How to Get Over Shyness on Camera (Without “Pretending” to Be Confident)
If you’ve ever frozen up the moment a camera points at you, you’re not alone.
In fact, it’s one of the most common things I hear from people before a shoot:
“I’m just not very good on camera.”
“I hate the sound of my voice.”
“I don’t know what to do with my hands.”
The irony? These are often the same people who are confident, articulate, and engaging in real life.
The problem isn’t you.
It’s what the camera represents.
The Camera Isn’t the Problem – the Pressure Is
Most people don’t struggle with talking. It’s not natural to talk in front of a camera, it is WEIRD.
They struggle with the moment they’re told:
“Right, this is rolling. Say your answer now.”
Suddenly it feels like:
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You’re being judged
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You’re expected to perform
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You need to get it “right” first time
That pressure is what causes stiffness, short answers, and that slightly panicked look people hate seeing back afterwards.
So instead of trying to “act confident”, I use a much simpler approach.
A Real Example From a Shoot
A while back I was filming with a guy who openly admitted he hated being on camera.
He was nervous, overthinking everything, and you could see his shoulders tense up the second the lens came out.
Rather than jumping straight into the questions, I left the camera rolling and just… chatted.
At one point I asked him what he did at the weekend.
That led to football.
Turns out he’s a Chelsea fan.
So am I.
For the next 20 minutes, we talked about Chelsea.
Players, managers, bad results, Zola’s goal against Norwich (look it up)
No script.
No “answers”.
No pressure.
Just two people having a normal conversation, with a camera quietly sitting there.
Then, once he was relaxed, smiling, and completely forgot about the camera, I said:
“Alright — let’s talk about the stuff we actually need.”
He absolutely nailed it.
Clear answers.
Natural delivery.
Confident tone.
Nothing about him changed.
Only the environment did.
The “Secret” Is Familiarity, Not Confidence
What that moment proved (again) is this:
People don’t need confidence training.
They need comfort.
When you talk about something you care about — football, your business, your team, your customers — your brain switches off the performance mode.
You stop thinking about:
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How you look
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How you sound
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Whether you’re doing it “right”
And you start thinking about the conversation instead.
That’s why, in the video I shared alongside this blog, you’ll notice a similar pattern:
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No rush
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No “three, two, one, go” pressure
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Plenty of warm-up time
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A conversational flow rather than rigid questions
Practical Ways to Get Over Camera Shyness
If you’re filming soon, here are a few things that genuinely help.
1. Don’t start with the “important” questions
Talk first. About anything. Let your voice settle.
2. Keep the camera rolling early
Some of the best takes happen before people realise they’re “on”.
3. Speak to a person, not a lens
I always stand just off camera and react like a human, not a tripod.
4. Accept that the first answer is rarely the best
That’s fine. We’re not live on TV.
5. Remember: editing exists
You don’t need perfection. You need authenticity.
Why This Matters for Business Videos
Whether it’s testimonials, podcasts, recruitment videos, or FAQs, people watching don’t want polished actors.
They want real humans.
The moment you relax, your message lands better.
Your trustworthiness increases.
And the video actually does its job.
Final Thought
If you’re shy on camera, it doesn’t mean you’re bad at video.
It usually means you care — about how you come across, about your business, about getting it right.
My job isn’t to turn you into a presenter.
It’s to create an environment where you can be yourself — even with a camera there.
And sometimes, all it takes is a conversation about football.
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