Video Content with AI PART 2
In this Part we’re going to crack into the process of video production.
I’m assuming that you are not comfortable with video. And as such I’m making the process as simple as possible.
Creating video content is a skill - the steps here are to get you up and running with a basic system so that you actually start.
We’re not aiming for perfect. We’re aiming for done.
Let’s get into it.
Recording High Quality Video
1. Setup recommendation
This is always the first thing I get asked about my videos: what is your technical setup?
It’s the least important part of the process! But it’s what people get fixated on.
Truth is your tech set up doesn’t matter that much. Got an iPhone or Android? You have a great video creation tool already.
The tech isn’t what matters - it’s the content and how you deliver it. The camera, sound and lighting are nothing compared to that.
However - I’ll run through my setup in order to get this question out of the way. Just know that you don’t need any of this - you can do nearly everything with your phone camera or laptop web camera!
My personal set up on my laptop is
Logitech Brio 4K webcam (~$180)
Blue Yeti X microphone (~$200)
Ring light (~$20)
That’s it for the recording equipment.
If you want to go higher budget use a DSLR camera so you can get depth of field.
I also sometimes just use my Airpods for the microphone - the quality is sufficient. I always use them if I also need to hear audio - for instance if doing a podcast with a guest or recording a live stream where audience members can ask questions.
For recording software I use Tella.tv.
It’s a nice lightweight recording tool that let’s me easily capture video, whether it’s just my camera, a screen share or both camera and screen.
Loom is also very good. Or CleanShot X on Mac if you prefer a pay once rather than subscription payment.
For editing I use Kapwing. This tool has AI built in to make the editing process much faster.
Both Tella and Kapwing are cloud based so the power of your computer doesn’t matter. Processing is all done in the cloud for you.
If you don’t have a computer you can do everything on your phone. Your phone becomes the camera, capture tool and editing tool.
I’d recommend grabbing a higher quality microphone (for instance AirPods) because the stock microphones on phones aren’t great.
Otherwise you can record videos straight to camera on your phone using the built in recording tools. Then you can edit using Capcut, my personal mobile editing tool of choice.
These are all personal recommendations. Everyone has their favourite tools and preferences. And very likely you’ll like different ones! But if you need a basic starting point then hopefully the above is helpful.
Always remember - as long as you have a phone you already have all the tools you need to produce video. Don’t let lack of equipment hold you back - that’s just an excuse to procrastinate!
2. Delivery
The best way to get good at video is…recording video!
It’s a skill like any other. So you just need to get started.
The process we’ll be using will make it a lot easier. We’re lowing the barriers to entry.
Here’s the basic methodology.
In the last Part we generated scripts - I gave you two alternatives: either an outline of the ideas or a line by line script to directly read out.
Which one you use will depend on you and how best you deliver information. Try both and review the results. Then follow that scripting method from now on.
Get you camera set up and your script on screen.
Start recording.
Don’t worry about the dead space at the beginning whilst you check your notes. Instead take as long as you need to read the script and prepare your first line, even though you are already recording.
When ready look at the camera, hold for a second without saying anything and then deliver the line.
At the end of the delivery pause for a moment, continuing to look at the camera.
Now check the notes again and prepare the next line or section to speak about.
Repeat the process. Pause, delivery, pause, check notes, pause, delivery, pause etc. until the script is done.
Do not stop the recording. Let it roll.
The end result will be long. Much longer than your final video! And it’ll have all your weird muttering to yourself, swearing at your bad takes, reading your notes, drinking water etc.
It’ll all be in there, in one long weird video.
And that’s fine - in the next Part we’re going to use an editing tool that has an AI that removes ALL of that nonsense. Leaving only your script delivery.
As long as your deliveries are good the rest doesn’t matter at all. It’ll all be cut.
This allows us to focus solely on delivering the content. We can avoid the amateur mistake of stopping the recording, restarting, stopping, restarting - all the time getting more and more frustrated with ourselves.
