{"id":430,"date":"2008-10-09T01:35:21","date_gmt":"2008-10-09T06:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/2008\/10\/09\/overcoming-camera-anxiety\/"},"modified":"2023-09-28T19:02:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T00:02:30","slug":"overcoming-camera-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.videoproductiontips.com\/overcoming-camera-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Camera Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you find yourself wanting to make a video, but never getting around to it because you are too afraid to appear on camera? Well, you’re not alone.<\/p>\n

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.<\/em><\/strong> They simply do not feel comfortable appearing on camera.<\/p>\n

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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 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Well, guess what? Although perfectly understandable, neither fear is truly justified if you think about it this way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, if you goof, don’t worry about it. 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! Pretend they never happened.<\/p>\n

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Smile for the camera! <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Professional actors goof all the time, it’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Retakes and editing are the solution.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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. Here’s how to handle it.<\/p>\n

For one thing, remember that most 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.<\/strong> Psychological research that shows being bombarded with images of sexy, gorgeous people all the time breeds insecurity and leads to things like eating disorders.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Especially when making videos for the internet,<\/strong><\/em> 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. \u00a0So embrace your non-model appearance as a marketing tool for trust.<\/p>\n

Now see, isn’t that a magnificent and reassuring way to think about it?<\/p>\n

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Don’t think for one second that Internet video needs to be held to the same standards as professional TV.<\/em><\/strong> In fact, the truth is, viewers like Internet video in part because it is NOT professional TV. Everyone knows “real” TV is fake\u2026staged. People crave reality, so go ahead and give it to them.<\/p>\n

Now, here are a few technical video production tips to help you look your best, and feel comfortable on camera<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n