STAR sessions

COPIED

5 mins

STAR sessions

Filming pointers for nail tutorials

Shoot for success with advice & inspo from North America’s Star Nail Artist – Season 2 champion,

JESSICA VERO

T his month is an exciting one for the North America’s Star Nail Artist (NASNA) contest. The entry window closes on September 6, and the shortlist announcement will follow on September 14. Before we know it, October will be here and Season 3’s contestants will be diving into Challenge 1.

In this article, I share my top filming tips. While these are especially helpful for NASNA competitors, they’re equally valuable for any nail technician creating tutorials or educational content.

Each NASNA challenge requires contestants to submit a video alongside photos. This allows them to showcase innovative techniques, problem-solving methods and approaches that make their work stand out. A clear, high-quality video is essential for maximising points in the contest.

Stay in frame

A common challenge when filming is simply staying in frame. When you’re working on a competition piece with products scattered across your desk, it’s surprisingly easy to shift a few inches and disappear from the camera’s view. My solution is simple: I tape a sheet of white cardstock to my desk, line my phone camera up with it, then mark the edges of the camera’s frame with small pencil lines. As long as I create within those marks, I know my work is on camera.

Small details can also make a big difference. Keep your hair tied back so it doesn’t block the shot, and clean your camera lens regularly throughout filming. Nail dust, acrylic powder, fingerprints and product residue can quickly build up on the lens, meaning footage can look soft or out of focus.

It’s also important to remember that filming for competitions is different to creating short-form content for social media. In a competition context, you film for clarity – not entertainment. Judges need to clearly see techniques, placements and execution without distraction. On social media, quick cuts, dramatic angles and fast-paced edits can work well to grab attention, but for competition submissions, simplicity and visibility should be prioritised.

Lighting matters

When filming under powerful LED lights, footage can become overexposed – sometimes causing dark bars or flickering to appear across the screen. If this happens, adjust your camera’s exposure settings. On my iPhone, an exposure of +0.3 or +0.7 works best with my lighting setup, but every workspace is different. Before you begin filming, record a few test clips and review them to make sure your lighting, focus and exposure are correct. It’s much easier to make adjustments before you’ve filmed hours of footage.

It’s up to you if you want to invest in an expensive filming setup, but I’ve found that you can achieve excellent video quality with minimal equipment. I use two clamp-on swing arm desk lamps because they can be positioned to illuminate different areas of the nails. I originally purchased an expensive ring light, but it created an obvious circular reflection on the nail surface, so I no longer use it. Sometimes, the simplest setup produces the best results.

I recommend investing in a sturdy overhead phone mount. It keeps your camera stable, helps you maintain a consistent angle throughout videos and makes it much easier to stay in frame while you work. One final tip: keep a sheet of white foam poster board nearby for photographing or filming wide shots of your finished work. It creates a clean background that helps the nails stand out.

With a simple, reliable setup, you can focus on your creativity instead of your equipment. Whether you’re filming for a competition, tutorial or social media, the goal is always the same: make your techniques are easy to follow and let your artistry take centre stage.

STEP-BY-STEP: 3D sunflower

If you’re interested in trying competition-style 3D nail art, I recommend starting with flowers. They are one of the best subjects for developing product control, while allowing you to experiment with realism.

The biggest difference between salon and competition 3D art is the objective. In salon work, the focus is wearability, while in competitions, the focus shifts to lifelike detail. Rather than sculpting around the nail, I sculpt the flower as it would naturally exist. I study my reference image and recreate how each petal naturally curves, overlaps and sits within the flower.

It is easy to break a flower down into simple shapes. Sculpting each petal helps build confidence in acrylic application. It can also improve bead and brush control, as well as product understanding. In this tutorial, I share how to create a sunflower. If you are a beginner, you can follow the same steps, but produce a simple flower with just five or six petals.

PRO TIP

Sculpt onto a curved surface; consider using form paper or the top of a dual form. I use the tubes that house brushes. If you apply a form to the tube, you have a long surface on which to create lots of petals.

Step 1 Place a small bead of yellow L&P acrylic onto the sculpting surface and use the belly of a brush to press into a petal shape. Apply the greatest pressure to the centre, while leaving a delicate raised edge around the perimeter to create realistic dimension. Repeat until you have enough petals for the design, and vary their direction to create natural movement.

Step 2 Create the leaves using the same technique, but sculpt them larger in size and use the brush to mould into shape while setting.

Step 3 Sculpt a flat disc using dark green L&P acrylic to form the base of the flower. Before it sets, insert a wire into the back to create the stem and secure it with acrylic.

Step 4 Attach the petals to the acrylic disc using nail glue. Place them in two layers, slightly overlapping them to recreate the natural growth pattern of a sunflower.

Step 5 Using a two-toned bead of brown and orange L&P acrylic, build the centre of the flower. As the acrylic begins to set, texture it with a needle pen or small dotting tool to create the appearance of tiny florets.

Step 6 Shape the wire stem into the desired position, cover with green acrylic and secure to the nail. Attach the leaves along the wire.

Step 7 Add high and lowlights to the flower to add depth, definition and aid realism. Remember – don’t aim for perfection. Small differences in shape, curve and colour can make a 3D sculpture look lifelike.