How Can I be as Clear and Engaging as Possible on Camera?
Use clear, concise sentences.
If video recordings are viewed on small screens, students may not be able to see your body language or facial expressions as well, just as they might have trouble with this from the back of a large lecture hall. Your words must be very specific to compensate.
Use body language and facial expressions.
That being said, body language and facial expressions are important not to neglect in a video recording. It can be hard to remember to use them when speaking to a camera lens in a studio or office instead of to a person, so practice remembering to do this.
Emote!!
Video and audio recordings flatten emotion, so if you emote almost to the point where you feel silly while making the recording, you will come across as normal on screen. If you act normal during the recording, you’ll come across as a bit cardboard.
Work from a script … or not.
Scripts have plusses and minuses. If you are obviously reading from a script, you might appear flat and boring. If you aren’t practiced at ad-libbing to a camera and don’t use a script, you might seem to be unprepared. Consider your skill set and your comfort level when deciding which route to take. Regardless, you should be prepared: know what you want to say, whether it’s an outlined plan or word-for-word.
More resources
For more details on presenting to a camera, check out these videos: