YouTube has always been a constant hub of content, including skits and acting videos, and TikTok has become a strong competitor. At the end of the day, both platforms are where all the acting is these days and both are a great place to start.

YouTubers and actors on the site are incredibly helpful, and give tips ranging from acting techniques to editing videos. I don’t know about you, but whenever I watch skits on TikTok, I can’t help but think about how much I’d love to give it a try. So far, my most recent video only has 209 views as of today, but that’s okay! This is what we’re here to do, to improve acting skills at home and make the most of this hobby during the pandemic.

If we want to improve our skills and lead up to making skits to post online, a great place to start is with basic warm-ups. Getting tongue-tied while trying to deliver the punchline isn’t always going to make it funnier.

Here are some of my favorite warm-ups I learned over the years in theatre that you can do at home by yourself:

• Pretend you have peanut butter all over your teeth and try to get it off with your tongue (I know it’s so gross but I mean it when I say trust the process)
• Stretching! Simply stretching out all of your muscles before getting into it helps.
• Tongue twisters, this can range from the classic “sally sells sea shells by the sea shore” to ones more common in theatre like “red leather yellow leather”
• Character walks! This can be done with other people, but when by yourself, try to imitate the way characters carry themselves and walk. This can be normal, or totally out-there and cartoonish.

After warming up, think about some funny jokes or skits that have been in the back of your mind since that initial “dang I’d love to make funny videos on YouTube, that would be so much fun” thought crossed your mind. I know they’re in there. Then, record yourself acting them out! This can be unedited, or choppy, it doesn’t matter. This is just for you, and I can guarantee you will not like what you’re seeing once you watch it back. Don’t worry, it’s part of the process!

After you have these videos for yourself, you’ll know exactly what to improve. I, for example, look at the camera way too much. When I watch videos of myself, I think to avoid the camera in the future. This is a great way to improve your acting for the camera skills by yourself. Over time, you’ll become more comfortable with the camera and be able to watch your videos back and think “not bad” instead of “I wish I deleted this yesterday.”

Practice makes perfect. The more you try, the more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be delivering that punchline or making that funny face. So get out there and practice, and maybe I’ll see you on my For You Page on TikTok! : )