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Knowing how to self-tape can give you a slighter edge over someone who does not — in connecting, being heard and closing a deal. If you are going it alone, here are a few notes geared toward using what you already have rather than buying anything new.
Lighting
This is one of the most important factors. You don’t need to use a ring light — they can show up on glasses. Try mixing natural light and positioning a lamp with the shade angled (or without a shade). This can make you look younger, older or more vibrant or dull. I know this sounds time-consuming, but once you figure out how and where this works best in your home or office, it becomes second nature.
Sound
If you want to use your phone, great. Position it so it is straight across from you. If you don’t have a tripod or phone stand, use other objects you have like building blocks. For example, put your laptop on a box on the table (you may need to play with the size of the box based on whether you’re standing or sitting) and position your phone so it rests horizontally on the screen. You can use the screen to help with lighting, too, if you angle it right. Test everything out before you move on by recording yourself in the outfit you are going to wear for the video and watch it back. Adjust as necessary.
Background
You will probably end up using different parts of your home or office depending on what time of day you are self-taping to capture the best light. Try to keep away from busy backgrounds since people may look at that instead of you.
Be careful in how you personalize (such as awards, family or vacation photos) as it can be distracting and, in some cases, someone may judge you on what is there. Keep it simple. For example, I have one wall where I can put one picture based on what I am recording. Currently, I have a mountain scene, a picture of palm trees, and an Avant Garde piece to choose from.
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Clothing
Choose what makes you feel and look amazing and confident all over — not just the part of you that will be in the shot. Dress as if you are meeting them in person; and yes, that means shoes, too.
How you look in a mirror will be different than how you look on video. A great way to figure out what works and what doesn’t is to put together about five outfits, including accessories, and film yourself in them. You may be surprised how different the outfits look when recorded versus in person.
Once you figure out what looks good on video, you will have a couple of outfits at the ready. A general rule of thumb: no logos, no loud prints and never wear the same color as your background. A real background is better than a computer-generated one because you may break the computer-generated background if you move around too much.
Saying The Right Thing
You are self-taping for a reason. Read and re-read any notes you may have from those requesting the video. If you deliver on those notes, you are letting them know you can listen and respond appropriately—a skill that is required for teamwork. One of my favorite examples of this is of an Assistant Director (AD) on set. If the AD says to go back to one and you don’t go back to one (the starting point of that scene), the team (cast and crew) can’t start filming again. That’s how simple directions are.
Trust your instincts and look at the camera as if you are actually speaking with the person you are sending this to. If you do not know what they look like, imagine someone you trust and like a lot; it will show in whatever you say. Now go land that gig.
