How to Get Comfortable on Camera When You Hate Being Filmed
By Kamal Abdelrahman, filmmaker and personal branding strategist, Dubai
Almost nobody likes watching themselves on video. Your voice sounds weird. Your face does something strange. You notice things nobody else will ever see.
I've filmed plenty of confident people, including CEOs, who go stiff the moment the red light comes on. So if you hate being on camera, it doesn't mean you're bad at it. It just means you're normal.
Comfort on camera is a skill, and it comes from repetition. Here's how to build it.
Understand why it feels strange
When you talk to someone, you get constant feedback. They nod, they smile, they react. A lens gives you nothing. It's just a black circle staring back at you. So your brain starts panicking and filling the silence with self-criticism.
And the voice? You normally hear your voice through your own skull as well as through the air. A recording only has the air part. So it always sounds strange to you, and normal to everybody else.
Start where no one's watching
Don't begin by posting. Begin with a private practice.
Week 1: Record yourself for 60 seconds a day, and don't post it. Talk about anything: your day, a client question, something you've read. You don't even have to watch it back at first. You're just getting used to pressing record and speaking.
Week 2: Watch them back. Look for one thing only. Maybe you're speaking too fast, or saying "um" a lot. Don't try to fix everything. Choose one.
Week 3: Send one to a friend. Pick someone kind who'll tell you the truth. You'll probably hear that it's far better than you think.
Week 4: Post one. Yes, it'll feel uncomfortable. You'll live.
Talk to one person
This is the single best trick I know. Don't imagine "your audience." Think of one real person, like a client or a friend, and explain the thing to them.
Better still, have someone sit right next to the camera and ask you the question. You'll look nearly at the lens, and you'll speak like a human. This is what I do with almost everyone I film, and the change is immediate.
Don't memorise a script
Memorising makes things worse. You stop thinking about what you mean, and start trying to remember what comes next. Then you forget a word and it all falls apart.
Instead, use three bullet points. Know where you're starting, where you're going and where you'll end. Say it differently each time, and that's fine.
And talk about what you already know. You're not nervous when explaining your own job to a friend. Stay close to that.
Set yourself up physically
Small things can make a big difference to how you feel.
- → Stand up if you can. Your voice and energy are usually better on your feet.
- → Face a window. Good light makes you look better, and you'll feel better about it.
- → Put the camera at eye level. Filming up from below on a laptop flatters no one.
- → Hide your screen. Watching yourself while recording is distracting. Use the back camera, or cover the preview.
- → Use your hands. Stiff arms make you feel stiff. Move the way you normally do when you talk.
- → Warm up. Talk out loud for a few minutes before you record. Your first take is always your worst.
Give yourself permission to mess up
You're not live. Nobody will see your mistakes. If you stumble, pause, take a breath and start the sentence again. It takes seconds to cut in editing.
Leave in the small human moments, too. A small stumble, a laugh or a pause makes you real. Nobody connects with a robot. If you watch the people you actually follow, they probably aren't perfect either.
Stop watching for what's wrong
When you watch yourself, you'll see your nose, your hairline and your double chin. Your viewer's thinking about something else: "Is this useful to me?" Nobody's noticing what you notice.
So when you review, ask better questions. Was it clear? Did I get to the point? Would I keep watching if it were someone else?
What about nerves?
Nerves mean you care. They don't disappear, but they do get quieter. A few things that can help:
- → Take a few slow breaths before you start
- → Smile before you hit record. It changes your voice
- → Film when you've got energy, not at the end of a long day
- → Film alone at first, or with one person you trust
- → Keep your first videos short
Expect it to take time
You won't feel comfortable after three videos. You might start to feel it after 30. Almost everyone I know who looks natural on camera today was terrible at the start, and they'd probably delete those early videos if they could.
I'm Kamal Abdelrahman, and I've spent 9+ years behind the camera watching people go through this. The ones who get good aren't the ones who were born confident. They're the ones who kept pressing record.
Tonight, record 60 seconds on your phone answering one question a client asked you this week. Don't post it. Just press record.
Looking for this kind of work? See personal branding in Dubai.