Lear Financial, How to Star in Your Own Promotional Video<br><br><p>Well, it's official. You are going to star in the company marketing
video (or commercial) and you will have a part talking to camera. After
ringing your mother, to let her know about your newly found fame,
reality hits in. How are you going to pull this off?</p><p>The good
news is a charismatic business leader can add tremendous impact and
clout to a marketing video or commercial. The bad news is that few
leaders have the right skills to talk to the camera in a natural manner.</p><p>But before you get put off, talking to camera is a skill. And any skill can be learned.</p><p>Here are some tips to help bring the sparkle into your 'moment of glory'.
</p><p>1.
Wear the right clothes. If you are the CEO, a suit is the right way to
go. Opt for conservative colours and stay away from checks, stripes and
reds. They do not film very well and serve as a distraction to the
viewer.</p><p>2. Go for makeup (whether you're male or female). A nice
even skin tone, neat hair and a quick brush with powder can help keep
the shine away. Once you get under the bright lights of a film set, it
will be hard not to perspire (even more so, if you are nervous). A
professional make up artist will also make you feel special and more
confident in front of the camera.</p><p>3. Trust the director. Forget
that you are the client and realise that you are now the talent. Let
the professionals do their work and let go. While this might be
difficult for most people, it can be a refreshing change. Let yourself
get bossed around and don't worry about how it's all going to work.</p><p>4.
Relax. Forget about the pressing amount of work piling up on your desk.
Focus on the most important task for the day – your cameo. If you are
relaxed you are more likely to be easy-going and friendly. This will
enable the director to elicit the best performance from you.</p><p>5.
Rehearse. Always have your lines prepared and don't expect that you can
wing it on the day. It's amazing how a big camera in your face can make
you forget what you wanted to say. Rehearse your lines over and over
again in front of a mirror. Make sure you look and sound natural.
Practise speaking clearly and with a smile on your face. Rehearse as
many times as you can. The more confident you are in giving an
appealing speech, the better you will be and the less takes will
needed. This will help reduce costs. If you don't feel comfortable with
your performance, hire a media trainer beforehand to coach you on
talking to camera.</p><p>6. Have fun! The shoot will be much slower
than you anticipated. Lights and audio equipment can take a while to
set up. If you are shooting outside, waiting for the sun to make an
appearance on a cloudy day can also be painstakingly slow. Take a book
with you and any work you can do in downtime. And just bask in the
glory of being part of an exciting film shoot!</p><br>