How to be confident on camera

Why do you get nervous in front of a camera?

A camera gives you no feedback. In a conversation you see nods and smiles and adjust as you go, while a lens shows you nothing. At the same time you are judging yourself as you speak, and the recording feels permanent, as if every slip will stay there for good.

Adrenaline before a take is a normal response, and it shows far less on screen than it feels from the inside. It also helps to remember who is watching: each viewer sees the video alone, so you are talking to one person at a time. And unless you choose to go live, any mistake can be cut. If the fear is overwhelming, a coach or another professional can help.

How do you prepare before you film?

Give yourself ten minutes before the first take:

1. Loosen your shoulders and neck for two minutes: roll them, then shake out your arms.
2. Breathe slowly for about a minute, letting each exhale last longer than the inhale.
3. Warm up your voice and articulation for two minutes. A voice warm-up gives you ready-made drills.
4. Say your first line out loud three times, stressing a different word each time.
5. Check the frame and the light.
6. Drink a glass of water, then start recording.

Know your opening and closing lines by heart, and put the middle on three or four bullet points. Keep the sentences short: they are easier to say well.

A camera flattens energy. Lift yours a little above your usual conversational level, and on screen it will look normal.

Where should you look, and what do you do with your hands?

When you talk straight to camera, look into the lens, set at eye level. In a podcast or an interview, look at the person you are talking to instead. In both cases, keep your eyes off your own image on the screen: it is tempting to check how you look, and the viewer sees you glance away.

Keep your hands visible and loose, and gesture at chest height so they stay in the frame. Do not grip the table or a pen. If you sit, use the front half of the chair with both feet on the floor. If you stand, keep your weight even and try not to sway.

Start with a real smile, one that reaches your eyes, and then begin to speak. While someone else talks, nod now and then: on camera it reads as listening.

How do you sound natural on camera?

These habits make a speaker sound stiff or unsure, and each one has a simple fix:

If you stumble, do not stop to apologise. Pause, then say the whole sentence again from its first word. The bad take is cut in the edit, and a clean restart makes that easy.

In Latvia many people record in their second or third language. If that is you, slow down a little more, write shorter sentences and rehearse names and numbers out loud before the take.

How do you read a teleprompter naturally?

A teleprompter reflects the text onto a sheet of glass in front of the lens. You read while looking straight into the camera, so the viewer sees eye contact.

Write the script for the ear. Use short lines and the words you would say out loud, without the long constructions of written text. Mark the pauses with a slash or a line break, and put the word you want to stress in capitals or bold.

1. Read the script out loud once before the first take.
2. Agree on the scroll speed with whoever runs the prompter, or control it yourself.
3. Read ahead in phrases, not word by word.
4. Keep your eyes relaxed and your head still.
5. Allow yourself to ad-lib a little. Nobody watching knows the script.

If your eyes visibly move from side to side, put the prompter further away and use a narrower column with a larger font, so your eyes travel less.

What should you wear on camera?

Solid mid-tone colours are the safest choice, ideally in a fabric with some texture. Bring a spare top in case the first one does not work on screen. Leave these at home:

• fine stripes and small checks, which shimmer on camera;
• pure white and pure black;
• big logos and shiny fabric;
• jewellery that clinks near a clip-on mic;
• anything green, if you will be filmed against a green screen.

A little matte powder takes the shine off anyone's skin, and glasses with an anti-reflective coating help under studio light. If you film in a studio, ask about hair and make-up before the shoot: at Baltic Podcast Studio a partner stylist does it, booked at least 3 days ahead. For photos, see what to wear for a business portrait.

How do you practise speaking on camera?

This two-week plan needs nothing more than a phone:

1. Days 1 to 5: record a one-minute video a day on one topic. Watch it once and note one thing to fix.
2. Days 6 to 10: talk for two or three minutes from bullet points, applying the fixes.
3. Days 11 to 14: ask a friend to interview you on camera. Answering questions feels easier than a monologue.

Before an important shoot, do one rehearsal on a real set, with proper light and a camera at eye level. If you will be reading, film with a teleprompter at that rehearsal too. It pays off before bigger projects such as recording a course to camera or a series of videos for your personal brand.

If you would like feedback from someone who works behind the camera, Baltic Podcast Studio gives lessons in speaking on camera. They are taught by a film and TV director of photography with 15 years of experience and cost €50/h.