For the second time in recent weeks, we produced a video that put an organization’s leaders in front of the camera.
They had scripted lines. Some knew their lines well. Some did not.
Some used a teleprompter. Some did not.
Then the camera started recording. A few people sounded so flat that viewers might have wondered if the speakers wanted to be there at all. The problem was not the script. The problem was not the camera. The speakers needed more practice.
We gave them direction. We asked for more energy. Sometimes we used one of our favorite technical production notes by directing them to “act like you’re happy.” That usually got a laugh. The laugh helped. The next take often sounded better. That is part of video production. A good crew should help people look and sound their best. There is also a limit to what any crew can do in 15 or 20 minutes.
The Camera Changes People
Most people do not spend their days speaking into a camera. A person might be funny in a meeting. That same person might freeze when the red light comes on. A confident executive might suddenly speak in a monotone. A great speaker might stare at a teleprompter and read every word without excitement. That does not mean the person is a bad communicator. On-camera communication is a different skill. It takes practice.
We once watched a person become so uncomfortable during a video shoot that he left the room for a moment to compose himself. (That was someone else’s project, not ours!) However, you sometimes have to push people enough to help them improve. You also have to know when to stop pushing. Too little direction might leave you with a weak performance. Too much direction might make a nervous person even more nervous. A video shoot is not the best place to discover that someone has never practiced speaking on camera.
Sometimes the Hardest Person to Direct Is the Boss
Another issue during video production is the person who needs direction might be the highest-ranking person in the room. That changes the dynamic. An employee may know the CEO needs more energy but not want to say it. A communications manager may want another take but not feel comfortable asking for one. We saw an extreme example years ago. The CEO of a household-name company arrived for a video shoot with an extremely hoarse voice. Everyone heard it. Recording him that day made little sense. A room full of people knew it. Nobody wanted to tell him. We were the outside production team. So we spoke up. That is part of the job, too. It requires tactful direction and saying something that a department’s team does not feel comfortable saying.
A Teleprompter Does Not Create a Performance
Teleprompters are useful. We use them. You don’t need to memorize long scripts. They help speakers deliver exact language. They can make a video shoot faster. However, they do not automatically make someone sound natural. In fact, a teleprompter might create a new issue. Inexperienced speakers might concentrate so hard on reading the words that they become a distraction. The speaker says every word right, and the message still falls flat.
Good teleprompter delivery takes practice. You need pacing, pauses, vocal variety, facial expressions, natural emphasis, and to understand the idea behind the words. The goal is not to read a script correctly. The goal is to communicate effectively.
Your Video Crew Can Help. It Cannot Do Everything.
A skilled video production team should direct speakers. We routinely coach people. We adjust the teleprompter speed, shorten sentences, and ask people to try their lines again. We point out which words need more emphasis. We use humor to help someone loosen up. Sometimes one joke changes the whole mood. All of that helps. It still does not replace preparation.
A production crew may have only 15 or 20 minutes with one speaker. We improve performances during that time. However, taking someone from zero to 100 or even zero to 60 in a few minutes? The shoot should not become unexpected on-camera training. Preparation should start before production day.
Prepare People Before You Turn on the Camera
Make a huge difference with a few simple steps.
- Give speakers their scripts early.
- Do not send scripts the night before the shoot. Give people enough time to become familiar with the words.
- Ask them to read scripts aloud. A sentence can look fine on paper and sound terrible when someone says it.
- Outline the purpose of the video.
- Tell speakers what you want viewers to think, feel, or do. People deliver words better when they understand the point behind them.
- Do not make memorization the goal. Speakers should know the message. They do not always need to memorize every word.
- Hold a short rehearsal for even 20 or 30 minutes.
- Use a phone to practice. Let speakers watch themselves.
- Mark words needing emphasis.
- Practice pauses. Nervous speakers often rush.
- Rewrite corporate language. People should not have to say sentences that no human being would normally say.
- Shorten long scripts.
- Prepare senior leaders too. A title does not make someone a natural presenter. And decide who is bold enough to request another take. Who has authority to give direction?
- Provide nervous speakers time. Some people need several takes. Do not surprise employees.
Real People Matter More in an AI World
This matters now. AI produces polished content quickly. That’s useful. However, organizations also are creating content that feels less personal.
Real people offer something different. They have personalities, humor, expertise, and passion. Share the actual people standing behind your organization. Placing leaders and employees front and center builds authenticity at a time when more content feels fake.
We like seeing organizations use their own people in videos. But don’t put people in front of a camera with little preparation. Personality and authenticity disappear.
On-Camera Confidence Is a Skill
At The Flip Side Communications, we see this issue from both sides. We produce videos in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and across Arizona. We also provide on-camera training, executive communications coaching, spokesperson coaching, presentation coaching, and media training.
Our on-camera training is led by a three-time Emmy Award-winning former television reporter and a former Fortune 500 communications leader. Experience teaches us one lesson again and again. Most people are not afraid of the camera. They are afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Practice helps both. People become more comfortable with the equipment. They learn how to use a teleprompter, pace a sentence, pause, use their hands when speaking, and make the words sound like their own. They also gain confidence in the message. That confidence shows on camera.
Organizations can learn more about our on-camera training and the skills we help speakers practice before production day.
Some of your team might be the most authentic voices at your organization. Provide them enough practice to sound like themselves when the camera starts recording.