Talking to camera is weird.
Even for me, I have a background in TV, but when I started on YouTube, I had never felt
more insecure or more vulnerable.
And it often led to just cringe worthy on camera performances.
So I started to vlog, vlog, help me.
I really don't know what a vlog is.
I'm trying to figure out how to say this without it sounding weird.
Vlog, vlog.
Yes.
I've started a weekly vlog.
See, we all start somewhere and it's proof that you just get better with time, but you
can only get really good at talking to camera by actually talking to camera and taking the
action.
So I wanted to share with you some of my best tips and tricks and updated tactics that I
use to talk to the camera like it's my best friend, because this is not natural people
and we're going to make you feel super natural by the end of this.
So if you're excited about this topic, give this video a like, be sure to hit subscribe,
and the bell to be notified every single time I post a new video.
And of course I wanted to give it a special mention to the wonderful Dr. Scott Resnick,
thank you for being a subscriber here and thank you so much for all of your kind words
and comments here and on Instagram.
So make sure you go and show Dr. Scott Resnick, some more love from our little study squad.
And if you want to be featured in a video, be sure to subscribe to this channel and leave
a thoughtful comment below my videos, because I do actually read them.
Tip number one is something that I've never actually shared before, but I think it will
be very helpful.
You are a mirror for the viewer.
If you're uncomfortable, awkward, and insecure, the viewer feels uncomfortable, awkward, and
insecure.
So the best thing to keep in mind, and one of the best things that anyone ever taught
me, especially when it came to speaking in public, on stages, or on camera, is that the
more confident and comfortable I am, the more confident and comfortable the viewer is in
me.
So, that's tip number one and now I'm actually going to tell you tactically, how to be comfortable
on camera,, so viewers love watching you.
One of the simplest tricks or tips to be confident on camera or to at least fake it till you
make it is your hands.
So I know a lot of people when they start talking to camera, like, "What am I supposed
to do with these things?"
Well, the best thing to do is to understand that they can be used for emphasis and they
can also be used to lead and guide the viewer.
So let's say I was talking about one topic and then I wanted to compare it to another
topic.
I would use my hands to emphasize that and to display the difference.
Now, the other thing you can do, and something that I learned as a reporter is if you don't
know what to do with your hands, just hold them like this and keep them kind of down
low, keep them on your stomach, and it helps you feel grounded and also feel your breath.
And your breath is a huge part of confidence on camera because your breath creates the
airway for your voice and the power and confidence in your voice.
So just hold your hands at your stomach if that makes you feel more comfortable.
And when you feel like there's a point that you need to emphasize, you can do this just
sort of point to camera or go like this with your hands, because it allows the viewer to
understand visually that it's something that they need to really pay attention to.
And it helps you to clearly emphasize the points that are super important in your videos.
The third thing is nobody likes sketchy eye contact.
If you meet somebody in real life and they're not looking you directly in the eyes, you
immediately don't trust them.
So video is so important because it builds a know, like, and trust factor very quickly.
So you need to be looking directly at the lens.
Big mistake I see people make is they're looking off lens or they're looking at themselves
in the monitor.
So make sure you're looking directly down the tunnel of the lens makes a huge difference.
And you can check out in this video on how I record videos with my phone, because I talk
a lot about that.
If you're starting from scratch with the basics, I talk a lot about how to make sure that you
were looking in the right place when you're recording with your phone.
The next tip is to wear what makes you feel comfortable.
Oh my gosh, I used to wear the weirdest things on camera and I did not feel like myself.
We can cut to some old footage, but I used to straighten my hair.
I used to make sure that I was wearing something that felt perfect and felt like I was professional,
but the reality of YouTube is that people want to be able to relate to you.
So you showing up as yourself is one of your biggest differentiating factors.
So wear what you would normally wear in daily life.
Of course, don't look like a slob kebab, but like wear something that makes you feel like
you because again, you are the mirror for your viewers, the more you, and the more confident
you feel in yourself, the more that's going to project to the viewer and the more enjoyable
you are to watch.
So I'm a big believer in wearing things that are just simple plain.
I like to use basic colors.
I'm not a big pattern person in my general life.
I made this video on how I achieve financial freedom and I talk about my closet and how
minimal it is.
So that's what you see me showing up in on camera.
Now also for women and I guess for men too, if you feel like your clothes are really baggy
and not form fitting, that was something that was always an insecurity for me when I was
starting out in TV, even is having my clothes just ill fitting and not looking great on
camera because when you're wearing something boxy or big and makes you look boxy and big.
So basically what I do is I try and tie up my shirt bottoms so that they are just tied
up with an elastic and it helps it create a more flattering silhouette.
So that's just like a little vanity tip there.
The next step is really important.
Do a test and watch yourself and watch yourself back and figure out if that really sounds
like you, if you're trying to put on some sort of act or be somebody else, and you can
tell more than anybody and also it helps to have a second set of eyes.
So have somebody you know and love watch the video footage too, and trust most importantly,
because you don't need to hear anybody criticizing you for no reason, but a little constructive
criticism on, if you look and sound like yourself or not is really helpful and they can give
you pointers on, like, "You don't usually talk like that.
You don't usually have cadence like that," et cetera.
So watch yourself that's the beauty of video is this is not going to have to go out and
be seen by the world if you don't want it to be.
You can film it as many times as you like and take as long as you need to, to feel comfortable
and get the feedback that you're looking for.
