Top 10 Video Tips for Talent
Laura and Randy spoke about how to create impressive video content at Morning Show Boot Camp in Atlanta. We’ll share their top ten tips with you here.
TOP 10 VIDEO TIPS FOR TALENT
1. Personality Brand: Personality brands have a trust relationship with their audience and viewers. Reveal your authentic self on video through your point-of-view and your stories to create a personality brand. Even on short videos, allow bits to your personality to shine through to viewers.
2. Storytelling: Prep your story before shooting video by using these five guidelines: The five W’s (who, what, when, where, why), the five senses (see, hear, smell, taste, feel), what’s at stake/headline, personal reflections, and edit the details.
3. Killer Opening: Start all videos with an attention-grabbing headline that hooks viewers within ten seconds. After the tease you can add opening graphics or introductions if needed.
4. Framing: Don’t be afraid to ask the director or camera operator where they are framing you (what the shot looks like) so you can adjust your performance accordingly.
5. Lighting: Be aware of where the light is while filming, and do your best to put your face in it. If you don’t have professional lighting, find a soft filtered light and put it behind the camera, towards you. If you are outside, try to shoot at sunrise, sunset, or on a cloudy day.
6. The First Sentence: They first thing you say in a shot is always the most challenging. You can ask yourself a question and answer it with your line, shake your body and voice around, or throw something light and then repeat the line. Cut out everything before your best take.
7. Body Language: Body language is just as important on video as the words you say. Keep your hands open or your palms up. You want your arms and hands to be in sync with what you’re saying.
8. Delivering Lines. You can memorize lines exactly, if that is comfortable for you (or required by the writers), but do your best not to get stuck in a specific delivery. You can also bullet point the major ideas, then wing it in your own words.
9. Be Flexible: Know that things may change on the set, including your lines and movement. Go with the flow and be open to direction. Take chances, and try your delivery several different ways so your editor has choices.
10. Substitution: Remember that your audience is going to be one or two people watching your video at a time. Pick a friend or someone that brings out the best in you and picture their face over the lens, and then speak directly to them.
Photo Credit: Flickr.com/photos/132604339@N03/
