When the 2020 Pandemic hit, every aspect of my work that I typically did in a room within literal reach of an audience of one many– from executive presence leadership coaching, to group presentation skills training, to giving keynote presentations— moved 100% to a virtual platform. Staring into lens of the Logitech camera perched on the top of my computer screen, I was taken back to my early days as a professional actress in New York City when, after several years of auditioning for and performing in plays and musicals, I started to audition for television and film projects. Though the former occasionally pushed my performance anxiety buttons, it was typically a pleasurable experience for me (I do love a live audience). The latter, however, was infinitely more stressful, because it usually involved my audition being recorded on videotape and, often, my having to speak directly into a camera.
The first time I was “put on tape,” as the process of an on-camera audition is called, it felt like all my years of actor training went right out the window: As soon as the casting director for the tv project asked me to “slate your name and your agency” and the little light popped on indicating the camera was rolling, I froze. Specifically, my entire face and body suddenly stiffened up. I didn’t know quite where to look or what the heck to do with my hands, and my lines came out as stiffly as I felt. Needless to say, I didn’t get the gig.
It took me quite a while to learn how to be real and relaxed in front of a camera. When I moved to Los Angeles from New York, I even took an excellent audition course for professional actors to up my camera game. It helped. Over time, I got better and better at the process of showing up with a camera lens in my face. I use those skillsets and techniques every day now, as I give presentations, teach courses, or meet with clients over Zoom. I teach these camera skills to my clients, too. Because, in this still-mostly-virtual pandemic world they are like I was as a young actress: Struggling to show up with confidence and authenticity in front of a camera lens. “It’s going to be recorded, they fret. “What if I mess up and say something stupid? And where do I even look?”
I don’t want your discomfort with performing in front of a camera to stop you from sharing your ideas, your wisdom or your perspectives with an audience who needs them. With that in mind, here are three ways to be more confident when faced with a camera— whether you’re speaking on Facebook Live, engaged in a weekly team meeting, taping a brief YouTube marketing video to post on YouTube, or presenting to your team on a virtual platform.
1.Prepare Yourself: When it comes to increasing your camera confidence, I cannot stress how important it is to be properly prepared on every level. The more prepared you are, the more you can let go and relax into the moment. As I like to say, “Practice builds confidence, confidence builds presence, and presence is power.” If you’re giving a presentation, get to know your material like the back of your hand. You want to practice enough so that your eyes can remain primarily on your audience (meaning, your camera lens), rather than on your notes. This also means mastering the components of your tech or your virtual platform by practicing with it until it becomes second nature to you.
2.Talk to the camera, not your computer screen: When it comes to virtual meetings and presentations, the hardest thing for many of us to learn as speakers is to look into the camera lens, and not at the thumbnails of people on the screen in front of you. The fact is, when you look and speak into the camera lens, it is as if you are speaking directly to every person who is watching. Conversely, when you choose to look anywhere but the camera, or look willy-nilly at the various people on your screen, your eyes bounce around and it feels to each of your audience members that you are not connecting with them at all. This technique can be difficult to learn, as it’s not exactly natural to keep one’s eyes focused a single spot for long periods of time. If it helps, print out an illustration of a pair of silly eyeballs and tape them to each side of your camera (I did that for the first couple of months of the pandemic, and it really helped me learn to focus on the lens). Also, when you’re not speaking, feel free to look at the screen and at whoever is talking so you can read their body language and rest your eyes a bit. Then, when it’s your turn to speak again, bring your eyes back to the camera lens (think of it as returning to “home base”).
3.Relax Your Body: Top-level acting teachers taught me the value of doing whatever I could to physically relax myself prior to stepping on stage. That’s because you can’t transmit or receive effectively in a body that is tensed up and shut down (or “sphinctered up,” as I like to call it). You must counteract the tension and nerves that can build up in your body prior to stepping (or sitting) in front of a camera). To do this, shake out your hands, feet, and legs. Screw up your face like a prune, then release your face. Bring your shoulders up to your ears, and then exhale with a sigh (do this several times). If possible, put on some great music and shake your bootie (why do you think photographers play music during a photo shoot?)—sing or hum along to it to warm up your voice. Remember: The more physically relaxed you are, the more you can access your wisdom, your feelings, and your sense of humor as the moments unfold.
I hope you find my three suggestions useful, and that you use them to help you share your gifts, your knowledge and your perspective to your virtual audiences. Because the world needs to hear what you’ve got to say. Use your words to change your world!
FREE ENTREPRENEUR CAMERA CONFIDENCE 21-DAY ONLINE SERIES! If you want to learn more from me, and other camera presence experts, about how to gain greater camera confidence, I strongly recommend you sign up for the free Entrepreneur Camera Confidence 21-Day Online series that my pal, photographer and virtual presence guru, Gina Baker, has put together. It starts Monday, June 28th. And not only does Gina interview me (in a truly great, spirited conversation filled with awesome tips and tools), she interviews 20 other camera confidence experts (including professional on-air TV personalities). And let me state it again: The online series is FREE!
NOTE: Once you register, you’ll have 48 hours to access my interview, starting on Monday, June 28th. And for almost three weeks thereafter, a new interview with Gina and one of the other experts will hit your e-mail in-box.