The little red light goes on and all of a sudden the round piece of glass, that was so harmless a moment ago, has become your worst enemy. It stares at you menacingly and drains every bit of confidence you had going into the shoot. The words you had memorized evaporate and you are standing there like a bumbling fool, stumbling over your own tongue.

It doesn’t have to be that way

Here are the first three of nine tips that can take you from being petrified of being filmed to acting like a relaxed and seasoned pro who looks forward to getting their messages recorded. Try using these simple hints and each time you talk to the lens, you’ll get more and more comfortable doing it.

Avoid over-practicing

Prepare well so that your personality shines through the words. It is possible to over-work your performance; accept that you are imperfect.

Do it again and again

It’s rare that someone actually gets a video shot in one take. You may need to do it a few times before you “nail it”.  Keep going until you get a version you can live with, then move on.

If you mess up, you don’t have to talk about it

People will forget your mistakes faster if you avoid dwelling on them. By talking about your flubs, you’ll reinforce them in your mind and in the minds of your viewers.

Enough people will like you to make it worth your time

There is a thin line between being who you are and being a phony version of yourself on camera. We are always who we are, it is just that we hide that behind a layer of fear that prevents us from honestly connecting with other people.

Perfection should not be your goal

Sometimes all that is needed is one more take, other times the solution is in allowing yourself to live with the occasional misspoken word or uncomfortable pause. Whatever you do, let the unique and marvelous person you are shine through. You don’t have to be perfect.   You are simply improving yourself, publicly.

Who I am:

I’m Philip Quintas and I make it easier for customers to trust you before and after they buy from you by creating simple videos that help you help more people.

If you want one-to-one help with making better videos, I can answer your questions and even write, shoot, edit, upload and promote videos for you or any combination of these services.  Sign up using the Email Address* and First Name* form on this website to get direct access to me, my experience and offerings.