Your delivery is actually quite good! You have the face and looks for TV! Here are some pointers.
First, lose the laugh track. Untill you can appear to be on a set with an actual audience it comes across as cheesy.
Next, either try a green screen set or make a little make shift set in the corner of your room. The plain wall and photo (with the laugh track) is not working for you girl. 🙂 Set up a little table and bar stool, maybe a plant in the background. Add some color!
Third, White balance the camera, your background and skin tones are yellow.
Fourth, Loosen up, don’t stand with your hands behind your back. Move around a bit but stay in frame. You may want to set up once and frame yourself from the breast up rather than the waist. You’ll fill up more of the frame, the audio will be better because you are closer to the camera and you can move less if that bothers you.
If your editor will let you green screen, you can get a fake set here: http://www.movietools.info/
Try keying yourself over one of the news sets there. You can use the laugh track in moderation then if you wish.
For uTube the camera you have is fine, it delivers a fine picture and the frame rate appears to be ok. Later you may wish to purchase something in the pro line category with the ability to hook up and external mic.
When reading off a cue card, try to put the card over or under the camera. Looking off to the side we can tell you are reading. Teach yourself to read one sentence ahead so you can glance at the card now and then but look directly into the camera. You appear to be doing this somewhat now, more practice and you can nail it.
SLOW DOWN. LOL You appear to be reading too fast and it shows. Relax. Take a breath now and then. 🙂
Pause between stories.
About the set again… You may want to sit down. Maybe sitting at a table or on a barstool. Again, if you can arrange a few pieces of furniture in the room into a relaxed set and just talk to the camera like you are talking to a friend. This would be good. A prop could be good too, like maybe a wine glass and that hot black dress. Or a rose in a vase on the table.
Enlist a friend to act as cameraman/person. They can dolly up to you when you begin your newscast. You can make it look like an informal and relaxed living room setting. Watch Oprah. Or E! for some set ideas and framing.
YOU HAVE THE LOOK. A good demo reel could land you a job in TV easy. Just relax, slow down a bit and try not to come across like you are reading but rather like you are talking.
When the camera comes on there is pressure, It’s hard to think about all this stuff and try to express yourself.
I take it this is a one woman show? No camera guy, nobody else in the room? That’s ok but in time you will need to learn to do this with others in the room. 😉
Also remember, you can pause the camera and cut out any unnecessary footage. like when you reach over to stop the camera. Try introducing yourself framed the way you have it now, then step toward the camera, reframe a closer shot and start the show. Cut the part out where you step up. It will look like the camera angle change, like you have a closeup camera and a medium shot camera.
You could play with that too. Like shoot the intro then pause and sit down then shoot yourself in the new location. Or shoot like you have it now, then step up and turn yourself at a 20 degree angle and move the camera around, You are in the same location, just a different angle. This too will appear you have two cameras.
Remember, TV/video is illusion. Don’t be afraid to fake it. It’s all fake. LOL
Good luck and please come back and let us see what you come up with! 😀
J.
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