Remember, this not a performance. It will feel a bit weird filming yourself saying it, but try to make the reading an act of worship – Paul says to Timothy, ‘devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture’ (1 Timothy 4.13).
- Please record in portrait mode – this is so I can have the reading scrolling next to you on the video.
- Before you say anything, please look straight at the camera, keep your head still, and smile for a few seconds. This will feel weird, but – trust me – it works, because it means I can fade the video in before you start speaking.
- Then announce the reading, e.g. ‘Todays reading is taken from Matthew chapter 1, beginning at verse 5’. (The full reference, and page number, will be on the screen as well.)
- Please read in a measured way: think Goldilocks, not too fast and not too slow! Have a look back at one of the readings on our YouTube channel for examples of previous readers to get an idea of pace.
- Don’t read the headings – the headings in Bibles are not part of the text, they have been added by translators.
- At the end, please say both of the following lines:
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. - Then finish as you started: look straight at the camera and smile for a few seconds, with your head still. This is so I can fade the video out, rather than have a hard stop.
My experience is that the weirdest part is the beginning and end: looking into the camera, staying still, and smiling. However, it is also one of the most important when it comes to stitching all these videos together.