First Analysis of Getting Comfortable on Camera

​Not an exciting title, I know. I'm pretty much having to tie myself to my desk to write this. The video blog project is getting more scary now that I've started, not less. I guess because it's not a habit yet. Once I've gotten into the groove it should get easier. I'll keep you posted on how my nerves progress.

The reality of how difficult it was trying to dissect the previous video while also embarking on a new challenge was too much, so I've decided to split the analysis and the video challenges apart. Which is good news for you because it means from here on out, there'll be a post every Friday for the foreseeable future.

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Today I'll be analyzing the most recent video I posted: https://youtu.be/J5wlV5_nbPs ​

If you have any additional observations or tips that I missed, please feel free to comment below. I can take it. ;)

Observation:
There's something seriously wrong with the sound. I think what happened is that way back when I was using it a lot, I adjusted the mic for my public speaking and then didn't bother to adjust it again for speaking with less energy on video in an echoey space that reminds me to keep my volume lower because every time I speak with more energy I feel the reverberations. *breathe* Also, it seems to be unbalanced as far as left and right goes, not sure how I managed that.
Adjustment:
I'm going to raise the audio input level on the mic and see how that goes. I'll do a few sound tests before I set up. Hopefully that will sort it out. I'm not super technical, so I don't want this to become a big thing. If adjusting the mic doesn't work I might try the built-in mic on the camera, but that seems like a waste. I really need to learn how to use the mic I have.

Observation:
I'm out of focus a lot. I did set the focus before (I DID!) but it only sets to an approximate depth, so I'm either going to have to go auto pilot or fully manual, which I don't think I can do on my own, I'll need someone to either stand in as me or adjust the focus on me while I stand on my mark. Also the back light was too bright and ended up being more beside than behind me, so I'll be cutting that.
Adjustment:
So I'll be using full auto focus next time and I'm going to first try tightening up the frame when I shoot. When I shot this last video I was feeling very much like I just wanted to close my eyes and get it over and done with so I used a very wide shot that included the kitchen wall and some furniture and junk, and then punched in during editing to get rid of the clutter. The bright light of the wall may have been confusing the camera, so I'm going to spend more time setting up my frame.

Observation:
My delivery was pretty stilted. I did that horrible thing that I tell people never to do (I KNOW! Worst student ever!) of half preparing which is even worse than not preparing because it brings out the worst of both worlds. My emotional honesty was much better in the first video, even if I was squirmingly uncomfortable the whole time.
Adjustment:
Since this is an exercise in getting comfortable, not in looking professional (that comes after). I'm going to completely wing it on the next few videos. This may be disastrous, but I know what my videos are like when I prepare and I want my video blog to be more raw and personal than my training videos. The point of a video blog is for you to get to know me as the person, there's enough me as the teacher out there already. Also, professional me has a North American accent, but social me has a mishmash (or as Eddie Izzard once put it "voice synthesizer shop demonstration") accent. I'm going to do my best to let my accent settle into something that I feel is more myself. If you can't understand me due to my inconsistencies, too bad for you. :p

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NEXT STEPS:
Now that I've done my “just close your eyes and get back on the horse” video and survived, I'm going to be giving myself a more interesting challenge than “just do it”.

This week's challenge is the one-take rant. 
Instead of the educational content that is my comfort zone, I'm going to rant about a pet peeve of mine to the camera in the hopes that my frustration will override my nerves and self consciousness and I'll behave more like a real human being than a deer in the headlights.

I'm going to refrain from editing this next one so it might be quite painful to watch. It's not about the final product right now, it's about the process, and I have to stop using edits as a safety blanket.

COMING UP WITH A PLAN (A REAL ONE)
I'm also realizing that when I do this with clients I assign challenges more by instinct than by design. The problem is that when I am my own client, my only instinct is to run and hide. So with the next analysis post I'll also be posting a breakdown of the next 5 or 6 video challenges. This should also make it easier for you to follow along.