Bruce Lee once wrote "Practice until the unnatural becomes natural". There is wisdom in these words. Whether in life or martial arts, practice is essential to mastering whatever challenge you undertake.

This is especially true in video production. I can't tell you how many times people have said to me how they want their video to be 'natural'. Usually, they understand this to mean their delivery should be spontaneous and unrehearsed. They believe this approach is the most direct and sure fire way to make their video come across as natural, friendly and sincere. Nothing could be further from the truth! You know those really charming commercials with charismatic speakers who just seem to be so comfortable in front of the camera? They look so relaxed and so....natural. They rehearsed that. Surprised? No, I didn't think so.

Confucius said, "success depends upon previous preparation and without such preparation there is sure to be failure." Preparation is key to delivering your message effectively. Even the most natural speakers need to prepare.

The camera does things to people.

The moment that little red recording light goes on people change. They get camera shy. This drains people's energy, slows their speech, and makes their entire delivery come out flat.

The best videos we produce are the ones where presenters have to stretch and step out of their comfort zone. They often express how unnatural they feel and how awkward it is to speak that way. But, those are the videos that turn out the best. They are the ones that come out the most natural, the most comfortable, and the most energetic.

Keeping your audience's attention is key if you want your video to be effective. One way to ensure this is to get the audience to like you. Being friendly, speaking comfortably, and smiling are excellent ways of doing this. It may be hard at first, but believe me, if you practice and prepare, your video will turn out much better than if you hadn't.

No matter how uncomfortable it may feel, practice until the unnatural becomes natural.