If you find it difficult to stand and talk to a camera when producing a video then you’re in good company. Lots of professional presenters feel the same. That’s why they have several tricks to make the task easier. Here are some simple techniques you can use to improve a piece to camera (PTC).

1 Divide it into manageable sections. Very few people can talk confidently for long without faltering and stumbling so try to divide your speech into 15 or 20 second sections with each one focusing on the different points you want to make.

2. Refresh your memory. Stop after each section to refresh your memory for the next point. This will make it easier for you to remember and you will be able to project more confidently.

3. Edit the sections together. Having divided your presentation into sections you will need a way to cover the edit points between the end of one PTC and the start of the next. Otherwise, you will appear to move slightly between the two sections.

4. Use cutaways. Professional video editors will often use what are known as "cutaways" to cover edit points. This simply means using a different shot such as a picture of a product to cover the join between the two sections.

5. How to place cutaways. The cutaway shot is edited on to the video over the end of your first PTC and is kept there until a few seconds after the beginning of the second PTC. That way the join between the two sections will not be seen because, although the viewer will still be able to hear your voice, they will be looking at the picture of the product.

6. Cutaways should match the speech. Make sure the cutaway relates to what you’re saying. For example, if you’re pointing out that you provide good value for money then you might use a graphic showing your prices.

7. Shift the camera angle to provide an edit point. If you don’t want to use a picture or a graphic as a cutaway you could simply move the camera angle between each PTC. For example, the first PTC could be a close-up on your face. The second section would be a much wider shot showing you sitting behind your desk. These shots are so different that they will edit to together without the need for any cutaway shot.

These simple techniques are used all the time by professional video producers and will not only make it easier for you to do pieces to camera, they will also make your video production more interesting for the viewer.