How to be Confident on Camera
If you have ever been scared to show up on video because you don’t feel confident on camera… I feel ya. We’re going to talk about how to be confident on camera. And I’m going to give you a pep talk!
How to be Confident on Camera! Tips for learning to talk to a camera as a beginner
Want to watch a video version of this post? I’ve got you covered!
Remember – your videos are NOT about you!
I totally get where you’re coming from. As someone who’s been on camera for years now, I can’t say that you’ll ever just love to watch yourself on camera or listen to yourself talk. But I will say that it gets easier to talk to a camera!
Learning to be confident on camera really starts when you realize that the videos you’re putting out aren’t really about you. Your videos are more about the person who needs your content.
This is the BIGGEST piece of the puzzle when it comes to learning to talk to a camera as a beginner. Choosing not to create the content that we want to put out into the world is actually a little bit selfish. Somebody may REALLY need you and the way you deliver information. So if you aren’t showing up because you think your hair looks bad or you look fat on camera – it’s NOT about you.
Keep that in mind far and above all of the other tips I give you.
I completely understand feeling scared of being on camera.
I’ve been there. I put off filming YouTube videos for months because I kept telling myself, “I’ll do that when…” If I would have waited to start my YouTube channel until I lost the 15 pounds I wanted to lose, I STILL wouldn’t be on YouTube four years later. Just saying.
We get so hung up on how we feel about ourselves on camera that we let it stop us from ever pursuing our content. Somebody NEEDS what you want to put out into the world! If you let a lack of confidence on camera stop you, then that person will never find what they need.
Nobody is looking at you the way that you’re looking at you.
So you turn the camera on and you’re thinking…
My hair is sticking up weird.
My eyebrow looks funny when I say that thing.
I’m not as pretty as this other person.
This is true beyond a shadow of a doubt. When you look at yourself on camera and pick apart your appearance, I promise you that nobody else is looking at you that way.
Instead, they’re thinking about how great the information you gave them was or how interesting your content is for them to watch.
Yes, you’ll pick yourself apart on camera, but nobody else is looking at you in that way.
Tips on learning to talk to a camera as a beginner
It comes down to one thing…
Make like Nike and JUST DO IT.
Once you get on camera, start doing Instagram stories or creating Reels, whatever it is that you want to do with video… It’ll get SO MUCH EASIER.
You get in the habit of seeing yourself and being on video once you start creating. And you’ll start to see the positive comments that come from your content. The more you do it, the better you’ll get, the less awkward you get, and the more confident on camera you’ll feel.
So just do it!
If filming videos feels scary, then just do it and ship it off somewhere else.
Some people have a really hard time watching a video back to edit themselves because they start picking themselves apart. If that sounds like you, then just do it and send it somewhere else! Find someone to edit your videos so you don’t have to stress over every “uhm” or watch yourself up close.
That sounds expensive, but there are easy ways to outsource your editing process without spending a fortune. Fiverr is a platform that can connect you with video editors for very inexpensive rates, and you can even develop a relationship with a creator there to edit your videos long-term. You can check out some video editors on the platform right here! *this link is an affiliate link*
By outsourcing editing, you get to watch the final product of a video rather than the awkward pauses. It’ll make you much more confident already and make sure that you actually publish it rather than sit on it forever.
Start small and keep your videos private within a small group of people!
If you’re feeling really nervous about sharing your videos at first, create a private space that you only share with a few people. That way, you can get used to publishing your videos and having people watch them, but without the pressure of a totally public platform.
Maybe you’re recording videos at first, get them edited by somebody, and then add them to a private Facebook group with you and your husband or you and your best friend. Then, you can have that person watch them, and I PROMISE you they’ll tell you how great your video was.
As you get more comfortable with more and more people seeing it that you trust, the more comfortable you’ll get putting it out on the Internet for strangers to see.
Slowly add people to your private group and what your confidence on camera grow!
Actually “talk to a friend” when you record
No, I don’t mean invite your friend to your house to watch you film. But you can tape a photo of your best friend to your camera and pretend that you’re talking to them!
A lot of times, the barrier to being confident on camera is feeling awkward when we record. Imagining a conversation between you and a friend takes away some of that weirdness!
If you feel like your personality doesn’t come across right on camera or that you seem awkward when the video is done, “talking to a friend” can make a big difference.
If you’re worried about your personality not coming across on camera…
You know how they say the camera adds ten pounds? Well it also sucks EVERY bit of personality out of your face!
I don’t know what it is about a camera, but if you show up and talk to a camera like you would someone who’s sitting next to you, it won’t translate well.
Double your personality on camera. Speak a little louder and be more animated! I don’t mean to totally change who you are, but I do mean to amplify your personality a little bit so that your actual personality comes across on camera.
When you project your personality, it will make your personality come across soooo much better on camera!
Don’t watch yourself film your videos
The camera that I film on has a flip out screen that lets me see myself when I’m recording. Which makes sense – you need to know that you’re positioned right in the shot and that you’re in focus. But if you feel awkward when you record, then use that little screen to get yourself in frame and then flip that sucker back around!
This is the number one tip I’d recommend if you pick yourself apart while you’re filming. It’ll make you feel like you’re just chatting with someone rather than scrutinizing your every move.
Being confident on camera comes with time
Whether you’re doing Instagram stories or recording videos for YouTube, the more you do it, the more confident on camera you’ll get.
After YEARS of recording myself, I can tell you that I don’t look at myself on camera and think about how incredible I look or something. But I also don’t pick myself apart anymore. The information is more important than your appearance!
If you’ll keep going and practicing, then you will totally learn how to be confident on camera.
