How To Film An Online Course

Once you have everything set up then it’s time to grab your script and get in front of the camera.

Even if you are mainly doing screen recordings or slides it’s still good to show your face at different times such as in the Intro and outro to create a connection with your students.

How To Properly Film the Videos For Your Online Course

First you want to check that your composition feels natural, a flip screen can be handy for this.

You basically want to be at a nice engaging eye level to the camera so not too high or low or too far or close. Being central or at about a third can be good so there is some room on the sides for overlay text if you choose.

If you are shooting at the highest resolution then you can afford to have some space and crop in later when editing.

If you are moving around demonstrating a concept or using a whiteboard for example then ensure you stay in the frame.

If you are moving a lot then you may even need a dedicated camera person, tracking system or to shoot multiple angles.

Also keep some distance from the background as you don’t want to be right up against the wall
for example.

Naturally Talk Into the Camera

OK so you are in the frame and now it’s time to talk on camera.

This is where your brain exits your head and no words come out. This is totally normal so don’t
sweat it. Like most things it just takes a little practice.

To help, you can use a teleprompter. These are great. You’d be surprised how many people use
them. They can really reduce your filming time.

You can get smaller ones that screw on your lens or bigger standalone ones that are better for
wide angle lens.

Add in your device with a teleprompter app and you’ll be able to display and control the pace of your script.

Be mindful though that you don’t want to look like you are reading because this will create a disconnect. You want to be natural.

To be natural comes down to desensitizing to the camera.

To connect with your students just pretend the camera is a good friend. That way you talk at a nice conversational pace and keep eye contact with the lens.

Don’t forget to use body language, by using your hands and facial expressions especially smiling.

Also vary your voice tone and inflection. Just let your passion for your content take you over and deliver that down the barrel.

If you need to get in the zone then listen to a song or watch a comedy before to raise your energy to an appropriate level.

Forgive Yourself For Mistakes

As you are recording you will make mistakes. Retakes are normal.

You might even find that your audience will connect with you better when it’s not exactly perfect. So keep in some of those human elements.

Remember you can edit as you need. You’ve put breakers in your script at natural points so try and get those parts in full as you don’t want too much editing though such as halfway through sentences.

Add in Some B-Roll Footage

To go with your primary footage, you’ll want to take some secondary footage called B roll.

You can use this to illustrate what you are talking about while also giving your students variety and a breather from looking just at you. It also comes in handy to hide your edits so everything lines up seamlessly.

Get creative with your B roll by shooting different angles, adding some movement or shooting at a
high frame rate for slow motion.

Also don’t forget to think about your lighting when filming B roll because your angles will vary so
your lighting setup might need to too.