How to record your video introduction in 90 seconds, on your phone
Companies see your portfolio first. Your video is the first time they hear you: how you explain your work, how clearly you speak, whether you'd be easy to work with. It's what they watch right before they decide to write, and it takes about half an hour to make, once.
What to say
Four parts, about 80 seconds. Write them as bullet points, not sentences, then talk. A small stumble is fine: it sounds like a real person.
- 10:00–0:10
Who you are
Your first name, where you're based, what you do and for how long. First name only: your full name comes with your contact details.
“Hi, I'm Ana, a video editor in Cebu. I've cut short-form for brands for three years.”
- 20:10–0:40
One piece of your work
Pick one project from your portfolio. Say what the brief was, what you did, and what happened next. Specifics beat adjectives.
“A skincare brand needed 20 TikTok cutdowns a week. I built them a caption template and they kept me on for eight months.”
- 30:40–1:05
How you work with remote clients
The tools you use, the hours you overlap with them, how fast a first draft comes back, how you take feedback.
“I'm online until 1 a.m. Manila, which covers the US morning. First drafts come back within 24 hours.”
- 41:05–1:20
When you can start
How many hours a week you can take on, when you could start, and a simple close.
“I can take 20 hours a week from next Monday. Send me the brief. I'd love to see it.”
What to show, by discipline
Start on your face. That's the part they can't get from your portfolio. Then, during part 2, share your screen for about fifteen seconds.
Walk through one campaign
Where the account started, what you tested, what moved. Share your screen on the ads manager or your report, and crop or blur client names and spend you can't share.
Show one before-and-after
Ten seconds of the raw footage, then your cut of it. It proves the edit in a way a finished reel can't: the company sees exactly what you added.
Walk through one file
Share your screen on one Figma file or brand board: where it started, the directions you explored, the one the client chose. Fifteen seconds of your process says more than a finished mockup.
Your setup
No ring light, no microphone to buy. These decide whether it looks and sounds professional.
Back camera, 1080p, clean lens
Your phone's back camera is sharper than the selfie camera and far sharper than a laptop webcam. Set it to 1080p and wipe the lens first. A soft, fuzzy face makes good content look unready.
Face the light
Sit facing a window or lamp, never with one behind you. Backlight turns you into a silhouette.
Phone at eye level, sideways
Prop it on books so the lens is level with your eyes, and record in landscape. Frame your head and shoulders with a little space above your head.
Look at the lens
Not at yourself on the screen. With the back camera you can't see yourself, which helps. Talk with a little more energy than a normal chat.
Dress for a client call
What you would wear on a video call with a new client. Plain colours read better on camera than busy patterns.
Quiet beats expensive
Close the window and switch off the electric fan for the take. Earphones with a mic sound better than the phone across the room.
Plain background, no filters
A wall or a tidy shelf. No beauty filter, no virtual background. They want to see the person they'd work with.
Record a 10-second test
Play it back with earphones. If you can hear the room more than you, move closer to the mic.
Record first, upload after
Record to your phone, then upload on Wi-Fi. A dropped connection mid-take is how a good take gets lost.
What companies notice
The same few things separate a video that gets a reply from one that gets skipped.
01Length
Gets to the work fast
70 seconds- Name, one project, how they work, when they can start
- No detours, no repeating themselves
Too long for an introduction
4 minutes- Walks through their whole career
- Fix: one project and a clear close
02Proof
One specific result
“Kept on for 8 months”- Names the brief, the tools and what happened
- A company can picture them on its own work
Adjectives instead of evidence
“Hardworking, reliable”- Everyone says it, so it proves nothing
- Fix: swap one adjective for one result
03Eye contact
Talks to the lens
Warm, direct- Looks at the camera, not the screen
- A little more energy than a normal chat
Eyes on the notes
Reading- The down-and-back glance gives the script away
- Fix: three or four bullets, in your own words
04Light and framing
Bright, level, centred
Soft front light- Whole face lit from the front
- Head and shoulders, lens at eye level
Dark, low, off-centre
Window behind- Face in shadow, camera looking up from a lap
- Fix: turn to face the window, prop the phone up
05Sound
Voice close and clear
Earphone mic- Every word easy to follow
- No hum under the voice
Hard to hear
Fan and echo- Voice far away, room louder than the speaker
- Fix: fan off, mic close, 10-second test first
Leave these out
- Reading a script word for word, or one an AI wrote for you. Write bullet points, then talk
- Client names, logos or numbers you don't have permission to share
- Background music under your voice
- A highlight reel instead of you talking. Your portfolio already does that job
- Your rate. Agree it in the conversation, once you've seen the brief
- Going past two minutes
Where to upload it
Any of these three works. The one mistake that matters is a link only you can open.
YouTube
Upload and set visibility to Unlisted, not Private. A private video won't play for anyone but you.
Plays right on your profile
Loom
Record in the Loom app or browser extension, then copy the share link. Check it's set so anyone with the link can view.
Opens in a new tab
Google Drive
Upload the file, then Share → General access → Anyone with the link → Viewer.
Opens in a new tab
Before you paste the link, open it in a private or incognito window. If it asks you to sign in or request access, every company that unlocks you will hit the same wall.
Who sees it: your choice
One checkbox under the video link on your profile. Change it whenever you like.
After they unlock you
Only companies that have paid to unlock your profile can watch. Everyone else sees that you have a video, not the video itself.
Before they unlock you
Companies we have verified can also watch while they decide who to unlock. Visitors who aren't signed in and search engines still can't.
If you switch it on: first name only, no email, phone or handles in the video, and an upload account that doesn't show your full name.
Questions creatives ask
- Is a video introduction required?
- No. Your portfolio is what gets you listed on Talyer and unlocked by companies. The video is the first time a company hears you explain your work, and it is what they watch before they write to you.
- Who can see my video?
- By default, only companies that have paid to unlock your profile. If you switch on "Let verified companies watch it before they unlock me" on your profile, companies we have verified can also watch it while deciding. Either way it is never shown to visitors who aren't signed in, to search engines, or to other creatives.
- Should I let companies watch it before they unlock me?
- It can help: a company deciding between three people can hear you before paying to reach you. The trade-off is that companies who haven't paid yet see your face and hear your voice. If you switch it on, say your first name only, keep your email, phone and social handles out of the video, and upload from a Loom or YouTube account that doesn't show your full name. You can switch it off any time.
- Does it have to be in English?
- Yes. The companies hiring here are in the US, UK, Australia and Singapore. You don't need a perfect accent. Clear and unhurried is what they are listening for. Speak a little slower than feels natural.
- How long should it be?
- 60 to 90 seconds. Under a minute rarely leaves room for a piece of work; over two minutes and most people stop watching.
- What equipment do I need?
- The phone you already have, a window, and earphones with a mic. Nobody expects studio lighting, and a video that looks over-produced can read as a promo instead of a person.
- Can I replace it later?
- Yes. Record a new one whenever your work or availability changes and paste the new link over the old one. Companies see whatever link is on your profile.
- How do I add it to my profile?
- Sign in, open your profile, paste the link into Video Introduction and save. If you never set a password, use "Email me a sign-in link" on the sign-in page.
Already on Talyer?
Sign in and paste your link into Video Introduction on your profile. No password? Ask for a sign-in link.
Sign in to add your videoNot on Talyer yet? Apply with your work. The video comes after.