You turn on the camera, look at the lens and freeze. Your voice comes out strange, you forget what you were going to say, you delete it and try again. After five attempts, you give up and tell yourself: "I'm just camera shy."
Two different things that feel the same
Being camera shy and being unsure about what to say feel the same in your body. But they're different problems, with different solutions.
A simple test: imagine someone handed you a good, clear script that sounds like you, right now. Would you film it? If the answer is "I think so", your main problem isn't the camera. It's not being sure what to say.
When the problem is what to say
Your mind freezes because it's doing two things at once: thinking about the content and monitoring how you look. Take one of them out of filming time.
- Decide the topic beforehand. Never turn on the camera without knowing exactly what you'll talk about.
- Write the script beforehand. Even as bullets. Three points and an ending.
- Read it aloud a few times before filming. When you record, you're just repeating something you already know.
With the content sorted, you have headspace for everything else.
When the problem really is the camera
Here, gradual exposure helps:
- Film videos just for yourself, without posting, for a week.
- Post talking stories, which disappear in 24 hours.
- Film only your hands or the product, with your voice over it.
- Only then film your face for the feed.
Each step makes the next one easier.
Use support while filming
Having the text visible while filming removes the fear of forgetting. A teleprompter, which scrolls your script on screen near the lens, helps you look at the camera without memorizing anything.
The trick is not to read like a robot. Use the text as a guide and speak your way. If it comes out different from what's written, that's fine.
Film in pieces
You don't have to say it all in one take. Film sentence by sentence and join them in editing. Made a mistake? Re-record just that part. It takes away the pressure of nailing the whole video.
The first recording is always the hardest. The tenth already feels normal.
Know what to say before you turn on the camera
In Creathoria, your script arrives ready in your brand's voice. When it's time to film, open the Teleprompter on the web, with scenes, speed control and full screen.