Filming your own welcome video for Connect

The Welcome Video feature of your Connect profile is one of the fastest and most effective ways of establishing a personal connection between you and someone viewing your profile. It's the next best thing to being able to greet them in person.

If you have access to a professional videographer and a Hollywood production budget, you're all set. For the rest of us, however, here are some tips in producing a winning video with the things you already have without knowing Steven Spielberg.

Think before you shoot

You're the star of this video, but the camera will pick up anything going on in front of it, whether you want it to or not. Bring the focus back to yourself and your message by eliminating distractions.

• Don't wear small stripes or line patterns – these don't show up well on video. Instead, a light solid color works best.
• Wash your face before appearing on camera. Oily skin shines and looks exaggerated on video.
• Don't wear glasses if you can avoid it – this will eliminate reflections and glare.
• Select a background that isn't too distracting or busy. Find somewhere that doesn't have other people talking or milling about while you're filming.

Light the scene

The human eye is a wonderful thing in that it can adapt to almost any set of lighting conditions. The camera, on the other hand, is far less forgiving, so you will need to take a moment to consider where your light is coming from. While you can certainly opt for a full three-point lighting setup, following some simple basics will improve your results.

• Make sure you have adequate light for proper exposure and to keep you in focus while filming.
• Natural light will likely be most flattering, but artificial light can work as well.
• Make sure your light isn't casting hard shadows on your face, especially when filming outdoors in direct sunlight. Try rotating your body or moving into the shade where you will be more evenly lit.
• Avoid strong backlighting. If you have an open window behind you, either cover it with curtains or rotate the scene until it is out of frame. Better yet, sit with the window behind the camera so you can make use of its light.

Place your camera

These days, anyone can shoot high-quality video, whether they have a dedicated video camera, DSLR or just a smartphone. Regardless of your chosen device, there are some steps you can take to place your camera so you will look your best – and not accidentally cause motion sickness in your viewer.

• Use a tripod, phone stand or selfie stick to hold the camera or phone steady while filming. If none of those are available, have another person hold the camera and have them brace their arms against a table, shelf or their sides for stability.
• Film from at least an arm's length distance.
• Hold your phone sideways so the orientation of your video matches the orientation of the video player on your Connect profile.
• Place the camera slightly higher than eye level and tilt the camera top slightly toward you.

Say your piece

Now that we have cleaned up, picked out a location with a nice backdrop and good lighting, and positioned our camera, we now have to actually say something into it. Here's how to get a good performance once you hit record:

• Keep it short, no more than 60 seconds. This is a quick introduction, so give your elevator pitch, not your life story.
• Focus on key points: name, location, key procedures, whether you're a solo or group practice and what your practice philosophy is.
• It's a good idea to write out what you're going to say. It's not a good idea to simply read those words on camera. Read through your lines until you not only have them memorized, but can recite them naturally without sounding rehearsed.
• Look into the camera the way you would look into the eyes of someone you were talking to in person. On a smartphone, be sure to look into the little dot where the lens is, not at the screen or another part of the phone. If you're not making eye contact with the lens, you'll look elusive.
• Use casual language and be positive, as if you're speaking to a good friend.

Now that you have the basics, grab your camera and go greet your visitors. To upload your Welcome Video or to add patient-education videos to your Connect Profile Video Library, visit the My Content tab on your ASPS Member Dashboard and scroll down to the tab labeled Videos.