How to Speak Well on Camera ?

How to be good on camera ?

When it comes to making videos, there's one big hurdle that keeps people away from doing it.

That is feeling like you're not very good on camera.

But I'm here to tell you you are good on camera.

You just have to be yourself.

I know that's easier said than done, but I have seven points that you need to live by if you want to be good on camera.

I'm going to get into those today.

Number 1 :

The first point is play.

Play around on camera.

Talk about something you're really interested in, and only watch it back by yourself.

Make a note of the little things that work and don't work, and mannerisms that you like and you dislike.

I guarantee you'll surprise yourself with how well you come across.

Then once you feel comfortable, also show your close friends and family.

They know you best, so they know if you're not really being yourself on camera.

They can give you some really valuable feedback to improve your presentation.

Another great way to play around on camera is using apps like Periscope and Snapchat.

With Periscope, you're live.

All you have to do is just turn it on and start talking and interacting with

your audience and your community.

That's a great way to get a little bit of practice.

Same with Snapchat.

There's no pressure of editing with

Snapchat, so just get used to yourself on camera, used to hearing yourself on camera.

Over time, you will improve.

Number 2 :

The second point is personalized.

This may sound a little bit crazy, but when I was in broadcasting school, one of the little tricks that I was taught was to put a photo of somebody that I loved and felt really comfortable with on the camera or on the microphone.

It helps you visualize that you're speaking to just that one person as opposed to just this big audience that's going to be watching your video.

That's a great way to feel a little more comfortable and a little bit more

like yourself and having more intimate conversation.

At the end of the day, the goal is for each person in your audience who's watching your video to feel like you're only talking to them.

Number 3 :

The third point is pace.

I'm often criticized for being a fast talker, but this is actually just my normal pace of

talking.

However, believe it or not, I often remind myself, just in my head, to slow down a little bit, because I know not everyone is used to this pace, and it can be a little too much, too fast.

Whatever your normal pace of talking is, whenever you're on camera, nerves and things can affect it and make you talk a little faster.

In your head, just remind yourself to slow down and breathe.

The next thing is adding excitement.

When you're on camera, and you're talking about something you're passionate about, your audience needs to see that.

Wherever your excitement level at,

add about 10% to that.

Make it seem authentic and genuine.

Another great tip is just to smile and be a little more approachable because that smile allows you to sound a little more excited about it and a little bit more happy about what you're talking about.

Nobody wants to watch someone on

camera who's a Debbie Downer.

Remember that.

Number 4 :

The fourth P is to pretend.

I am not saying to copy anybody, but everybody has their favorite people that they watch online or on TV.

Watch them and dissect what they do and what it is you like about their presentation.

Make some notes, and try and incorporate that into your own on camera presence.

This would help you to speak well on camera.

Number 5 :

The fifth point is pretty simple.

It's passion.

If you're not passionate and interested in

what you're talking about, it's going to be really hard for your audience to be passionate and interested in what you're saying.

Whether it's the script or the wording or whatever else that's maybe not working or feeling right to you, make it work for you so that you come across as being genuinely

interested in the subject matter and not just a talking head.

Number 6 :

The sixth point is pressure.

Take it off your shoulders.

There is no pressure.

When you're filming a video or whatever else, being human is more relatable than anything else.

If you make a mistake that's okay.

You can keep recording as

many times as you want, until you're comfortable and you're happy with the end result.

Don't think about how many people are going to watch the video and how much pressure there is to make it perfect.

Think about just being yourself, being passionate about what you're saying, and that will translate more than being a perfect little robot on camera.hj

Number 7 :

The seventh P is practice, practice, practice.

The best way to get comfortable on camera is to just keep practicing and playing around with it.

Use all those different apps, like I mentioned earlier, Snapchat, Periscope, Instagram video, Twitter video.

There's video now on every platform.

Just play around with it.

Get used to hearing yourself and seeing yourself on camera, and I promise you'll see slow and gradual improvements in your comfort level, and you'll start to feel more like yourself on camera.

Conclusion

So this article was about how to speak well and fluently on camera.

Being comfortable on camera builds your confidence in so many other ways.

Whether that's for speaking engagements or for media appearances.

Just have fun with it and practice.

If you have any tips for getting comfortable on camera, I'd love to hear them.

Leave them in the comments section below.

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