Need Advice How Do You Speak To The Camera?

[JavoDreams]

After taking a long break from Youtube I finally just started to get back into it. But in my previous videos, I've always talked behind a mic instead of a camera. But with the subject point of what I have a lot of knowledge in which is "tech". I have trouble talking about it in my videos because I'm not used to talking in front of the camera as opposed to speaking into just a mic. So this leads to frustration of recording multiple takes. I don't want to read from a script. So what is the best way to record when talking in front of a camera about the main subject of your channel along with the best way to edit when videos are being filmed like this?

 

[Bulltahr]

Practice makes perfect! Just keep practising and soon you will feel comfortable and more relaxed in front of the camera, accentuating points by moving your hands and changing expressions will help you engage more easily with the camera. Try practising in front of the mirror in the mornings. Keep recording and restart it you flub a line, you can use a warp transition in post to hide the cut, watch other channels, a LOT of people use this method.....

 

[JavoDreams]

Practice makes perfect! Just keep practising and soon you will feel comfortable and more relaxed in front of the camera, accentuating points by moving your hands and changing expressions will help you engage more easily with the camera. Try practising in front of the mirror in the mornings. Keep recording and restart it you flub a line, you can use a warp transition in post to hide the cut, watch other channels, a LOT of people use this method.....

I appreciate the feedback I already integrated the transition into editing!

 

[SILTHW]

What seems like a simple question is loaded with complexity. The short answer is practice and rehearsal. But there is a longer answer.

Positioning the camera is important. That way when you look directly into the lens it looks like you are looking at the viewer of the video. If I'm not reading from a teleprompter, I let my eyes defocus and just stare into the lens.

The practice part is not a joke. It isn't natural, so you need to get used to doing something unnatural. The other thing that is helpful is to take a class on acting or improv or both. Seriously, learning how to pace yourself, understand voice and inflection and understand how to recover from mistakes is also a skill.

 

[Beanie Draws]

This may sound whacky, but I'd try having a video chat with someone, or maybe even doing a few livestreams, maybe on twitch that you can delete later, and that will help you kinda warm up. Whenever I've video chatted with friends, I have my "on" personality, which got me ready and in the mood to talking on camera.

I know it can feel weird talking to a camera, but I find it's mostly the talking out loud and hearing my own voice, so having a video chat with someone beforehand to warm up tends to work. You could even leave the camera on and just talk to yourself to warm up too.

Being on camera is a performance, and performers tend to warm up, and they also tend to rehearse a lot, so you can always say what you want to say a few different times and sort of rehearse it "live" (recording) so in that way, being on camera is also kinda like acting. How you present your information can be crafted and tuned like a performance and such. Like how live comedy acts after a while you'll notice some of their stories sounding and presenting the same because they their material and have performed it enough.

So yeah, basically practice and performance.

 

[DamoΓÇÖs Paintings]

It takes practice, and good preparation, especially of the emotions, IΓÇÖve come home from a bad day, and that kind of emotion takes lots more work for preparation, as youΓÇÖve gotta find ways to wash away that bad day, luckily I only had a couple of those moments, as I enjoy filming and making my content.

Good preparation means a good round of filming, no preparation means winging it which means unplanned and sloppy filming.

 

[InspirationalbyMarie]

Practice not perfection. If I have to talk about a topic that I really like it's easier for me. I just get into "having a conversation mode" I actually prefer doing live streams I think

 

[Damon]

Yeah, you have to pretend that you're looking into the eyes of another person. Some people find it easier to talk to the camera than to real people. For others it's vice versa. Overall there is too much talking on YouTube and not enough storytelling. If you focus on telling a story, what happens in front of the camera becomes a documentary instead of a lecture. Don't feel you have to talk all the time.

The best way to film like this is called evidentiary editing. You make a statement, then the b-roll fills in the details. Don't feel you have to constantly talk. You can literally record one sentence, then sit there until you think of something else to say. After you've recorded what you need. Go get b-roll of everything you mentioned. You may only have a paragraph of talking, but the visual story fills in the gaps. This is far more satisfying that just listening to a lecture.

In fact you don't have to speak at all. Study vertie and direct cinema. In fact for your next video don't talk at all. See how you might convey the information you need sans speech.

 

[Ater]

I don't talk to the camera, I talk to a mic. But isn't it like with everything, you just need to practice more? Every video you record will make you a little bit better until one day you are as natural talking to the camera as talking to the mic?

 

[Promotedsandra]

I don't talk to the camera, I talk to a mic. But isn't it like with everything, you just need to practice more? Every video you record will make you a little bit better until one day you are as natural talking to the camera as talking to the mic?

Look at camera lens

 

[Ater]

Look at camera lens

I don't use a camera so I don't have that problem.

 

[InspirationalbyMarie]

Yeah, you have to pretend that you're looking into the eyes of another person. Some people find it easier to talk to the camera than to real people. For others it's vice versa. Overall there is too much talking on YouTube and not enough storytelling. If you focus on telling a story, what happens in front of the camera becomes a documentary instead of a lecture. Don't feel you have to talk all the time.

The best way to film like this is called evidentiary editing. You make a statement, then the b-roll fills in the details. Don't feel you have to constantly talk. You can literally record one sentence, then sit there until you think of something else to say. After you've recorded what you need. Go get b-roll of everything you mentioned. You may only have a paragraph of talking, but the visual story fills in the gaps. This is far more satisfying that just listening to a lecture.

In fact you don't have to speak at all. Study vertie and direct cinema. In fact for your next video don't talk at all. See how you might convey the information you need sans speech.

Also it depends on what the topic is, the niche, your experience in filming and editing, and what you are trying to portray sometimes just the scenery tells the story

 

[EnglishwithLiz]

As others have said relax and be natural, there is no need to be perfect. The skill is to let your personality shine through.

If you use a teleprompter, which for me on some of my complex teaching videos is necessary, that is a skill to try and be natural and spontaneous. I don't always get it right but I think I am getting better.

 

[MICK]

If you are recording the video from your computer webcam, then you should look at the webcam rather than the computer screen.
And I think you record some seconds and get the check the mistakes before loading on your channel. Thank you. I am sorry for that but it will be better someday.

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

My best advice;

1. Talk to the camera as if it is a single friend. People don't typically watch videos in groups, they watch individually and usually on a mobile advice. As such you are effectively talking to one person at a time, and it is preferable and more organic to address the viewer as such.

2. Be 110% you. Give the audience the best that you can. Don't be fake, but give them the best version of you that you can.

3. Do it a LOT. The more you show up and start recording the more natural the experience will be. As with most things in life you need to get 'knee deep in shells.'

 

[BraveStar]

I can't think of a replacement for the software I'm gonna mention because sadly enough it will be shutdown come January plus am not sure if you even like karaoke but I've been messing with Twitch Sings for nearly a year now. It's basically a karaoke software Twitch made so you could do karaoke while livestreaming or without. I love singing but singing in front of people made me nervous as hell, just like being in front of a camera does. I started making my videos on the software and have noticed how comfortable I've gotten in front of a camera. The best part is because it's meant to be fun and you get to sing with other streamers you also get used to be goofy and funny and just plain relax in front of the camera having fun.

I can't think of another program that I can do this with but it was extremely helpful. @Beanie Draws idea is great. Do some practice livestreams to get used to it or chat with friends on video. To me the hard part is not being seen by others on video, it's not seeing anyone and feeling weird talking to myself because I often depend on visual reactions of people to determine how my conversation is going and adjusting accordingly. Nonetheless it's all about practice and learning.

 

[TubeBuddy]

After taking a long break from Youtube I finally just started to get back into it. But in my previous videos, I've always talked behind a mic instead of a camera. But with the subject point of what I have a lot of knowledge in which is "tech". I have trouble talking about it in my videos because I'm not used to talking in front of the camera as opposed to speaking into just a mic. So this leads to frustration of recording multiple takes. I don't want to read from a script. So what is the best way to record when talking in front of a camera about the main subject of your channel along with the best way to edit when videos are being filmed like this?

I've done over 1,000 videos now and it has gotten MUCH easier. The thing to remember is like any relationship it takes time. The camera is a reflection of what you point at it. Remember that you can edit, change, and do what you need to do.

There is NO shame in re-recording. if you're not happy with something or thought of something new, re-film it.

Remember to have fun. If you feel awkward that's fine. Do something that pumps you up, makes you excited and remember it's like a friend.

Practice. I hated speaking in front of the camera at first, but that's because I was bad at it. Have it with you. Set it up, but don't record you need to feel FAMILAR with it.

When it's as normal as talking to a loved one, or something else it will come to you. Don't worry if it's bad at the start, just keep going.

 

[Beanie Draws]

I've done over 1,000 videos now and it has gotten MUCH easier. The thing to remember is like any relationship it takes time. The camera is a reflection of what you point at it. Remember that you can edit, change, and do what you need to do.

There is NO shame in re-recording. if you're not happy with something or thought of something new, re-film it.

Remember to have fun. If you feel awkward that's fine. Do something that pumps you up, makes you excited and remember it's like a friend.

Practice. I hated speaking in front of the camera at first, but that's because I was bad at it. Have it with you. Set it up, but don't record you need to feel FAMILAR with it.

When it's as normal as talking to a loved one, or something else it will come to you. Don't worry if it's bad at the start, just keep going.

I also think there's something nice to be said of watching a creator develop over time. It's one of those things that can connect the audience to a creator over time. It's that little thing you won't notice right away, but over the years, you have that aspect of watching someone grow more confident over time and I personally find that really rewarding to watch. After watching you and many others for several years now, in hindsight those with longer channels and older communities now realise you don't have to be perfect. You won't always be "good" in the beginning and that's fine. You can indeed edit out the flubs etc. But the coolest thing is when you can watch someone 4-5 years later and really see that personality evolve and develop over time as experience and confidence develops.

I like doing this with a lot of channels that have been around for years. Watch their first videos, then watch their most recent videos and you always see that experience and confidence show. So if people feel a bit shy, they should just watch other big creator's first videos and realise EVERYONE was pretty much shy or awkward in their beginnings and it's a normal part of creation that gets easier over time. It really is a cool thing to watch over time.

 

[Henry Wang]

My experience, not good maybe. Record the video, edit. If you feel not good enough, then repeat. Record the video, edit. Until you are satisfied.