Next tip is very much in line with what I just mentioned, but cadence is really important
when you're talking and inflection.
So cadence is basically the rhythm of how you speak.
So are you taking a breath in between your sentences or are you just doing a one big
run on sentence because you're nervous and you just want to get it all out.
Really important to breathe, because like I said, the confidence in your voice comes
from having a clear air flow and breath and I'm honestly, I'm not the best at it.
I oftentimes will get vocal fry.
I will talk too fast, but it's something that I'm constantly aware of and trying to work
on.
So your cadence is your rhythm with how you speak and how fast you're speaking or how
slow you're speaking.
So pay attention to that and what feels comfortable for you when you watch it back and kind of
try and stick in that rhythm.
The next thing is your inflection, when you're not confident, we all have a tendency to ask
questions when we don't mean to.
So I can say, this is how you're going to talk on camera.
And these are the best tips and tricks to talk on camera.
That doesn't sound confident.
These are the best tips and tricks to talk on camera.
So you always want to end in a down so that it feels like you're not questioning yourself
because again, if you're questioning yourself, the viewer is going to question how credible
you actually are.
This is so important and often missed, but give yourself a break.
Actually give yourself a break.
So in a couple of ways, one is when you're filming, I'm not filming this entire thing
the whole way through.
What I'm doing is I'm filming one section at a time and that I looked down at my notes
and then I come back up.
So if I tried to film this whole video in one fell swoop, there would be a lot more
fumbling and mumbling, et cetera.
And that's where editing really is your best friend because you can cut out anything that
doesn't work or where you ramble too much.
So don't worry about it too, too much when you're filming, but try to remember that you're
not a hero and nobody needs you to be a hero.
So just film in small chunks, it'll make you feel way more confident.
And then the next thing is sometimes you're just going to have days where you just can't
film.
You feel totally off your game and that's okay.
Take a break, go for a walk around the block, have a little dance party in your house, move
your body, get the energy out, get the nerves out and just pick it up again when you feel
like you're ready.
You don't have to do this all.
There's no timeline.
There's no pressure except for the ones that you're putting on yourself.
And my next tip is when you're doing any sort of video filming, whether it's on Instagram
stories, a YouTube video, a Zoom call, you want to focus on one person.
I learned this when I was in broadcasting school, that it's better to speak to one person
than try to speak to a bunch of different people because your messaging gets convoluted,
the outcome isn't clear and you get caught up in trying to please everybody.
So have a very specific person in mind when you are filming your videos and that's who's
on the lens.
That's who you're speaking to directly.
And it takes that pressure off of trying to be perfect for so many.
And you instead switch your mindset to just trying to convey a message and value to that
one particular person.
My next step is to, like I said, keep notes as a security blanket.
So as I mentioned, I have my notes on my computer right below me, so I can reference them and
make sure that I'm on track.
And so for you, if you want to have post-its up on the wall or your notes on your computer,
or even your notes on your phone, that's okay.
The only thing is when you do film and when you're filming in small sections, the really
important thing to do is to take at least a two to three second beat before and after
you start filming, if you don't, it makes the editing process really hard because you're
trying to edit, run on sentences and you're going to have these really harsh cuts like
this, that go right into one another.
Instead of having a cut like this, and then you just pick up exactly where you left off
and it totally looks seamless, right?
And if you want help with how to put your notes together, when you are filming to have
that security blanket, make sure you check out this video next on how to script your
YouTube videos.
And it's not word for word, but at least gives you a little bit of a structure.
So you have that safety net when you are filming and you don't feel like you're going to miss
anything.
And then final note on scripting or having notes is the more clear you are on the outcome
of the video for your viewer, the more clear you will convey it.
So oftentimes when you hear yourself rambling or you just can't stop talking, it's because
you're getting jumbled and lost in your own head of what the purpose and the outcome of
your video is.
So the more clear you are on that, the easier it is to film.
And my last tip is to keep a sense of humor.
This is not brain surgery.
We are not saving lives here.
You're going to screw up, everybody does, and the reality is we are all just too darn
busy worrying about ourselves to really worry too, too much about what you sound like on
camera.
And I'm telling you, your first video may not be your best, but you are going to get
better with practice and time, but the only way to not get better is to not film.
So don't let this lead to not taking action because you're so worried about what you look
like or sound like on camera.
And for a little confidence boost, I always tell people to do this, but go back and watch
my old, old videos on this channel.
They're crazy.
It's crazy to see how far I've come and how confident I feel.
And I actually thought I was doing a pretty good job when I first started my channel,
but now I look back and I'm like, "Oh no."
But it's fine because I at least showed up and I've been able to build this amazing community
because I showed up and provided value.
So your value of what you're saying, the value of your words are so much more important than
your production value.
I'm so curious to know if this helped you feel more confident about talking to camera
because realistically we're doing it every day, whether that is on FaceTime on Instagram
stories, on YouTube, on Zoom, et cetera.
So let me know what your biggest takeaway was in the comments below.
Be sure to give this video a like so more people can see it in the algorithm.
Be sure to subscribe, hit the bell and be notified every single time I post a new video.
And if you want more good info about how to be confident on camera, how to make great
videos, and how to show up on YouTube in a big way, check out these videos next.
Thank you so much for watching.
I appreciate you, have a wonderful day and I'll see you the next episode.
Bye.