Filming in public can seem a very daunting task when you start filming for YouTube.
You have your dialogue fresh in your mind, you have the ideal location to start filming, and then you push record. This is where you need to find your focus.
When you have other people around you, strangers, it feels like they are all watching you, which in turn adds more pressure on you, to get your dialog said and move on to the next location.
There seems to be some difference, within the public, between someone walking along video calling their friend, and someone walking around with a GoPro camera talking to it as they go. The only difference here is that the video call has someone responding. No one seems bothered by the video call, but is very curious to the GoPro.
Now, keep that image of a video call in your head.
When you start recording your video, imagine that you are telling someone you know about your journey, where you are, what is there. I feel it gives a more personal feel to it, where your viewer feels you are talking to them and them alone. It also doesn't feel as bad when walking around people.
Don't feel that you always need to talk to camera. You can add some personal bits where you talk to camera, but you can also do narration at home. Narration is ideal if the environment is noisy, or you feel that you can't fully say what you need to for that particular segment. If you have dialog written down, then you can simply film the areas you want to talk about, find somewhere relatively quiet and say your dialog to camera, using the narration audio over the areas you previously filmed.
There are so many little work-rounds, where you can make things a little bit easier, which you will learn as you go along, and that I might blog about in the near future.
Does it get any easier? Yes and No!
You do learn from each video, you also learn from watching other YouTubers in your niche, and there are times when you walk through that crowded place, talking to camera, and feel amazing that you achieved it. There are some days that it doesn't work so well. Don't be hard on yourself, as it happened to even those that have been doing it for six years or more.
The great thing about filming, is that you can edit it before it's shown to others. If a segment is not going right, then take a moment, think of another angle or place to speak your dialog, then try again. You can redo parts as many times as you want, depending on your time-frame. When it comes to editing, you pick the best versions of your takes and all the bad ones can be discreetly moved to the recycle bin. We won't mention those to anyone.
Preparation is key!
When it comes to filming, Google maps can help so much, as you can do a virtual walk-around, see what's there, think of what you could say in key areas, and have a start and end point for your video. This way, you can tailor your video and your narration to what you walk past, and have it all written in order, making it so much easier to do.
You don't need to remember every key fact and date, you don't need to revise a long script the day before, as this will just add pressure on yourself to get it right in front of the camera. You can write down bullet points, bite-size facts, important names, etc. You can say parts of it to camera, and parts can be narrated later and added to the edit, or if you have a multi-directional microphone, you could read from your script, whilst point the camera at the subject. As no one can see you, it sounds like you are just saying the information, rather than reading from a sheet (make sure it flows when reading it).
Collaboration!
When it comes to joining other content creators, this can build your confidence and helps with filming, as you have another person to bounce off (not literally). When one of you is talking, it gives the other time to think of a response, or it all just flows nicely, as you both just enjoy filming and it feels natural.
The reality of YouTube!
When it comes to YouTube, it's not an easy thing. To some that merely watch YouTube videos, it looks like you just press record, wander around places, and that's that. It is so much more than that.
You have to prepare, you have to film, which could take hours for a twenty minute video. You travel to and from places, you have to design the thumbnail, write the description, etc, edit the entire thing, and add the additional parts (narration, text, music, etc). You hope it does well, but it's all down to luck and your niche.
You get people telling you, sometimes rudely I may add, that your video could be better, or what you should have done better, and give you the thumbs down. The algorithm might not put your video out there straight away, so you could go days with minimal views.
In terms of trolls, please don't give them your time. Simply click on the three dots next to the comment and hide from channel. This way, it hides it from you and others, and they can comment on your other videos and it won't be seen by anyone. Out of sight, out of mind!
But don't ever let that put you off starting!
You can meet some great people on your YouTube journey, others that will lift you up (emotionally, not physically), and subscribers that will start as commenters, but end up as friends. It will boost your confidence, it will spark your creative side and want to film more, visit more locations, and look at places different. It does start off slow, and I mean very slow, but over time, and the more content you put on YouTube, it starts to speed up. As I have said before, I had about twelve subscribers for the first couple of months or so, but you will soon find your people. It's all about being consistent, keeping to a schedule (One video every Friday for example), and being yourself.
Good luck!