Video content: 11 tips to get comfortable on camera

Sweaty palms… shortness of breath… can’t speak… No, we’re not talking about symptoms of a medical illness. If you’re uncomfortable with being on camera for your marketing content, for media interviews, or even in a virtual client or team meeting, you may have experienced one or all of these discomforts. It can be frustrating and may even be the thing holding you back from doing an amazing video strategy to grow your business.

It's very common to feel uncomfortable on video. A lot of people don’t like the idea of being recorded – especially if you are the centre of attention! Don’t worry, because there are certain things you can do to help yourself feel more comfortable being on camera.

Here are 11 tips to help you get comfortable on camera.

Plan ahead – map it out, but don’t script it

Most people can’t just speak off the top of their head when it comes to being on camera. Even if you are a subject matter expert, if you’re uncomfortable, you’re likely not thinking straight. Plan ahead and create talking points to outline the main message(s) you want to get across. When I prep clients for media interviews, we always do bullet points so it can guide their thoughts, not tell them exactly what to say.

Creating speaking points is usually better than scripting exactly what you’ll say (unless it’s crisis communications where legal ramifications are tied to specific wording) because it comes across as more genuine. The idea is you want to plan ahead, but make it feel spontaneous. Talking points will do that for you!

Practice, practice, practice

While you don’t need to script every word you say, you should still do a practice run before diving into the real thing. You can either do a few runs on camera and look back to see how you did or you can simply practice in front of a mirror. Regardless, being able to see yourself while you speak can help you figure out what to do with your hands and facial expressions. You also need to make sure you’re speaking out loud so you can get a feel for how you sound.

Practicing means you’ll feel more prepared, which can lessen any anxiety or nerves you have.

Figure out what to do with your body (ody, ody)

Body language will not only affect how your audience receives your message, but it will also affect how YOU feel about your message and how you deliver it. Slouching over, having your arms crossed or folded across your body, or turning away from the camera are all things that make you seem closed off and unapproachable. As hard as it may be you need to face the camera and let your arms hang naturally. If you’re a hand talker, use your hands! If you really don’t know what to do with your hands and body position, you can try putting ONE hand in a pocket, leaning casually on something, or have your hands rest on a table in front of you. And if what to do with your hands is really causing you stress, hold something and have them off camera. For example, sometimes I squeeze a stress ball during meetings or classes if I have too much nervous energy!

The biggest thing to remember is that you need to SMILE.

Remember to breathe

There is nothing more uncomfortable than feeling like you can’t catch your breath… Shallow, quick breathing will also make you feel more anxious. Take a few deep breaths before you get started. And while you are speaking on camera use deep breaths as a way to give yourself a pause and slow down.

Just in general don’t rush yourself.

Find your (good) light

If you’re worried about how you’ll appear on camera, a quick fix can easily be your lighting. You don’t need fancy, expensive equipment either! Just make sure that your lighting is front-facing – not above or behind you. An easy way to achieve this is to face a window. If you don’t have that ability, get a ring light or use a lamp.

Tip for glasses wearers: to avoid harsh reflections in your glasses, do your video facing a white wall and, instead of pointing your light towards you flip it around so it is pointing towards the wall. It will reflect off the wall and give a softer glow instead of a harsh light.

Avoid eye (camera) contact

For many people, looking directly into the camera can be just as unsettling as making direct eye contact. You can avoid this by looking just above the camera. It will look like you are looking at the camera  and making eye contact, but you can avoid the discomfort.

Take baby steps

If being on camera is just too much for you, take baby steps. Start by doing some videos that have you just off camera and showing your hands. If that doesn’t make sense for your business, you could do a voice over where you show your products or even have text slides that you speak over. After doing some video content like this you can try getting on camera again.

Pretend you’re talking to a friend

Sometimes it can be helpful to imagine you’re having a conversation with a friend rather than making a video for marketing purposes. If you’re having trouble visualizing another person, try having someone sitting right off camera. If it helps they can even ask you questions and you can film your reply. It’s easy to edit the off-camera voice later.

Embrace mistakes

We are human and even the most seasoned actors and professionals trip over words sometimes. No one is expecting perfection. They want to know what it will be like working with you. You’re not a robot so give yourself a bit of grace and don’t film it over and over because it’s not perfect. That gets pretty discouraging after a while.

Keep doing it

Regardless of how your first or second or third video turns out, keep creating content. It only gets easier and better over time.

If all else fails… POWER POSES

I talked about body language earlier… But one thing that absolutely helps is to take some time to do a power pose before you get started. Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart. Relax your shoulders and put your fits on your hips. Puff your chest out like a superhero. You might feel a little silly at first, but stand there for a minute and take a few deep breaths. It will help to calm and focus you.

Did we miss any? What do you do to help yourself get relaxed to be on camera? Tell us in the comments!