I’m going to show you how to get comfortable on camera, how to be confident on camera, and how to look great in videos. Keep reading till the end – because I am going to share 5 video tips – and they keep getting better with each one!
Confidence
One of the first tips to be comfortable on camera, and how to look great in videos is to choose confidence.
Note: I said CHOOSE confidence.
It’s a conscious choice to be confident on YouTube, it’s a conscious choice to look relaxed on camera, it’s a conscious choice to look great on camera.
But I get it – we don’t suddenly wake up confident and ready to film.
My tip is to choose and create confidence – by channeling (no – I’m not talking about like a seance or anything) the confidence of someone you admire.
I’ll often play Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Carrie Underwood as I prep for filming – and dance around getting pumped up for the filming.
The key is to PRETEND you’re actually the person you admire.
How do they stand?
How do they speak?
How do they handle adversity?
And then – I turn the camera on.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
Preparation is one of the most overlooked steps of how to look relaxed on camera.
It’s not sexy. It’s not fun. It’s a lot of work.
But it’s the crucial step that all successful influencers and entrepreneurs rely on – and it shows in their videos!
Sometimes I’ll create an entire script for my YouTube videos, and sometimes I will create an outline hitting on the key points. And sometimes I simply use Post-it notes on the wall above my camera (or iphone) to remind me of the main topics.
I took Toastmaster’s public speaking twice – and I learned this simple formula there:
Intro – main topic
Point 1 supporting main topic
Point 2 supporting main topic
Point 3 supporting main topic
Conclusion
Call to action
My easiest, most natural videos are when I prepare. Every single time.
Think of Someone Special
Imagine for a moment that you are sitting down with someone you love.
Maybe it’s a friend, family member, or even your kids someday. Maybe it’s a younger version of yourself.
Now imagine they asked you the question that your video answers.
What would you say to them?
What would you wish to impart?
Would you speak with a robotic-like tension or stiffness?
Would you lovingly share with them the message they need to hear in your video?
Now, share this message as if it were that special person…
Be Yourself/Have Fun
I’ll never forget the day I made a decision to be myself in all my videos, emails, posts on social media.
Up until this point, I modeled other people that I admired… However one day something clicked in my head, and it’s a message that will change your life.
It is easier to be yourself than to do twice the work, creating and pretending to be someone else.
HELLO!
It seems so obvious, yet I’d never realized that by trying to emulate someone else’s voice, I was:
- Taking on more work.
- Feeling like a fraud.
- Being judged for something that wasn’t even me anyways.
Your levels of creativity, pace of working, and overall confidence will become a turbo-rocket – as you EMBRACE the truth of who you are.
If you’re nerdy, be nerdy.
If you’re like so millennial, be so millennial!
If you’re slow to speak, be slow to speak.
The freedom of being yourself is a gift that continually gives – as you learn to confidently show up as yourself.
Do it a LOT
Take a moment and think of something you’ve gotten really good at – or even mastered.
Maybe it’s basketball, writing, performing, cooking, organizing, or your role in your job.
You would never dismiss your new job as “it’s not made for me….” simply because you were still learning, right?! No! You would obsess, study, and practice.
In order to get good at video – you have to do it a lot! I’ve recommended some of my students create a private group or Facebook page and practice going live – so they can get used to the pressure (even when no one is watching) and get familiar with the routine!
So there you have it – it’s your turn to get comfortable on camera!
