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104 P a r t I I Producing Your YouTube Videos

If your subject is reading from a script, enter the script into a notebook computer
or iPad and position the device either just below or to the side of the camera lens. I
like to use Microsoft Word as a makeshift teleprompter, but other programs work
just as well. Make sure the display font is large enough for the subject to comfort-
ably read it from across the room, and that you have someone to scroll down the
text in the program as the subject reads it.

After everything is set up (and take your time doing this; rushing things can create
unsatisfactory results), run through the shoot a few times for practice. When every-
one—including both the subject and the cameraman—is ready, shoot the video for
real. If something goes wrong, stop the shoot and do another take. In fact, you
should shoot several takes and use the best of the bunch in your final video.

You might also want to shoot the video again from another angle, or with close-ups
on the product or the demonstrator’s hands or whatever. This gives you a library of
shots you can use during the editing process; cutting away to a close-up, for exam-
ple, helps to increase the visual interest of the video. The key is to give yourself
enough options to best edit the final video. Don’t paint yourself into a box with a
single take of a static shot.

Shooting Outside the Office

When you’re shooting a video in the field, you’re operating under less than ideal
conditions. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is something you need to be
prepared for.

The first thing you need to know is that you probably can’t use all your fancy
equipment. In the worst case scenario, all you’ll have is your camcorder, which
means using available light and recording audio directly into the camcorder’s built-
in microphone. You might, under certain conditions, be able to use a camera-
mounted video light or an external microphone. (In outdoor shots, I recommend a
wireless lavalier microphone to cut down on background and wind noise; also, a
wireless mic means you’ll never trip over a mic wire.) But if all you get to use is the
camcorder itself, be prepared to work under those conditions.

Working in the field means making the most of what you have available. Examine
your surroundings to find an appropriate background for your subject. Unlike an
in-office shot, going with a plain background might not be the best approach; you
might want to capture some of the local flavor in your video, which means shooting
with some sort of identifying landmark in the background. Make sure the back-
ground doesn’t distract from the subject, and that you properly frame the subject
and the background.

You also need to consider the lighting—both the type of lighting and its originating
direction. Indirect lighting is better than direct lighting, which is often harsh and