I Made A Video Challenge

A Video Challenge because being on video is not my favorite thing to do but it is something I really must learn…

What better than a Video Challenge to make myself face being on the video. The one thing that has been holding me back online is Video, so I set myself a Video Challenge to force myself to give it a go. I have had to understand what it is about video that is the problem so I could face it head on…

First it was not having the right environment for video. So I fixed that problem. I raranged my room so I could have a dedicated office and various backgrounds for video work.

I started to realize I did not understand the principals of video production. My instructors are on webinars almost every week and there are videos on just about every sales page. Yet I was missing something. So I got the software and watched all the training videos. 

I thought I needed a proper video camera but then I looked at all my cameras including my computers, iPhone and iPad and realized I had more than enough equipment to get me started.

I had the soft-lights, screens and the mics. So how do I get it all setup. Then I went back over video training I had stored on my hard drive. It does not have to be Movie perfect for online as most is going to be seen on a phone or laptop.

At the end of the day they were all excuses.

Then there was the biggest challenge… Facing the Camera

The biggest part of the video challenge was facing the camera. I even have the cameras on my computers covered. The emotional stress has been a bit more challenging that setting everything up. Then I realized many of my fellow students are having the same fears.

Each of them say they are too ugly for video. I thought, you look fine to me and I realized we all thought the same way. So I started taking note of the times I looked my best in the mirror and the times I was not at my peak. I changed a few things like my hair style and noted I was starting to smile more. I was getting used to my vision.

Of course not all video is face to face. There are slide show videos where you simply talk into the mic while reading the slides. To take this one step further there are screen capture videos where you explain what you are teaching as you do it. These develop your confidence talking on video.

But even then, I did not like my voice… I know I have voice-over software, but that is not what this is about. It is about facing the fear of online production.

The real video challenge is to be live on camera.  It could be out and about selfie style video. Video with a real backdrop or green screen video that you edit later and add in a different backdrop. These are techniques that need to be learned to make a half decent video.

There are Technical Steps to learn for this video challenge…

Planning out your video is the first of those challenges.

• What kind of video are you making.
• Designing a story board, something easy that you can see at a glance.
• Deciding on your lighting and which direction your main light is coming from.
• Setting up prompts so you know what you want to say.
• Don’t forget your microphone setup and computer software to bring it all together.
• Taking a test video before you get started so you can make adjustments if needed.

These are just a few steps to take into consideration. The first few times may be a learning curve. After that it will seam like second nature. I like the video setup and editing. That for me is the least frightening of the video challenge.

Editing the videos allows you to cut out any mistakes. It allows you to add intros and soundtracks to the video. Overlay your video with text or a logo. You can mix different video types. Editing allows you to do all sorts of effects depending on your editing software.

Now you can see why I see Video as a Challenge…

It has taken some research to work this video challenge out. Even more so, it is going to take a lot more practice before my videos are ready for the public. I am turning my experience into a step by step training product. It is a big project but if you wish to get started in the mean time there are a few steps you can take now.

• Use a mirror to get comfortable with your appearance and your best angle for the video or even pictures.
• Setup your camera and select the best angle and lighting.
• Decide if you need a microphone and which type of one you want.
• Take a few test shots and adjust everything until you are happy.
• Practice talking to the camera.  A silly thing I do is add a set of eyes directly over the lens. This helps you focus on the camera rather than the screen.

I will let you know how I go in the near future. Online we all need to master this video challenge. For all digital products have some form of video connected to them. It might be for training or a sales video. They involve many other skills to get people to take action. More on that later.