How to Star in Your Own Promotional Video

Well, it's official. You are going to star in the company marketing video (or commercial) and you will have a part talking to camera. After ringing your mother, to let her know about your newly found fame, reality hits in. How are you going to pull this off?

The good news is a charismatic business leader can add tremendous impact and clout to a marketing video or commercial. The bad news is that few leaders have the right skills to talk to the camera in a natural manner.

But before you get put off, talking to camera is a skill. And any skill can be learned.

Here are some tips to help bring the sparkle into your 'moment of glory'.

1. Wear the right clothes. If you are the CEO, a suit is the right way to go. Opt for conservative colours and stay away from checks, stripes and reds. They do not film very well and serve as a distraction to the viewer.

2. Go for makeup (whether you're male or female). A nice even skin tone, neat hair and a quick brush with powder can help keep the shine away. Once you get under the bright lights of a film set, it will be hard not to perspire (even more so, if you are nervous). A professional make up artist will also make you feel special and more confident in front of the camera.

3. Trust the director. Forget that you are the client and realise that you are now the talent. Let the professionals do their work and let go. While this might be difficult for most people, it can be a refreshing change. Let yourself get bossed around and don't worry about how it's all going to work.

4. Relax. Forget about the pressing amount of work piling up on your desk. Focus on the most important task for the day ? your cameo. If you are relaxed you are more likely to be easy-going and friendly. This will enable the director to elicit the best performance from you.

5. Rehearse. Always have your lines prepared and don't expect that you can wing it on the day. It's amazing how a big camera in your face can make you forget what you wanted to say. Rehearse your lines over and over again in front of a mirror. Make sure you look and sound natural. Practise speaking clearly and with a smile on your face. Rehearse as many times as you can. The more confident you are in giving an appealing speech, the better you will be and the less takes will needed. This will help reduce costs. If you don't feel comfortable with your performance, hire a media trainer beforehand to coach you on talking to camera.

6. Have fun! The shoot will be much slower than you anticipated. Lights and audio equipment can take a while to set up. If you are shooting outside, waiting for the sun to make an appearance on a cloudy day can also be painstakingly slow. Take a book with you and any work you can do in downtime. And just bask in the glory of being part of an exciting film shoot!

(c) Marie-Claire Ross 2005. All rights reserved.

Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organisations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted on 0500 800 234 (Australia wide) or at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at http://www.digicast.com.au

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


What You Need To Know if Your Company Wants To Produce A Video

Studies show that people remember merely 20% of what they... Read More

Benefits of Training Videos

A major problem with the running of a large corporation... Read More

How to Star in Your Own Promotional Video

Well, it's official. You are going to star in the... Read More

Independent Video in the Information Age

One of the primary obstacles for video content distribution over... Read More

When Does a Corporate Video Add Value?

A professionally made corporate video production can greatly enhance your... Read More

Video Biographies; Why Hire a Professional?

There are lots of reasons to create a video biography.... Read More

How Video can be used Effectively Online

A powerful way to convey your communication messages to your... Read More

Video Converters 101

Your PC may contain hundreds of video files, all encoded... Read More

DVD Authoring: An Introduction

DVD Authoring is the process of collecting various content assets... Read More

E-Commerce & Streaming Media: A Marriage that Works

In the heavily populated world of E-Commerce, what determines whose... Read More

Five Ways to Profit from Using Video Online

The newest media wave to hit the online shore is... Read More

Creating Value With Streaming Video Content

Having a corporate or promotional video for your company is... Read More

Streaming Video on Your Website - Convert Visitors into Customers

Streaming video is a sequence of "moving images" that are... Read More

Video Email - The New Way to Communicate

The Internet is now a thriving means of communication and... Read More

Network Marketing and Video Email

I received another e-mail today from someone telling me that... Read More

How to Interview on Video

When doing an interview there need to be at least... Read More

Beginners Guide to PC Video Editing

If you're new to PC video editing then knowing where... Read More

Peer to Peer Internet Video Broadcasting

Unlike standard television broadcasting, there are a limited number of... Read More

Looking for an Innovative Way to Explode Your Sales? Video Software - Benefits, & What to Look for

Insider's Scoop On How To Skyrocket Your Sales Plus Decrease... Read More

Seven Tips on Making a Successful Video Production

Producing a video for your company can be an exciting... Read More

Google Video Viewer tweaked for Non-Google content

'DVD Jon', a Norwegian programmer, has tweaked Google video to... Read More

Look Into My Eyes - New Webcam Technology

If a new webcam technology from Microsoft get the go-ahead,... Read More

Is Video Streaming the Future for Corporate Video?

Things have changed quite a bit from when I started... Read More

Beginning in Videography

If you're looking to get into videography and video editing... Read More

Working with Royalty Free Music

When creating Multi-Media Content, Flash or Video Clips for a... Read More

Create a Favicon for Your Customers Bookmarks in Four Easy Steps.

A favicon is a custom icon that sits next to... Read More

Shooting High Definition Video Footage in Italy

Italy is without question the place to shoot high definition... Read More

Boost Your Online Sales with Audio and Video Support

Have you ever noticed when you are shopping at most... Read More

Interview with a Video Virgin

Shani Alexander is the founder of Relocations Made Easy (www.relocations-made-easy.com)... Read More

Put Audio & Video on Your Web Site

As a company that sells streaming media services for a... Read More