Recording New Templates

Make sure to follow the instructions on Your Recording Setup first. Once you have your setup ready, continue reading this page below to get your templates recorded.

Once you have your Avatar, you can now record a template. Here's how.

Setup Reminders
  • Set up your camera at eye level or slightly higher.

  • Use the same setup (mic, camera, lighting, room, etc.) that you used when recording your training footage or any previous templates.

  • Record at least 3 takes for each template video, each at a slightly different distance from the camera.

    • The takes should be roughly 4ft (1.2m, 5ft (1.5m), and 6ft (1.8m) away from the camera. We'll ultimately process the take that works best with the model.

    • Your mic must remain at a consistent distance from your mouth, regardless of your distance from the camera.

    • You can push the camera back or keep it at a fixed position and step back as you record each distance. Do whichever is easiest for your setup.

Since you may have a setup that's hard to replicate perfectly again, We'd recommend recording videos for all the campaigns you'd like to send for the next 6 - 8 weeks while you have a good recording setup.

Process Reminders
  1. Record your videos as if you were recording them for a single person but in place of a name you say “Watermelon” (Like 'Hi Watermelon' or 'How's it going Watermelon', etc.)

  2. Don't move your head too much when saying sentences that include a replacement, or during the sentences before and after

  3. Make sure your face is clearly visible. Don't block your mouth/chin with the mic or with your hand if you're waving at the beginning of your video

  4. "Controlled Excitement" - don't be overly expressive when saying the AI key phrase, "Hey Watermelon."

  5. Leave short, natural pauses after "Watermelon" and after the first sentence after the greeting. These pauses should be very short (~0.25 seconds).

  6. Avoid speaking too fast around the AI key phrase "Watermelon"

  7. Don't cut the video too close to the start - leave about 2 seconds of silence with a neutral, closed mouth before beginning each take. We'll cut the start of each take ourselves once we've received the footage to make sure it looks natural.

    • If your video has more than one replacement in it, don't worry about pausing like this before saying "Watermelon" later in the video. This point only pertains to the replacement at the start of the video.

Try to end each video with a very clear CTA (call to action). This is the biggest difference we've seen in videos that convert well vs. those that do not.

Also, here's a Teleprompter app we like to use. You'll have to adjust the speed and font size to get the right pace since the default settings are usually too fast.

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