Recording messages
Tips for feeling natural on camera.
Most dads tighten up the first time. A few small things that help.
Updated
Almost every dad freezes up the first time. It passes. A few small things that help:
- Talk to one person, not the camera. Picture the kid you're recording for. Talk to them like they're across the table.
- Start in the middle. Skip the hi, it's dad, today I'm going to talk about…. Just start. You can always re-record an intro later.
- Get one bad take out of the way. Record thirty seconds of nothing — what you had for breakfast — to take the pressure off. Delete it. Now record the real one.
- Don't script. Bullet points are fine. Full sentences turn you into a news anchor.
- Pause when you need to. Your kid will not mind that you took a breath. They will mind a perfect take that doesn't sound like you.
The first one is the hardest. The fifth one feels like nothing.