Now let's be honest for a second. None of us are naturals, or as natural as we'd like to believe, in front of a camera. That's OK! How could we possibly master something so new as content creation? Luckily for us its a marathon and not a sprint. Below are 9 tips to help you become more comfortable in front of the camera. Enjoy!
1. Dress for Success
Tip number one is to dress for success! Take a little extra time and plan out your on-camera outfit, wash your face, brush your teeth, lint roll that shirt! Here's a quote to put things into perspective:
"If you look good, you feel good.
If you feel good you play good.
If you play good, they pay good."
- Deion Sanders.
2. Smile
Self-explanatory but underrated for some reason. If your frowning while talking explaining something to your audience, they well sense this is something you don't really care about. Causing them to not to believe your a good source of information. So next time you look at your playback monitor and realize you resemble Ms Trunchbull, crack a smile!
3. Limit Distractions
Limit your distractions while filming. Turn that TV off, put your phone on DND, do whatever it takes to give this video your undivided attention.
4. Keep Water Nearby
Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!
If you find yourself stumbling over your words, take a breather, take a drink of water and gather your thoughts before you continue.
5 & 6. Know Your Topic and Have a Script
These 2 steps are much more crucial than the last. It is essential that you know what your talking about. Know your topic inside and out. How could you possibly teach someone something that you don't fully understand? Put the hours in to learn.
Secondly, it doesn't stop at just knowing your topic. Having a script is also a big help. A lot of people know the feeling of knowing what they're going to say beforehand, but when they hit record their mind draws a blank. That's why having a script is so important. Creating a script of your talking points will keep you on track.
7. PRACTICE
The more you do it, the better you get. Simple.
8. Understand It Won't Be Perfect
Lastly but certainly not least, understand that it will never be perfect. NEVER. Perfectionism is a hindrance. Don't be too hard on yourself, allow yourself to make mistakes, and keep pushing forward. Put your head down and your foot forward. When you finally pick your head up to reflect, you'll see just how far you've came
Hope these tips help!