You’ve tried to make your first video, only to lose your train of thought seconds after starting. No matter how hard you try, the presence of the camera keeps tripping you up. It’s OK – relating to something which isn’t a living being isn’t exactly something which is baked into our DNA.
It takes practice not to be conscious of the camera when making videos – in today’s article, we’ll talk about strategies which can help you get used to its presence sooner.
Talk to yourself
You may be speaking to a potential audience of thousands whilst you are making a video, but let’s keep it real – during the shoot, you are effectively talking to yourself. This is difficult for many of us, as self-talk carries a negative social stigma with it.
Despite this, talking to yourself is actually a beneficial practice. By engaging in an ongoing dialogue with yourself, the process of externally verbalising your thoughts becomes much easier.
Whilst it may still be a good idea to keep these self-conversations internal when you are in the company of others, take advantage of time spent in traffic or in front of the bathroom mirror to talk with your inner self.
Not only will this make it easier to banter in front of the camera, but self-talk also has also been shown to make its practitioners into better problem solvers – talk about an unexpected bonus!
Get into a chill mood before making videos
If we get worked up about being on camera, its presence will be all our mind will be able to focus on. Before making visual content, do whatever gets you into a zen state of mind.
For many, meditating for ten minutes will be all they need to quiet the negative voice in their head, but for others, doing yoga, drinking a cup of hot tea, or a giving themselves a self-pep talk will do the trick.
By ridding your mind of negative thoughts and replacing it with positivity, you’ll be able to focus on the message you are about to deliver rather than your fear of making a mistake.
Pretend the camera is your best friend
The unblinking eye of a camera may not resemble a flesh and blood human being, but the footage it captures will be used to create a video capable of reaching thousands in your niche.
As such, it is important not to think of this device as an inanimate object, but as a close friend whose life you want to improve.
Want to convince them they are better off starting their own business rather than relying on a corporation for financial security?
Look into the glass eye of your camera and imagine your friend in its place and make an emotional appeal as if they were standing right across from you.
In time, you’ll have enough practice passionately delivering your message to the camera, you’ll forget you are interacting with one.
Shoot heaps of videos
Experienced videographers are good at what they do because they have put their reps in over the years. When you are just starting out, some degree of camera consciousness is inevitable simply because you haven’t interacted with one for long enough.
Once you get dozens of videos under your belt, though, not only will staring into a lens become less awkward, you’ll be able to break down where you could be doing better.
The feedback you’ll get from reviewing your first videos will help make improvements on future efforts – in short, get out there and shoot, and correct course along the way.
