4. Do It

It’s time to give your sound set up a few final checks. We recommend you go for an external input microphone such as the ones pictured.  Lapel, USB desktop or a wireless mic. Each have their benefits and limitations, but in terms of sound quality, all of them will provide a cleaner, crisper sound to that on your laptop.

If you’re using an external microphone, ensure that your recording device has selected the correct microphone as an input to record from. You can check this in your recording settings and change to the appropriate external microphone if necessary. It is common for devices to default to their internal settings so be sure to check this prior to starting.

Carry out a sound test, as you did during 3.4.2 Location Considerations: Sound, to make sure everything is working properly. Check the levels to ensure you can be clearly heard but not distorted.

Remember to also listen out for other background noise, such as buzzing fridges, heating or air conditioning systems. Where possible, turn off the noise source for the duration of the recording.

If there is a noise that’s outside of your control, such as a nearby construction site, neighbours mowing the lawn or rain on a tin roof, this can significantly impact your audio. It is worth considering whether you can adjust your start time as it will save you lots of time editing and increase the quality of your finished product significantly.

If you are purchasing a lapel plug in microphone, make sure you have the right input on your device.  Some phones require an adapter as they are built for wireless headphones. Also check the length of the cord for the plug-in lapel – you can purchase extension cords if needed.

You will have tested your lighting set up in 3.4.3 Location Considerations: Lighting but if conditions change on the day then be prepared to revise.

For instance, if you are experiencing intermittent sunshine then it may be better to pull the curtains and set up some artificial lighting to ensure consistency. Maybe it’s sunny today and you can actually just use the natural light from the window, where you didn’t think this would be possible before.

As long as you’ve followed our advice from the Draft Phase, you should be well prepared to adapt your set up on the day.

A well-planned shoot day will keep your stress levels low and let you focus your energy on feeling confident in your presentation.

If you are filming a simple presentation to camera, this might simply mean that you choose to shoot chronologically. However, if there’s a particular part that you are excited to shoot you might choose to start the day off with something you are looking forward to!

For more complicated shoots that involve multiple locations, setups, or other changes, we recommend grouping together similar shots in your schedule. This reduces the disruptions that travel and set up cause, allowing you to stay focused on capturing your content efficiently.

Assign approximate times to each shot and give this schedule to your whole team. It is common to underestimate how long it will take to record your video, so be sure to overestimate rather than underestimate.

Once all of your preparation is done, it’s finally time to present your content! If you’re new to creating media content, this might feel daunting. We’ve collated some easy-to-follow tips to make sure you look, sound, and feel confident in front of the camera:

• Plant your feet firmly and your body will do the rest. If you often present live, you might be used to moving as you speak. However, it’s important to stay grounded and stand tall when presenting to a static camera.
• Gesture with purpose and to make a point. This could be anything from emphasising a comparison you are making to using a sign language or topic-specific gesture. Gesturing without purpose will generally be distracting to your audience, so make sure to come back to a relaxed neutral posiiton between gestures.  This will help you come across as calm and confident.
• Connect with the viewer at home. Unlike presenting live, you don’t need to connect with people all around the room. Instead, act as if you are talking to a single person. If it helps, you might choose one person you are familiar with and imagine presenting only to them. Smile, make eye contact and keep your body language open and engaged.
• Be kind to yourself. Presenting to camera is a challenging task, and the fact that you’ve made it to this point is very impressive.

Continue to the Deliver phase