A Trick to Sound Natural on Camera

Talking to a machine is hard. When a project requires the teleprompter, it takes some work to get an authentic delivery. The client has to look directly at the camera for that style of video (check out these videos for an example) and typically, it is very hard to sound natural. I want the audience to feel as though the client is speaking to them, but unfortunately, the client is looking at a machine, not a person, so their delivery is robotic. The first, and simplest, trick that I use is to have them mentally picture a member of their audience.

#ProTip: If you’re speaking into the camera, picture a person.

This is actually a method used by professional actors: If you need to behave as though someone is there, pretend that they are there. Suddenly, instead of a cold robotic delivery, the client has life in their eyes and animation to their movements. They are responding to that imagined person. Humans were never meant to talk to machines, we were designed to talk to people. So if my client can use his or her mind to bridge that gap, we are well on our way to a great, authentic video.

Katie Rutter is the executive producer of Thing in a Pot Productions. She has received multiple awards for her videos and the overall quality of her work, including being honored as Video Producer of the Year in 2018 by the Catholic Press Association. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our video Pro Tips in your inbox every month!