Are you about to create your first YouTube video? Filming your first video can be a little scary. You’ve never filmed a video before so you don’t know what to expect. Of course, you want to film a video that doesn’t suck. That’s why I’m going to tell you 5 things you must do before you hit record on your camera. If you’ve watched my other videos, some of these tips aren’t surprising.

First YouTube video? (5 things you MUST do before you hit record on your camera)

01. Survey the scene

The first thing you should do before you hit record on your camera is to survey the scene. Before you start filming your video, you should always check your surrounding area. Check for confidential items like your driver’s license, client projects you don’t want anybody to see, or photos. For example, if you have kids and you don’t want those pictures to be seen by people online, you want to hide those.

You also want to check for trash. Throw away any trash that’s in your area. After that, you want to check for offensive items like maybe magazine covers or offensive language written down on books, magazines, posters, etc. Check for the things you don’t want to be seen on your video or that are not a part of your branding (what your business stands for). 

Another thing you want to check for is lighting. If you’re using window lighting, you want to check if there’s enough lighting for filming. Lighting affects the quality of your video. If you don’t have enough light, your video will look grainy. Check how the lighting will affect your footage at the time you choose to film.

02. Have a script

The 2nd thing you must do before you hit record on your camera is have a script. I know I’m like a broken record with this. I’m always saying you have to have a script or an outline, but this is really important, especially on your first video. Having a script really does save you a lot of time and energy when it comes to filming.

When you’re filming your first YouTube video, you might feel a little nervous and scared. While filming, you might forget what you want to talk about or start rambling off-topic. A script will really help you stay focused and film your videos faster. 

The first few videos I filmed were tutorials that didn’t show my face. For those videos, I didn’t have a script because I was filming step by step how to do something. It was simple and easy to follow so a script wasn’t needed.  

The first video showing my face was still a tutorial, but it was a talking head video. I thought because it was a tutorial it would be easy for me to film my video, but I was wrong. It took me a really long time to film that video because I did not have a script and I kept forgetting what I was supposed to say and do. 

So if you’re like me, if you get frozen whenever the camera is on you, like deer in the headlights type thing, then having a script will really save you time and help make videos easier to create. But even if you’re the opposite of me, if you’re the type who rambles and talks a lot whenever you’re nervous, then a script will help you stay focused on what you’re supposed to be talking about.

03. Wear something that makes you feel confident (and comfortable)

The 3rd thing you must do before you hit record on your camera is to wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable. How do you want to feel whenever you’re filming your videos? Do you want to feel cute? Then wear something that makes you feel cute? Want to feel fierce then wear something that makes you feel fierce. 

If you’re not feeling yourself whenever you’re wearing sweats and a ponytail then don’t wear that. I know whenever I feel like wearing sweats and a ponytail, those are lazy days. Those are the days that I want to be lazy and I don’t really care about how I feel. I just want to be a bum and read comic books and watch k-dramas all day long.  BUT, that’s not how I want to feel when I’m creating videos. Choose a style that makes you feel how you want to feel on camera. That includes your outfit, your hair, and your makeup.

Since we’re talking about style, have you discovered your brand style yet? If not, check out The Ultimate Roadmap to Discover Your Brand Style. 

Have you created your first video? If so, what are some of your tips for those who are just getting started? Let me know in the comments below.

04. Practice

The 4th thing you must do before you hit record on your camera is practice. This is your first time being on camera, so you want to rehearse in front of a mirror. Grab your script and start talking in front of the mirror. When you’re looking at yourself in the mirror, you want to note down some of the bad habits you have. Like maybe you’re talking too fast because you’re nervous or too slow. Are you too stiff whenever you’re talking? Look at yourself and watch for the things you don’t like. Adjust the bad habits you want to improve before you go on camera.

05. Just breathe and keep going

The 5th thing you must do before you hit record on your camera is to remember to just breathe and keep going. Since this is your first YouTube video, before you hit record, you might want to play some upbeat music to get you in the mood. Shake off some of that nervousness. 

I know whenever I first started recording videos, I actually had to play music and dance around just so I could get rid of some of that stiffness. I realized that I was kind of robotic whenever I was talking to the camera, so playing music and psyching myself out beforehand really helped. 

You want to play upbeat music, like pop music, rock music, or anything that gets you pumped up. Not sad, depressing music. Something that will make you feel happy and confident unless that’s the brand that you’re going for. I don’t know, maybe you’re making emo-type videos. 

Remember this is your first YouTube video. You’re going to make mistakes because you’ve never done this before. And every time you make a video, you’ll keep learning and growing. 

Also, a big tip: Whenever you’re filming your video and you make a mistake, just pause. Just pause and then keep going or pause and restart your thought process or sentence because this will really help you with video editing. You don’t have to restart the whole paragraph or anything like that, but just restart that thought process just to make it look better whenever you’re editing your videos.

Summary

So those were the 5 things you must do before your hit record on your camera especially if this is your first YouTube video. Again, those were to survey your scene, have a script, wear something that makes you feel confident, practice, and just breathe and keep going.