Top 3 Tips for Recording Videos

I’ve picked three tips that apply as broadly as possible. Explainer video? Meeting presentation? Check. Demonstration of a new tool? Check check check. Here they are:

Have the Objectives Written Down

Right there. Yes right there in front of you. You should have them be a visual part of your video, yes. Ideally they’re your first intro slide, and you’ve got transition slides to highlight them! But you’re going to want to reference them throughout your presentation. Signposting is a superpower. Telling people where you’re going, and telling them when you’ve gotten there, means that they feel in control and have a way better chance of remembering what you’re telling them.

Do a Vocal Warm Up

Do you ever get to the very end of the recording and stumble on your words? Do you ever feel like you need to re-record the whole vide over again because you’ve counted three stumbles and they just keep coming? Do this:

Topeka Topeka Topeka Topeka
bodega bodega bodega bodega
Topeka bodega Topeka bodega
Topeka bodega Topeka bodega

paper poppy paper poppy paper poppy paper poppy
baby bubble baby bubble baby bubble baby bubble
paper poppy baby bubble paper poppy baby bubble
paper poppy baby bubble paper poppy baby bubble.

kinky cookie giggle gaggle kinky cookie giggle gaggle
giggle gaggle giggle gaggle giggle gaggle giggle gaggle
kinky cookie kinky cookie kinky cookie kinky cookie
kinky cookie giggle gaggle kinky cookie giggle gaggle

It’s I think I learned as an actor when you didn’t want to stumble on any word throughout the play, and I swear it helps.

Do Not Try to Do It All in One Take

Don’t do this to yourself. It will take you hours to get there, and you will be so frustrated. Learning how to edit audio and video is intimidating for most of us. But there are so many great pieces of free software out there (Vimeo, Canva, YouTube, even TikTok all have free video and audio editing), and we are truly worth it to learn. It makes me less afraid to record in the first place, and I’m able to recover more quickly if I mess anything up the first time around.

Photo posted with permission from Wikimedia foundation.