How Do I Become a Better Video Host?

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How do I become a better video host?

Dear Annie,

I’ve hosted an audio-only show for two years and we’re finally ready to level up and add video. The switch is really intimidating. I feel like I’m so focused on what I look like that it’s really hard to come across natural. Any tips for someone making this jump?

Sincerely,

Vulnerable about Video

Have a question? Ask Annie here.

The Ideal Podcast Cadence

Hello Vulnerable,

Welcome to the video club! Audio-to-video is a big adjustment. All the bad habits you could hide in audio are on full display, and you no longer can use creative, quick edits to hide big mistakes like you can with audio. But it will also push you to be more conversational and human sounding, which will make your audio episodes stronger as well.

I went to Pippa Johnstone, one of our Senior Producers who specializes in coaching hosts through exactly this transition, for her top tips.

Sit up straight!

With an audio-only show, you can really get comfy while recording. It’s not uncommon for a host to get really into the conversation, lean way forward, or slouch into a comfortable position. But on camera, all that shows. Pippa’s advice: keep your chest open, your back as straight as you can manage, and roll back your shoulders before you start recording. It doesn’t just make you look more professional, it also makes your voice clearer. When you sit up straight and open your chest, you open your diaphragm, which in turn allows more airflow, better projection, and you won’t run out of breath in the middle of a sentence.

Mind your mic placement.

In audio, all you have to worry about with your microphone placement is getting the best possible sound. Keep the mic as close as possible and slightly angled so plosives move past the microphone rather than straight into it. But when you add in video, you have more to think about. Pippa’s rule of thumb? “On camera you want to see the full jawline.” Basically, you can keep the microphone on screen (speaking into a microphone is still an aesthetic differentiator between a “podcast” and just another YouTube video), but you want to make sure that the microphone isn’t blocking too much of your face.

Don’t look like you’re reading.

“Eyeline is huge,” says Pippa. During the interview, the host can’t get away with reading from the screen while the guest talks– we can see if you look uninterested! But it is acceptable to refer to notes a bit during an interview: “If you’re looking a little bit at questions, you can get away with a lot more.” But for shows with scripted intros or bits of scripted narration, switching to video and appearing natural can be really hard. “If you sound read, you can kind of get away with it a bit better [in audio]. If you look like you’re reading, it’s way worse.”

One way Pippa gets around this is having hosts memorize small chunks of narration and recording a few sentences at a time. This doesn’t have to be perfect or exact memorization– just try to remember the main point you’re getting across, rather than memorizing word-for-word. From there, you can adlib using the original lines as a foundation.

Another strategy Pippa shared is to use jot notes rather than reading verbatim. One host she works with will reduce questions to a single word in large red font to remind her of the next talking point, so she only has to quickly glance at the page to remember where to take the conversation next. She includes the full question below in a smaller font, just in case it’s needed, but this really helps keep the conversation sounding (and looking) natural. There are many effective ways to get a natural read, but it depends on your own preference and comfort. I recommend trying out a few styles and finding out what works best for you.​

Turn off self-view if you can.

It’s tempting to want to keep an eye on yourself while recording, but it can be really distracting when you’re already so anxious about being on camera. As Pippa says, “people go into a mirror-face a lot more if they’re looking at themselves.” If you need an outside perspective, ask someone in the room (or on the call– like a Producer) to be your eyes instead. During scripted reads, practice looking directly into the lens and imagine a single real person on the other side. And during an interview, make sure to focus your attention on your guest, not yourself. Remember, in conversation in real life you can’t see yourself at all. Audiences will appreciate seeing your authentic and engaged reactions to your guests’ facial expressions and body language.

Take the time to prep.

In general, it’s much harder to fix a bad take with video. Viewers will notice if you come back to re-record a question another day and your hair looks different, you’re wearing different clothes, or it’s a different time of day. It might even be obvious if the weather quickly shifts and suddenly a cloud moves in to cover the sun. So make sure you rehearse any scripted lines and have read through your question outline a few extra times. And if performing scripted lines to the camera in a natural way feels really challenging for you, it might be worth considering the overall format of the show. It’s much easier to manage a natural-feeling banter with a co-host through a show intro, as opposed to reciting a tightly scripted intro monologue-style to camera.

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These are all good advice and techniques, but the most important thing to remember to relax yourself is this: video is more forgiving. Audio has a reputation of being polished because of how easy it is to edit in post-production. In video, audiences understand and appreciate that they can see what’s happening, flaws and all. If you fumble along in a sentence, or do a bit of waffling, it’s okay. The audience knows you’re a human, and that’s what makes you relatable. As long as the quality is good, the information is valuable, and the connection is honest, the audience will appreciate the content.

You’ve got this. You’re just adding a few more things to your prep, not completely starting over.

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Good luck,

Annie