking, we help audiences connect with the people, stories and insights behind the project.
Nick Agafonoff, Director of Authentic Video
Nick Agafonoff is a qualitative researcher, video ethnographer and documentary storyteller with more than 25 years’ experience capturing and communicating human experience. He has worked across market and social research, brand and business storytelling, executive documentaries, community films, social impact projects, legacy interviews and personal story films. Nick’s background in qualitative research shapes the way Authentic Video works. Every project begins with listening carefully, understanding context and identifying the human story that will help audiences connect, care and understand.
  • 25+ years as a qualitative researcher and commercial video ethnographer
  • Trained in observational and ethnographic filmmaking techniques
  • More than 4,000 hours of real-world videography experience
  • Researched, produced and edited hundreds of documentary-style video projects
  • Experience across research, business, social impact, cultural, community and personal storytelling

What makes our work different?

Authentic Video is built around a simple idea: real stories are powerful when they are handled with care. We use documentary methods to capture people in context — through interviews, observation, video diaries, archival material and everyday moments. We then shape that material into films that are clear, emotionally grounded and useful for the audience.
  • Human-centred — focused on real people, lived experience and meaningful stories
  • Insight-led — informed by qualitative research, listening and analysis
  • Documentary-style — natural, observational and grounded in real voices
  • Collaborative — created with clients, participants, families and communities
  • Practical — designed for presentations, websites, workshops, campaigns, events and long-term archives

Co-Create

Many Authentic Video projects are co-created with the people involved. This might include guided interviews, video diaries, participant-shot footage, family archives, stills, existing client material or shared edit sessions. The aim is to create a more textured and personal film, while still giving the project a clear structure, professional finish and strong narrative shape. Co-creation is especially useful when the story belongs to a community, family, organisation or group of participants. It allows different voices and perspectives to be included, while helping the final video feel more personal, grounded and true.
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How-to Co-create a video

  • Involve clients in all aspects of production, including the editing process.
  • Engage documentary participants to co-create footage.
  • Use video diaries to capture important moments in peoples' lives, as well as personal reflections.
  • Integrate video diaries with professional footage to create textured videos with multiple perspectives.

TESTIMONIALS

  • Video Ethnography

    I consider Nick at Authentic Video to be one of the most experienced video ethnographers in the area of commercial market and social research in the world. He understands customers and how to capture and communicate their real worlds, frustrations and delights with insight and empathy. He is also a skilled videographer and editor in combination with being an outstanding qualitative researcher.
    Rigas Harbilas, The Practice Insights

  • Persona Portraits

    I used Authentic Video for a market research study, and I couldn’t be more impressed with their work. They employed video ethnography techniques to bring to life key segments of our research in the form of a series of short, impactful video portraits. What really stood out was their innovative approach to co-create footage with respondents. By involving them in the process, they were able to capture authentic, personal stories that resonated deeply with our target audience. In addition, Nick was incredibly flexible and responsive to the needs of our clients and the results were exactly what we needed. Cannot recommend Nick highly enough!!!!
    Robin, The Practice Insights

  • Not-For-Profit Documentary

    Working with Authentic Video on the documentary "Life, the Universe and Stories" was an incredibly positive experience for Shared Reading NSW. The film has helped to raise awareness about the program, allowing us to reach new audiences and effectively communicate the power of shared reading in fostering connection and emotional well-being. More importantly, the film played a key role in helping us secure funding and gain visibility, both within our local community and beyond.
    Christopher Smith, Shared Reading NSW

  • Personal Brand Story

    Authentic Video co-created a video package for my personal brand. Nick was incredibly collaborative, guiding me through the process and helping bring my vision to life. The package included several key videos: a short documentary about my inspirational journey to creating the “delicious skinfood” product, a show-and-tell video that highlighted the unique aspects of my product range, and a customer testimonial video. Together they provided a foundation for me to engage my target audience in a very authentic way. The result is a series of powerful, high-quality videos that truly reflect my passion and the essence of my products.
    Ilana Paull, Delicious SkinFood

  • Documentary Storyteller

    Making a documentary film with Nick Agafonoff about the role of music in the Bougainville Peace Process in Papua New Guinea was a wonderful collaboration. He has a gift for opening people up and letting them tell their stories. He possesses the full suite of documentary skills from conceptualising to camerawork and editing. The film made a real difference to the people on Bougainville Island reinforcing all they achieved in emerging from a bitter civil war.
    Iain 'Fred' Smith, Diplomat, Author, Musician

  • Community Storyteller

    Nick came to our 30 year School Reunion and recorded some great interviews and anecdotes that brought our whole year together. In addition, he produced a series of short documentary portraits about different people from our year to capture where they are in life, using video diary footage and photos. I'd recommend him as a someone who can not only document an event in a professional way, but build community around content.
    Jeremy Capes-Baldwin, CGS School Captain (1994)

  • Memorial Video Slideshow

    After my wife passed, I found the video memorial prepared by Authentic Video to be an enormous help. We had so many photos but Nick provided us with a methodology that enabled us to compile the perfect representation of her life. The overall effect turned out to be exactly what I had been looking for. It worked beautifully in the final ceremony and I would recommend Nick to anyone seeking a memorial video.
    Lloyd Fell, Customer

  • Memoirs Interview

    I asked Authentic Video to record an oral history with my Aunt who survived the holocaust. She was so very anxious, but Nick made her feel quite at ease and she was able to share her story in a clear and powerful way. The interview has travelled across the world and is available in various Jewish museums in Australia and beyond. Ultimately the interview gave validation to my Aunt's life.
    Peter Kaldor, Customer

How the process works

  • Start the conversation
    Brief Authentic Video
    We begin with a briefing conversation to understand the purpose of the video, who it is for, what needs to be captured and how the final film will be used.
  • ACCEPT Proposal
    Commission Project
    We agree on the video objectives, approach, outputs, timeline and production method. Depending on the project, this may include interviews, observational filming, video diaries, archival material or client-supplied footage.
  • Pre-Production
    Plan the Story
    Before filming begins, we develop the structure of the project. This can include a documentary treatment, interview guides, shot lists, schedules and a clear plan for the final video.
  • PRODUCTION
    Capture the Material
    We film interviews, everyday moments, places, details and interactions that help bring the story to life. We can also guide clients, participants or families to capture their own footage as part of the process.
  • post-production
    Edit the Film
    The material is shaped into a clear, emotionally grounded and useful video. This includes rough edit, fine edit and final delivery, with shared review points along the way.
  • Delivery
    Deliver the Final Formats
    Videos can be exported for presentations, websites, events, social media, internal communications, online platforms, archives or family use.

Service Areas

Authentic Video is located in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia. We service the following areas: > Blue Mountains & Regional NSW > East Coast (Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne) > *Overseas customers (budget dependent)

Let's tell your story!

Whether you have a business, research, community, social impact, family or personal story to tell, Authentic Video can help you shape it into a film that feels clear, human and useful. If you have a project in mind, we’d be happy to talk it through.

Contact us

We value your feedback and are here to assist you with any questions or concerns.