We also don’t need to worry about memorising the whole script - we’re not Shakespearian actors and we don’t need to do this! Just get the gist of the single point you want to make, make it and move on.
This is also why I gave you two script formats - one with a rough outline for people who just need a nudge in the right direction and one with the exact line to deliver. Try both and once edited we’ll analyse the results and see which is better.
3. Confidence building
At this point you are in one of two positions
You’ve recorded your first video and are hating me right now for putting your through the process. That’s alright - it’s what I’m here for!
You haven’t yet recorded your video and are waiting for a better time. AKA procrastinating.
Your first video will be rubbish. Sorry, but it will.
And that’s to be expected. It’s a new skill. We’re no good at things when we first do them.
But, we’re going to stick at it and become good at the skill. Because it’s a hyper valuable one! It’s worth the pain!
There are a few exercises I like to take people through when we hit resistance to shooting video.
The first is to go and look at the first videos your favourite Youtuber produced.
It might be Gary Vee, Pewdiepie, Dave Goggins or whoever. It doesn’t matter. Go back through their archive and look at their very first videos.
They weren’t good! And why would they be? They were just starting out.
What we tend to compare ourselves to however are the end results. I’ll never be as charismatic as Gary Vee on camera! We’re comparing us at the beginning of our journey to them at the top of their game.
As a reality check therefore go and see how they started. It’ll be a lot humbler and closer to your current reality.
Second, get used to your own face and voice on camera. Easier said than done I know! But it’s just a matter of immersion.
We are unused to our face on camera because it’s how other people see us. The way we perceive ourselves is actually in mirror image - we see ourselves a lot in mirrors and expect our face to be in that “direction”.
On camera though what is captured is how other people see us. If you aren’t used to being in photos or in videos then your face will look different to the mirror image expectation.
The same is true of our voice. The voice we hear when we speak is conducted through our skull and sounds different to the voice other people hear.
That’s why we get such a weird cognitive dissonance when we hear a recording of our voice: “that doesn’t sound like me!”
In reality that’s how everyone else hears you. Your own perception of your voice is the odd one out!
The only way to get over both discomfort with your face and your voice is exposure. The more you shoot and review the less of an issue this becomes. I used to hate with a passion my voice and face. But I just had to get over myself.
Exposure leads to familiarity and eventually you’ll be fine with it.
Third, commit to regular video production. I suggest 30 days, one video a day. It doesn’t have to be long - instead the idea is to just to get repetitions in. This helps you get over your voice and face and you’ll also become more fluid in your delivery.
Speaking on camera is a skill. And committing to a regular video a day for 30 days will make you better at the skill. You don’t even need to publish the video. Just keep a diary of what happened that day - in video form - on your phone. Publishing is less important than practicing.
4. Premium Prompt - Community Share
The big next step in getting used to video production will be publishing.
We’ll be moving through editing and publishing over the rest of this Playbook.
However, as a member of the AI Business Breakthrough Community you have an additional asset : us!
To help build confidence with being on video please feel free to shoot a “hello world” video.
Say who you are, what you are working on and what you need help with.
It doesn’t have to be fancy - just phone and no script required.
The main purpose is to become more comfortable with video.
Upload your hello video into the main chat and I’ll be certain to respond.
Also, as we move forward feel free to post videos into the Community for (constructive) feedback. That’s a lot harder I understand. But getting friendly feedback in a closed community can do wonders for your content moving forward!
Pulling it together
Now that you’ve shot the content of your first video we have enough to move to the editing process.
Don’t worry - it’s not technical. Instead we’re going to use AI tools to make editing a doddle.
A reminder of what we’re covering this week
Part 1: Creating Video Scripts
Part 2: Recording High-Quality Video
Part 3: Rapid video editing
Part 4: Multi-Purposing Content
Part 5: Publishing and Promoting Video
See you tomorrow Prompt Entrepreneur!
Until then, keep PROMPTING!
Kyle