It has become an increasing trend to produce content yourself for the company you work in, whether you use a camera or go for the simplicity of using your phone camera. Here we have gathered some mistakes that are common to make when you start with video production, both in front of and behind the camera, and which in the worst case can ruin the recording.

You forget good sound.

It is easy to underestimate the importance of good sound. A fun fact: Netflix lowers the quality of the image before the sound when the internet is slow. The reason is that we can tolerate poor image quality, but hearing bad sound is unbearable. If you use the microphone that is in the camera or the phone, it picks up sound in the whole room, while a directional microphone gives a much more pleasant viewing experience.

You use a script.

You read that right. It can be tempting to write down exactly what is to be said to have time to think carefully about the words and to have full control. Unfortunately, we find that it becomes difficult to remember, and instead of talking about something you actually know, you only focus on remembering word for word what was written down. We have previously experienced recordings where another person in the company wrote a script for the one who was to be in front of the camera. This made it extra difficult to remember, as the wording in the script became unnatural and difficult for the one who was to be in the spotlight. If you are going to talk about something you know (which is often the case in companies), we do not recommend writing a script, but rather writing down questions that are to be answered, and possibly keywords if it is important that certain things are mentioned.

Another possibility is to have another person from the company listen and give input during the recording. This becomes more natural and you can focus on what you know without going deep into memory and focusing on remembering. According to Phil Begnett, it’s about bringing out personality and authenticity, and not being stiff, predetermined, and precise. If you absolutely must have a script, a teleprompter can be a solution – as they use on the news. Be aware that with a teleprompter it is easy to become unnatural in body language, but by “faking” it a bit it looks better – even if it feels fake.

You do not take breaks.

Sometimes it is easy to get stuck and make mistake after mistake. It can feel frustrating and as if the brain disconnects. Instead of trying and trying, take a break, drink water and reset yourself before trying again.

You only film what you need.

Film more content than you think, much of what is filmed will be cut away, and unexpected things can happen in editing that make you want more material. It can also be wise to film wider and in better quality than you actually need. That way you have more options in editing. For example, we always film in at least 4K, and export in full HD. This way we have the opportunity to hide cuts (avoid jump cuts) in the middle of a sentence if someone says something wrong, for example. We do this by cutting away what was wrong, and changing the shot by zooming in without losing quality. In addition, it can be wise to film wide so that you have the opportunity to export video in several formats, and possibly adjust the image later.

Clothes.

Small patterns on clothes are a no-no when you are going to be in front of the camera. Small patterns can create a blurry, moving effect, and this can take the attention away from you and what is being said. To be safe, wear something without small patterns, avoid small dots and thin stripes.

You do not take the equipment into account.

Make sure your computer can handle editing the files. If you film in 4K and possibly with high fps (frames per second), the files can become heavy and difficult to work with. Make sure the computer has enough power. If it does not, you may want to film in lower resolution instead. Find out what is right for you. If you want to film in high resolution, proxies can be something to look into. Then you edit in low-resolution copies of the original material to improve performance. When the editing is finished, the changes are applied to the original high-resolution files.

You do it too rarely.

Whether you are in front of or behind the camera, you know it can feel uncomfortable and difficult. But there is one thing that is very effective to get used to it, and that is to practice. If you never do it, you will not get good at it either. A comforting thought can be that if you “make a fool of yourself”, say something wrong or it doesn’t turn out as you imagined, you can just delete the material and no one needs to know. In addition, there is some learning from each recording. Each time you learn what works and what does not work.

Have you read this article about how to become comfortable in front of the camera?