Overcoming Camera Anxiety: Learning How To Be An On-Camera Presenter

According to humorist Mark Twain“There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.”

Fear of public speaking is famously ranked as the number 2 fear, right behind death.  So rest assured, if you are nervous about the mere thought of speaking on camera, you are far from alone.

So-called “camera shyness” is incredibly common and is probably the single biggest reason why people put off making the videos they want to make. They simply do not feel comfortable appearing on camera.  The discomfort usually shows.  The likely audience won’t be fooled.

What are people actually afraid of? It’s not like the camera is going to bite them. I have literally put thousands of people on camera and I listened to them all, then tried to give whatever assurances were needed.  After decades of experience putting average folks on TV, I promise it boils down to one of two things.

• First and foremost, people are insecure about the way they look or sound. They’re afraid they look too fat, too skinny, too old or too ugly. They’re stuck with a face made for radio.
• The other thing that bothers folks is the fear of that they will make a mistake. Goof up. They’re afraid of saying the wrong thing and that people watching the video will laugh at them.

I want you to notice that both of those things center around feeling embarrassed or humiliated.   

I often felt like the single largest unspoken job duty I had as a video photographer was to make subjects feel comfortable with the entire process.

I myself suffered extreme camera anxiety when I was a young adult, so I always empathized with people.  I was a behind-the-scenes person on the TV industry because I hated being on camera more than just about anything in the world.  Truthfully, I was extreme.  I ended up turning down career opportunities I later regretted.  Over the years, I managed to get over it by developing a new mindset and then practicing in comfortable situations before moving on to uncomfortable situations.  This might mean practicing in front of friends and family before tackling an event in front of strangers. I even practiced before an empty room.

I strongly believe that teens and young adults who are deathly afraid of appearing in camera probably face critical authority figures and situations in other areas of life.  Or they hear everyone around them making fun of the people they see on TV.  Whatever the specifics, they seem to have an exaggerated sense of how much criticism they will receive.  Assure them it won’t be that bad.

Here is the reasoning I used, and you can too, to realize going on camera did not have to be so nerve wracking.  

First, if you goof, don’t worry about it. You are in the learning stages.  Classrooms are for learning. Learning is a process of making mistakes, then correcting them with new knowledge and practice.  So if you make a mistake, that is alright.

No one expects you to be perfect.  In fact, most folks will probably expect students to be waaaaay LESS than perfect.

If you goof, just do it again. When you make a video, you have total control. It is NOT live TV. You can allow take #900 if necessary. Destroy the bad takes. No one will ever see them! If they do, more than likely compassion will rule.  If not, please use it as an experience to steal yourself against hurtful comments that other people should not even make.   Some people WILL be cruel with comments, you can count on it.   Even the most popular TV personalities also have harsh critics.  Sadly, it is the nature of the game.  Being a pro in the TV industry take more guts than most people realize.

Professional actors goof all the time, it’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Retakes and editing are the solution.

The more you practice, the less prone you’ll be to making mistakes.  Practice definitely makes perfect when it comes to feeling comfortable presenting on camera.  At first, I used to practice at home with no camera or lights present because I needed to get used to feeling my voice coming out of my body.  At first, I felt silly, but then it got to be fun.  If you feel super nervous, I suggest you try that.

Now the other fear is a little more difficult to handle. Most of us are a little insecure about how we look and sound on camera. That’s only natural.

Depending on the severity of the insecurity, a brief enthusiastic pep talk ought to do the trick.  I often had private conversations with students about this sensitive topic.

As much as the world pushes beauty, beauty, beauty, truth is many viewers really don’t WANT to be staring at lots of gorgeous people. Constantly looking at Barbie and Ken dolls is intimidating for most viewers because it makes them feel bad about their own looks. They feel like they can’t measure up. Psychological research shows being bombarded with images of sexy, gorgeous people all the time breeds insecurity and leads to things like eating disorders, especially among teens.

Watching a “normal” looking person on camera actually helps viewers feel more comfortable. They will relate to the normal looking person more easily, and THAT’S what you really want, to build that relationship through video.

People are sick and tired of seeing drop-dead gorgeous people on TV all the time. Viewers have come to distrust that sort of thing because they know that paid spokesmen will say whatever they are told to say, so red flags start popping up.

Especially when making videos for the internet, if you come across as too polished, viewers will think the video is just another corporate public relations job. They won’t trust you as much, and trust is what you want to build.  So embrace your non-model appearance as a marketing tool for trust.

Now see, isn’t that a magnificent and reassuring way to think about it?

Don’t think for one second that Internet video needs to be held to the same standards as professional TV. In fact, the truth is, viewers like Internet video in part because it is NOT professional TV. Everyone knows “real” TV is fake…staged. People crave reality, so go ahead and give it to them.

Now, here are a few technical video production tips to help you look your best, and feel comfortable on camera.

• You will look your best if you use soft, diffused lighting. No matter who you are or what you look like, soft diffused lighting is the most flattering. It helps hide wrinkles and other imperfections.
• Another trick is to stand or sit behind something. A podium, a chair, a desk. This way, you won’t feel quite so exposed. Make sure the viewer has something to look at besides you.
• The type of shot you use will also affect how you look. Very few people look good in an extreme close up. Move the camera back a bit to a wider shot. No point in showing people your nose hairs.
• Let the on-camera person look away from the camera and stare at a person off to the side of the camera.  This will make it look like an interview, so is not appropriate for every situation, but if someone can look at something other than a lens, they will feel less nervous.
• Another great tool to help you feel comfortable is some deep breathing. Those jitters might just disappear if you spend a few minutes taking some deep breaths before the camera rolls.
• Use a soft focus filter, either while you shoot or in editing.
• Do a voice-over instead of face on camera.  VOs are so much easier.  Obviously, you lose something, but in some cases, this can help.  A variation of this option is to do PART of it on camera and most of it as voice over.  An open and close on camera and the rest voice over is a fairly standard practice.
• Feeling comfortable on camera might take some practice. So allow yourself some time to get used to it. Very few people feel comfortable right away, so don’t expect to be any different from the crowd.  Practice, practice, practice.  Breathe deep, relax and carry on.

Any and all deep breathing and relaxation techniques can help your body calm down. Stress and nervousness have a large physiological impact on the body.  Overcoming the physical  signs of nervousness can help you overcome the actual nervousness.

I hope this advice helps you overcome any anxiety you might feel appearing on camera. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect, in fact, being perfect is something you actually want to avoid. Now we can all rejoice at that!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

• What are your personal feelings about appearing on video camera?  Does it make you nervous, do you think it’s incredible fun, or somewhere in between?
• In your own words, describe the idea presented in the article that many viewers actually enjoy seeing “real” people in a video over gorgeous people.
• List three video production tactics that can help a nervous person feel more comfortable appearing on video camera.

Thanks for reading Video Production Tips

Lorraine Grula