4 Ways to build camera confidence if you’re camera shy or an introvert
Talking to the camera can feel unnatural and super awkward if you’re not used to it. But with a bit of practice, anyone can go from a video amateur to a video rockstar. Here are four practices I have used as someone socially awkward and battles with social anxiety to build camera confidence.
Prepare Your Zone:
Similar to how an actress can't jump into playing a role/character without preparation, you can't hop on camera and film a good video without preparing behind the scenes. Know what you want to say to save yourself time, film storage, and battery (emotionally and camera battery-wise). You might be an expert on the topic, but not preparing will have you saying "umm, uhh, like, etc.). That doesn't mean you need to write a script, but at the very least, outline points you want and need to cover.
Warm Up On Camera:
It's good to warm up on camera before recording. If you go in cold, you might get cold feet and talk yourself out of filming. So, turn on your camera, and get comfortable being in front of the camera. You do a short practice run recording and get a feel for how you want to present, the volume you want to speak, and the tone you want to use. It's helpful to film when you're alone to be your most comfortable or in front of someone that makes you feel comfortable.
Write Down Your WHY Statement And Affirmations:
This "why statement" will be your motivation and inspiration whenever your doubts arise. Then address any doubts and nervousness you have. If you're afraid of being judged and mean comments, ask yourself if the negative outweighs your WHY. If not, create a stronger why. LOL! Analyze your and use reason (does people's judgment stop my bills from getting paid, does it stop me from living, does it dictate my future). Once you realize that your fear isn't the end of the world, you're ready to record.
Do It
Tips and advice will only take you so far. The actual sauce is putting in the work and doing it despite your fear. Your first and the following 100 videos might not be fantastic, but your 101 videos will be perfect. Does that mean you should record 100 takes of the same video until you can get that perfect one? Heck no! But when you accept that the only way you get better is consistency, you'll not have to be laser-focused on perfection. Focus on putting out videos with quality content, and perfection will naturally come.
Now that you got the mental tools to build your camera confidence, get to recording, and feel free to follow me on social media @KBMarketingMedia or send me a DM letting me know how this blog helped you.