How To Film Yourself-- 8 Tips You Need!

If you want to film yourself talking about your company, your newest project, or even your day, here are some tips on how to make sure your DIY film shoot goes well!

Tip #1: Chose Your Microphone

Sound is the one thing that can make or break your video. Viewers are more inclined to forgive bad visuals if audio is great. The first thing you want to do is figure out what is the best option you have for capturing sound.

You could buy a nice recorder or even a cheap lavalier lapel microphone that plug into your phone. If you're on a super tight budget and you just want to use what's at hand, you can use your phone microphone! Just go to your Voice recording app on your phone, set it down and press record. Whatever you do, make sure you're not relying on the default microphone on a laptop or desktop computer!

Tip #2: Find A Quiet Spot

Before you press record, make sure the room is quiet. Make sure there are no background voices/music, dogs barking, water running, echo, etc. These outside sounds can really reduce the enjoyability of the viewer and even make it difficult to hear you.

Tip #3: Get Close To Your Microphone

Make sure your voice is always directed towards the microphone. This may seem obvious, but sometimes people get into the zone and forget about the microphone, and end up sounding far away and muffled. Keep close proximity between you and the microphone and always be aware of your positioning.

Tip #4: Get A Tripod

Now, lets make sure your video is ready to go!

Whether you're using a professional camera or your phone camera, make sure to use a tripod to keep your video steady. If you don't have a tripod, find another way to ensure your video is not shaky and making the viewer dizzy. Here is a great low cost tripod for a camera and an awesome tripod for your phone!

Tip #5: Turn Towards the Light!

People that DIY film often forget the importance of lighting! If you've got overhead lights, turn them on and make sure the room isn't dark. If you don't have overhead lighting, make sure the light is facing your face and not your back. This light could be a lamp, a stage light, or even natural light from a window. Always have light facing your front and avoid backlight.

You could even consider doing your video outside if it's quiet enough. Natural lighting is the best!

Tip #6: Frame Yourself

Another thing that people often forget when filming their own video is the framing of the shot. Here's a quick guide on how to frame your shot:

- Place yourself centered in the shot

- Allow there to be space above your head (aka headspace) that is about 1/5 of the frame.

- Have the frame include anywhere from your waist and up to your shoulders and up.

Tip #7: Take A Breathe

Allow a head and tail to your video. Don't just press record and immediately start talking. Give the recording 2 seconds in the beginning and at least 2 seconds at the end before your stop recording. This will ensure you don't cut yourself off and will be a big help in editing.

And Lastly...

Tip #8: Know Your Content

Know what you're going to say! Now that we've got the technical stuff out of the way, make sure your video content has a good flow and relevant content in a concise manner. Don't worry about getting it perfect in one shot. Do multiple takes of it and get comfortable around the camera.

After you've got your well lit, good sounding, stable video done, let us know and we can help you edit it and make it look great! Contact us at thebearsdenentertainment@gmail.com for your next video need!