Seven Top Tips for Making Your First Online Video.

So you have just been tasked with making an online video or you have decided that now is the time to embrace the fact that most social media platforms favour video  . . . . . what now?

I was delighted and quite frankly rather surprised to be invited to be a facilitator on the awesome #BYOD4L, that is Bring Your Own Device for Learning event. This is an online open learning event for students and teachers,  I was invited by @alexgspiers. Alongside Alex I joined the fantastic facilitators team of: @sheilmcn, @debbaff and @neilwithnell. Our first task was to make and post a video introducing ourselves and promoting the #BYOD4L event. This was something I hadn’t done before, eek!

Let me share my experience with you, it might just save you 6 hrs!

1.  If you are using your phone with the screen facing you, cover the screen. I found it quite off putting looking at myself and seeing the timer as I was speaking. A tissue works well 🙂
2.  Have a few prompts of the main points that you want to cover in your video at eye level, this saves you looking down and makes you look like a pro :). Disclaimer: I had many notes as I have a terrible memory, so er  . . . . I didn’t look like a pro.
3. Make sure your video is landscape, after take 23 (no, not even joking!) I sent my video to @alexgspiers for feedback before posting it online. Alex dropped the bombshell that it would have been better if the video had been landscape so that there’s not a lot of dead space above my head. Why did I not think of that 😦 ?
4. Do NOT underestimate how long this might take you to record your video! I literally started in daylight and finished in the dark, clearly i’m not a natural! You will probably be much more efficient and talented than me!
5. Don’t give up! I succeeded after 51 takes . . . you think i’m joking? See proof below 😉
6. Try to speak slowly and clearly, being Scottish I naturally speak quite fast. we are a nation who speak really quite quickly!
7. Feel the fear and do it anyway. If I can do it, you can too!

If you can  . . . .try and watch the video to the end! This is my no means a perfect example, far from it. However, it met the requirements of introducing myself and the event!

Shortest video attempt here is 8 seconds, the longest 3:04

In case you are wondering why I didn’t just edit a video a. I didn’t know how and I didn’t have time to learn and b. I wanted it to flow.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, perhaps you have some tips you’d like to share, to help newbies like me. If so please add your top tips in the comments below?

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