No One Likes Speaking on Camera (+ Remedy)
And I don’t think people should necessarily like it — or even do it at all — unless they are professional journalists, presenters, or simply natural at it. Otherwise, it’s about as necessary as being able to do a split. Useful? Certainly. But you can absolutely live a full, eventful life without it.
Normally.
Yet, classically, things are different for entrepreneurs. Because whether you like it or not, entrepreneurs somehow inherit the destiny of constantly doing all kinds of splits — and for them, that becomes more usual than eventful. Filming their value for marketing and sales purposes is simply one of the must-do activities of this era.
And this activity comes with the entire palette of emotional feedback. From sweaty palms and shaky voices producing completely twisted thoughts, to cabaret-style unstoppable streams of energy (hopefully not when the content is about banking).
So what I am saying is: every job should be done by a professional. And creating meaningful professional video content is the result of deep experience across multiple masteries. Even if the entrepreneur is the knowledge keeper behind this beautiful projected content masterpiece, the direction of creation still falls into the video content creator’s responsibility.
How a Video Content Creator Should Sweeten the Pill
As a person taking the lead on a marketing-oriented content creation journey, a video content creator has a direct relation to the results. So for the sake of reaching the summit of satisfaction while watching the final video — and furthermore, while seeing the marketing metrics afterwards — things have to be covered properly.
So a video content creator (in Switzerland or anywhere else) is entitled to:
Start from the Depths
Video marketers and video content creators will target your content to reach your customers and achieve your business goals.And that is exactly why they will ask a lot of questions.
They need to understand far more than the script and stylistic expectations for the future video.
We should establish a clear understanding that a video content creator wears two hats at the same time: the audio-visual producer’s and the marketing representative’s.
These hats, while almost the same size, are still different.
Because at the very core, all activity of a video content creator should be centred around achieving the business interests of the client.
So don’t expect less than being asked about:
your differentiation and UVP
marketing metrics and current needs
target audience and ICP
client testimonials
testing your service itself (for experience-based research and creation)
Preparation on both ends makes the filming process smoother, lighter, and far more exciting. It also saves you from the frustration of last-minute idea generation and the creative blocks that tend to come with it.
Adapt Your Messages to an Audio-Visual Format
Once the direction of the upcoming filming is clear, and everyone is aligned on the messages, formats, and focuses, the work with the text begins.
And as much as I would love to save you from the trouble — your text is your sacred grail.
Because text for video is nothing like text for reading.
Nobody really talks about that, because the world is generally a tough place. But relax. I will help.
See, the way people speak and the way people write are unobviously different. Someone who spent 15 years presenting on TV and radio (like me) learns one small secret with enormous impact:
Spoken language requires simplification.
The shorter and clearer the sentences are, the easier the audience digests them.
And despite how simple that sounds, it’s actually difficult.
Deliberately keeping things short is mentally burdening. The moment you start focusing too much on how you sound, the content itself starts spilling out. The extra focus on form mugs the “what” right out of your speech.
And eventually, this carousel of overthinking ends in stress.
So.
Preparation should happen through distilling short key messages into a logical sequence that still keeps emotional engagement alive.
Exercise. Test it on the target audience. Imagine the exact person you want to become your loyal customer, and speak directly to them — regardless of who is filming.
You are talking to your customer, not to your videographer.
And it is your videographer’s job to keep your energy up and make sure you look confident, reassuring, and natural in the frame.
I would love to lean fully towards naturality and the absence of notes during filming. I would love to claim that the best messages are the ones that simply come from the heart, untouched by rehearsing or polishing public speaking skills.
But that wouldn’t be true.
First of all, because some of the wisest and most intelligent thoughts I have ever heard came from people who are not “speaker types” at all. They are quiet, shy, private, not naturally expressive in public settings.
Speaking on camera feels like torture to them.
And nevertheless, they are often the people capable of delivering the highest value.
And this is exactly where an experienced marketing videographer comes in.
The role of this person is:
to help you solidify the message
to find the format that feels most natural both for you and for your project/business/service
to co-craft scenario drafts, placements, and wording
to orchestrate a filming experience you would actually want to repeat instead of survive
Set the Vibe
First of all — and I insist on this — they should do their job resourcefully and empathetically.
Because the way a person looks while being filmed directly reflects how that person felt during filming.
It takes Meryl Streep-level acting skills to keep a cat in a sack. The moment comfort leaves the room, a normal person will reveal it in the shot immediately.
That is why the mood and vibe of the setting are crucial.
And the mood depends heavily on the authority and emotional leadership of the filming team — or even of a single video content creator.
A confident, winning atmosphere on set is built through several factors.
Uncontrollable
personal mood-affecting circumstances of everyone involved
the weather
force majeure situations
Controllable
the attitude towards handling the uncontrollable
a well-prepared location and reliable technology
a clear and realistic action plan
refined and sincere messaging (including speaker cheat notes)
the confident joy of co-creation from all parties involved
These variables may shift from case to case, but one thing remains solid:
If the controllable is properly taken care of, the process becomes smooth.
How Does the Difference Between a Videographer and a Video Content Creator Feel?
A videographer usually focuses their excellence on filming itself and everything connected to video and audio quality, while you and your team remain responsible for the core content of the video — whether that is expertise, interviews, presentations, or events.
Of course, there are videographers whose experience can become genuinely guiding during the content creation process. But the baseline expectations of the profession should not automatically include strategic content leadership.
Videographers and production studios often offer scenario writing and creative direction, but these are still usually based on the content line provided by the client.
Their expertise primarily covers the technical and cinematic perspective:professional gear, image quality, lighting, sound, editing, aesthetics.
More than audience psychology, pain points, and strategic messaging.
A video marketer or video content creator, however, combines videography skills with content creation and marketing strategy.
Technically, this person helps remove part of the content-solidifying process from your own to-do list — strategically rather than operationally, because you still know your company’s message best.
A video content creator advocates for extracting the maximum value from your activity and translating it into — surprise-surprise — video content that builds trust, authority, and leads.
Practically, their presence feels more curious about the business side of your company. They explore which messages and values should be delivered to your audience so the video sounds native to your brand communication and genuinely belongs to your style.
And sometimes, they will challenge you to look at your business from the outside.
To step out of the shell of daily normalisation and see what you are doing with fresh eyes.
As if for the first time.
When to Work With a Videographer — and When With a Video Content Creator?
This one is simple.
When you need cinematic, long-term keepsakes — films, documentaries, refined brand pieces — requiring high-end editing, audio, lighting, and visual storytelling, go for a videographer (like Tulip Films — I genuinely recommend them).
You will receive polished, almost Hollywood-like visuals of your events, products, presentations, or expertise, woven together with aesthetics and emotional triggers.
If instead you need fast-moving content to keep your audience warm — behind-the-scenes moments, rapid event coverage, almost immediate broadcasting, lighter edits, quick sound post-production within 24–48 hours — then you should work with a video content creator.
Conclusion
So in conclusion:
Videographers dedicate themselves primarily to cinematic image quality, editing, sound, and lighting.
Video content creators focus first on marketing and sales goals.
These professions overlap, strengthen one another, and often complement each other beautifully.
And in some cases, they can even cover the same requests — especially if the in-house marketing team already provides strong, format-adjusted messaging and prepares the speaker properly.
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