The goal of any viral video is to inject life into the audience. If it plays by the rules, the audience will be limited. If it relies on expected tropes and conceits, then it will appear fake. Honest and amateur will trump fake and professional. Professionalism for the sake of professionalism is always fake. Professionalism is expected; amateurism is novel. One video shot by one protester in Iran will always have more views than an edited collection of different shots.

We live in a vicarious age. We minimize our guilt by spreading it to others.