Speaking on Camera is Different
It doesn’t matter how experienced a speaker is, when I put a camera in front of them for the first time most of them tend to get really nervous. They start to lose track of their thoughts, their eyes start to dart around and their bodies become fidgety. This happens so often that helping the speaker to relax and become comfortable with the camera in the room is part of the process of getting great video.
It is true that speaking on camera is different than speaking in person. You can’t see the reaction of the person you are speaking to and attention spans of viewers is really short. With this in mind there are a few things to keep in mind that will really help.
The first thing I do is to help the presenter with where to look. It’s really important to keep eye contact somewhere. Just like keeping eye contact with the person you are speaking to in person develops trust, the same works for the camera.
The second – do not memorize lines. Unless you are a professional newscaster with a teleprompter or and actor, reciting memorized lines will sound fake. Instead, have an outline of what you want to say and internalize your thoughts. You are an expert in your given field and talk to people all the time. Internalize what you think the most important points are and just tell them like you would in person.
Keeping these two simple ideas should really help. If you would like to learn more about making great presentations for video, join us for our next Networking for Non-profits on the Cape, September 29th at Cape Cod Children’s Museum!
Join us for our next Networking for Non-Profit Event September 30th!
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