The Talking-Head Video Checklist

The rear lens on most phones is sharper and has better depth. Prop your phone up or use a tripod so you can record without holding it.

Stack books, a box, or use a proper phone stand to raise the lens. Shooting from below makes you look small. Shooting from above can feel condescending. Eye level or a few centimetres above is the sweet spot.

Look at the frame before you record. Your eyes should sit in the upper half of the image. Too much headroom looks amateur. No headroom at all feels claustrophobic.

Chest-up framing keeps attention on your face and hands. If you are making hand gestures, you want those visible. Waist-up often loses impact because there is too much dead space.

Decide vertical or horizontal based on where the video will go. Vertical for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or LinkedIn short-form. Horizontal for YouTube or longer-form content. Enable orientation lock in your phone settings so it does not rotate mid-sentence.

Glance at the preview. If you are consistently drifting to one side, mark a spot on the floor with tape so you hit the same position every time.

Before doing a full take, record two seconds and watch. Catch framing issues now rather than after a ten-minute recording.

Natural light from a window in front of you fills your face evenly and costs nothing. If the window is behind you, you become a silhouette. Close your blinds or move your setup if the window is behind you.

Direct sun creates harsh shadows. A sheer white curtain acts as a natural softbox. If you do not have one, record during overcast conditions or move further from the window.

A basic ring light from 15 to 40 pounds eliminates the uneven yellow cast from ceiling lights. Position it directly behind your phone at the same height as the camera.

Mixing light sources creates odd colour casts. Pick one source and turn off the others. Your face will look more consistent and professional.

Watch the two-second test clip specifically for shadowing. If you have dark under-eye shadows, raise your light source or move it further in front of you.

Look at the full frame, not just your face. A bright lamp or window behind you draws the eye. Reposition or turn off background light sources.

Close the door, turn off fans and air conditioning, and mute any notifications. Background noise compounds over a long take and is nearly impossible to fully remove in editing.

Bathrooms and kitchens create echo. Rooms with carpets, bookshelves, curtains, and soft furniture absorb sound. If you only have hard-walled rooms, hang a heavy blanket behind you or record inside a wardrobe lined with clothes.

Clip the mic to your collar or neckline, about 20 centimetres below your chin. Even a 10 to 15 pound wired lapel mic from Amazon will dramatically outperform the built-in phone mic at distance.

Further than 80 centimetres and volume drops. Closer than 40 centimetres and the mic picks up breathing and plosive sounds. That 50 to 80 centimetre range is the built-in mic sweet spot.

Record yourself speaking at normal volume and play it back through headphones. Listen for echo, background noise, or muffled sound. Fix the issue before you record the full take.

Some phone cases partially cover the microphone port and muffle audio. Remove the case or check that the mic opening is fully clear.

Hand-holding creates handling noise that the mic picks up as rumble. Always prop or mount the phone before you start recording.

Take 30 seconds to scan the background. Piles of paper, open doors, laundry, or busy bookshelves pull attention from your face. Move things out of shot or reposition your setup.

A curated bookshelf, a plant, a branded item, a clean wall. One deliberate visual cue tells people you took care setting this up. Blank white walls are fine too, particularly if you are using a ring light that creates a clean look.

The further your background is from the camera relative to you, the more naturally out of focus it becomes. Sit at least a metre in front of your background rather than directly against a wall.

Virtual backgrounds on phone cameras produce visible halos and artefacts around moving edges, particularly hair and hands. A real, prepared background always looks better.

Glass-framed pictures, mirrors, and monitors can catch reflections of your ring light or window. Either remove them or angle them so the reflection does not show in your frame.

Tight patterns like herringbone, fine stripes, or small checks create a visual strobing effect on camera called moire. Solid colours read cleanly. Avoid wearing the same colour as your background or you will blend in.

Tilt your frames very slightly downward or angle your light source slightly higher and to one side. A small adjustment almost always removes the glare entirely.

A back-lit flyaway hair can look like a halo or distraction on camera. Watch your test clip specifically for this. A tiny amount of product or smoothing takes five seconds.

An incoming call or notification will stop your recording or play a sound mid-take. Enable Do Not Disturb every single time without exception.

Background apps consume RAM and can cause your camera to drop frames or overheat during long recordings. Close everything else before you open the camera.

A video recording that stops because your phone runs out of storage mid-take is a take you cannot recover. Check that you have at least 2GB free before a longer recording session.

Camera compresses energy. What feels slightly over the top in the room reads as engaged and warm on screen. Watch your test clip back and notice if you look more subdued than you feel.

Looking at yourself on screen means your eyes appear to be looking slightly downward or to the side. The lens is where eye contact lives. Put a small sticker dot next to the camera lens to remind yourself where to look.

Slouching compresses your chest and affects your breathing, which makes your voice shallower. Upright posture opens your lungs, makes your voice fuller, and reads as more confident on camera.

Talk out loud for 30 seconds about anything at all. Warm your voice, loosen your face, get the first awkward 30 seconds of camera energy out before you press record for real.

Starting a video with a smile in place feels natural to the viewer. Starting neutral and then smiling creates a slightly clinical opening. Set your expression before the first word.

When people are nervous or excited on camera they speed up. Slowing down slightly makes you easier to follow, sounds more authoritative, and leaves room for natural pauses that feel confident rather than rushed.

Dry mouth causes stumbling and lip-smacking sounds that the mic catches. Take a small sip between takes. Do not drink mid-sentence.

Small stumbles and natural pauses often read better in the final edit than an overly polished delivery. Record multiple takes, watch them back before deleting, and choose the one with the most natural energy rather than the one with zero stumbles.

Quick visual scan of the preview screen. Confirm the camera is at or just above eye level, you are framed from the chest up, and orientation lock is on.

Confirm your face is lit from the front, there is nothing bright behind you, and you have one light source active only.

Confirm the room is quiet, your mic setup is in place, and Do Not Disturb is enabled. Run the 10-second audio test.

Scan the frame behind you. Remove anything distracting. Confirm no mirrors or glass is catching a reflection.

Check your phone storage before a session longer than five minutes. Better to know now than to have a recording cut off.

30-second out-loud warm-up complete. Sticker dot on the lens. Posture set. Press record.