How to prepare & film like a pro
In conversation with filmmaker & photographer Anja Poehlmann
@by_anjap | www.anjapoehlmann.com
This conversation is part of a series of interviews on camera confidence held live on Instagram. In speaking with experts in different fields, my hope is to share with you their unique insight & resources. To embolden you to connect to your audience on camera with authenticity & empathy.
During my chat with Anja, she shared her expert tips for how to prepare & film as well as her own journey to finding confidence in front of the camera (rather than her natural habitat which is behind!) It made for an informative & inspiring conversation. Here are some key highlights. (To watch our complete interview click here.)
** And click here to access a jam-packed free resource Anja & I created together: Your Guide to Camera Confidence: technical top tips & presenting 101 to show up as your best self on camera. **
When you film business videos, where small business owners are looking to connect to their audience - either through a behind the scenes or an ‘about’ video - how do you prepare?
The pre-production phase is so important and it’s often what people forget. They want to go out and film and figure it out later, but it’s so important to identify what is the story you want to tell.
I have a conversation with the person I’m going to film and find out everything I can!
From who they are, what their business is to where do they want to show their video (Instagram, YouTube, website only etc). The tone of voice is really important too. I then send them a detailed questionnaire asking even more questions! I ask what is the outcome of the video? If you’ve told a beautiful story but there isn’t clarity at the end - do you want them to reach out, do you want them to buy something or go to your website? It needs to be really clear what the purpose and the aim is.
There’s different ways of conveying your message - is it an interview? A script (like a voice over)? Or no talking at all?
I personally prefer interviews, because people talk differently when they’re responding to a question rather than when you tell them: this is what you need to say. Not everyone is an actor or voice over artist and can convey a message really naturally even if they’ve rehearsed it.
Based on their answers to the questionnaires, I’ll share some key questions with them so they can feel prepared but I’d never put words in their mouth. My goal is to let them talk and all of the questions are aiming at the 1 message, the 1 thing that is important to come out of the video.
All of this packaged in a nice story arc, which is why I go through such a detailed pre-production process!
Preparation makes everything so much easier & smoother. Ideally, I won’t need to check that the final video is what the customer wants, because it should absolutely nail the brief.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE FILMING
Before you film, take the time to ask yourself the following questions:
- What is the purpose of my business?
- What is my motivation?
- Who am I addressing?
- Who is my ideal audience?
- What platform will I be sharing my video?
- Whats the key message of this video?
- What are my other messages?
- What questions do customers ask me?
- And how can I address that in this video?
- What is my brand’s vocabulary?
- How do I speak to my customers?
- What tone & style do I want this video to have?
- What format will this video be? (Interview, voice over, no speaking)
- What action do I want the viewer to take after watching this video?
This checklist is essential if you’re creating your video content yourself as an entrepreneur. Imagine how powerful taking the time to answer these questions can be? Even for a short 60 second Instagram story. If it had the clarity of focus that comes with knowing the answers to these questions, how much more beneficial is the video content you’re sharing with others?!
The shorter your video needs to be, the more preparation is needed! Here are some top editing tips:
HOW TO EDIT YOUR STORY (HINT: CHANGE THE MEDIUM)
When I edit an interview, I narrow it down to the interesting bits. And it helps me to write it out. Because I find it easier to understand the story if I read it. I can more easily see the duplications or the unimportant pieces of information. Because sometimes if you watch a video, you can get carried away and it’s easier to miss things. So I find it easier when it’s written. And then I ask myself: does this sentence change the story? No, it can go. Does THIS sentence change the story? No, it can go.
It’s also important to edit and then walk away! Leave it for a few days, and then go back to it. Because even though you’ve cut out all the unimportant pieces, they’re still in your brain so you can still connect the dots. But can you connect the dots a few days after? It’s really helpful to give it time.
I also asked Anja to share her top tips when it comes to setting up your space for filming.
PRO TIPS FOR FILMING:
Light - if you have daylight, use a window. It gives you really nice, diffused light. If it’s bright sunlight, step further away into the room so you’re in the shade. If you face the light, it’s flat light which is very flattering but it isn't the most interesting. I sit at an angle so I have a bit of a soft shadow on my face.
Audio - If the audience can’t hear what you’re saying, your visuals can be as beautiful as you want but your audience won’t care!
Background - look at your background, and make sure there’s nothing distracting like rubbish or people running around like crazy! The background can add to your story but it shouldn’t distract.
Anja generously shared her story of how she found confidence in front of the camera, and if you’re someone who has decided they want to speak to camera and show up on video, I highly recommend watching Anja’s full story here (if you’re short on time, scroll to 16:00). Here are her top tips:
ANJA’S STRATEGIES & TECHNIQUES FOR CAMERA CONFIDENCE:
1. Start small - Anja had two Instagram accounts but started by using the one with a smaller audience.
2. Find what makes you feel safe - by using Instagram filters, makeup & putting her lenses in, it gave her a safety net to push out of her comfort zone
3. Goal orientated mindset - She noticed she thought ‘I’m afraid people will judge me’ but rather than leaving it at that, she sat with that thought. And come to the conclusion that no, what I want to achieve, how I want to connect with people and grow as a business, is more valuable than me worrying what someone else thinks.
4. Accountability - she partnered up with a friend who also wanted to use Stories more, and they encouraged one another
We had the following question from the audience and Anja’s answer (and my reply was similar). It may encourage those of you on fence about speaking on Stories:
How much more interaction do you get on Instagram Stories when you’re on camera?
I get more views when I’m on camera. Because if you don’t watch someone’s stories, they then appear further below in your feed. And you can see it’s my face which people are more likely to click on. I get more people watching and more comments. If I share a nice quote that resonated with me I might get a quick reaction but if I talk on camera people are more likely to message me. So it's’ worth it for this alone. Not because I’m trying to sell but because it’s valuable to have a conversation with the people who follow me. To find out why they’re here, why they like to engage with me, and be able to form friendships and relationships with people.
As always with this series of interviews, I finished our conversation asking two questions:
Do you have a ritual or routine before going on camera?
One thing I do is I get clear about what I’m going to say. I have a plan, I know what I want to say, and I pre-word it in my head without writing it down. I then walk around with my phone until I find the best light and stand there with a little phone holder (that I steal from my boyfriend!) I like having my hands free, because if you hold it it can get wiggly and make your audience nauseous. I then breathe and then I tell myself it’s not a big deal, go on, go off, end of story!
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to take a step forward, and be more confident on camera?
Just do it! If you’re too scared, just create a personal story & share it to just your close friends. Or just send it to 1 person who you know won’t judge you. Or even share a WhatsApp video with a friend to practice. It takes away the pressure of it. The more you do it, it gets easier.
Many thanks to Anja for sharing her insight on camera confidence. You can watch our full conversation here.
Anja Poehlmann is a photographer & filmmaker specialising in documenting family life as well as helping small businesses through visual storytelling. With 14 years of experience in the photography and video industry, she specialises in crafting and telling remarkable stories that engage, inspire and move audiences.
Find out more about Anja here.
Want to feel more confident on camera? Check out Camera Confidence: Your Director’s Notes - a new way to work with me, your resident presentation skills coach, to empower you to show up on camera feeling like the best version of you.
