You’re more charismatic than you give yourself credit for!
If you’re like most people, you may be nervous about getting in front of the camera because you’re wondering, how in the world am I going to keep my viewer’s attention? Who is going to want to listen to me talk for two minutes or longer? I don’t have a teleprompter and I’m not good at memorizing lines…What if I stumble over my words and look like a complete idiot?
The good news is…You don’t have to memorize ANYTHING and you don’t need a teleprompter. Because you can “film what you want to say in chunks.”
Here’s what I mean by filming in chunks:
When writing your script or outline, write it out in sections, so that each point you make is only about 3 sentences.
“Chunking it out” allows you to focus on one point at a time and takes away the pressure of having to memorize a whole script or a whole outline. It also allows you to practice each section as you go AND speak right into the camera to your viewer so you can really connect with people. Just remember to start and end each section with a smile.
Another trick you can use to keep your viewer’s attention happens during editing. You may have noticed an editing style many people use for business videos where the screen is constantly zooming in and out on the speaker. The person might appear in the center of the frame, say a few sentences and then appear on the right, and so on. The shots may also vary between close up and medium shots of the speaker. You may think this is a very advanced editing trick, but actually it’s not. Most of the main editing software programs such as screenflow, camtasia or imovie will allow you to easily create this kind of editing. It’s usually called a “zooming” or “cropping” tool.
This editing technique really works well because by moving your speaker around the frame, you will keep your viewer’s attention more easily.
Now, don’t worry. You don’t have to use this editing trick to be successful with video. The point is to start doing video now and not get stuck with “having to do it perfectly.”
Check out Rhonda’s free Live webinar with Social Buzz U on August 15th, 2013! You’ll get first-hand, insider tips on how to build your business with video… Click here.
Another way to keep your viewer’s attention is to film outside. Filming outside is great because natural light is your best friend. It makes you look absolutely fabulous! And the setting will help keep your viewer entertained, as long as it’s not too distracting with loud airplane, ocean, pedestrian or traffic noises.
The most important thing to remember when filming outside is you want to make sure the sun is behind the camera when you’re filming. If the sun is behind the person being filmed, then that person will wind up with dark shadows all over them and you will not be able to use that footage.
Also, you might think that cloudy days are not good for shooting, but surprise, surprise – cloudy days are excellent for filming because the clouds act like a natural filter and provide the perfect lighting for your face. The only problem is you’ll have somewhat grey skies in the background – but if your face looks good, who cares about the grey skies?
