Spoken Word Poetry Video: How to Record Your Performance

Recording yourself is an amazing way to get your spoken word in front of more people and grow your audience! Here are our top tips for how to set up and record a powerful performance:

Set your phone up in landscape mode (on its side). Balance it on something so that it is steady, and keep it at eye level. This is an ideal framing:

1. Make sure that you are in a quiet room, and that you are close enough to your phone to be heard.
2. Taping against a blank wall minimizes distraction for an audience. If you prefer a more aesthetic background, try to choose something clutter free.
3. Lighting is important! Make sure the lighting source is behind the camera, not behind you. Natural light works really well. 
4. If you are reading from something, try to hold it at belly button height and extended from your body. This will allow you to glance up at the lens and back down again, without blocking your face.
5. Press record. Give yourself as much time as you need before starting to speak.
6. The lens is your audience, direct your reading there! 
7. You can edit out the ‘top and tail’ of the video - in other words, when you press record and when you press stop.

Looking for inspiration on how to write and perform your spoken word poem? Check out these tips from 2024 Guest Judge Malika Booker.