I want to help you become more confident on camera. If you can utilize the power of being comfortable on camera while preserving your authenticity you will make your audience think ‘That person is fascinating…I need to keep watching.’
I used to be very uncomfortable being in front of a camera. I wasn’t super comfortable with how I looked or how I felt. My journey to becoming more confident in front of a camera has been a long one but my former state of being terrified and insecure is no longer the case for me.
I was able to make this change because I was patient with myself and believed in my own motto which is Start Now, Start Simple. I can trace my journey to a number of years ago in Ireland. I was at church and this Brazilian guy came up to me and said ‘Hey Dan, I really like your personality, I like your energy. Can I help you build your brand?’ At the time I honestly had no idea what a brand was. I never worked with a graphic designer. I never worked with a personal brand specialist. I was just a normal person, my name was Danny but I engaged with him and I said sure let’s talk. So we met and he brought a camera along and it was so uncomfortable I didn’t know what to say. As soon as he said action, I thought, ‘action what?’
I had so many questions. I didn’t know if someone was going to hand me a script, I had no idea where to stand, what to do with my face, what to do with my hands, nor even where to look? Should I look directly at the lens of the camera or off in the distance somewhere? I had endless questions and the truth is you can’t find all those answers by sitting and reading. At some point you have to act.
So, we had our first recording session and I remember it was by a little creek in Ireland and I decided I just wanted to stand by a tree to do my little bit and I spoke for 60 seconds. What I liked was how short and crisp it was. I loved that I took a complex idea and then broke it down into two or three actionable items in less than 60 seconds. I thought, ‘that was really cool,’ because attention spans are really short.
I didn’t however like that I was standing, that didn’t look so good. We posted it and I got some feedback and that was great. The next time I said, let’s create some movement. I sat in my car and we recorded the new video, but I realized that the side profile, for me, is not flattering. When you sit in a car and someone is sitting next to you with a camera right up to your face you can see double chins and nostril hairs. I thought, no thank you, I do not like this angle, we are not going to do that again.
The third time I had the camera man walk in front of me and I faced him and I walked talking to the camera. It was almost like I was talking to a friend and we were walking side by side. I realized I really like THIS idea of a conversational perspective. Each time we met I was trying out new things, new angles, new styles.
I want to encourage you to try new things out when it comes to being on camera. Sure there are tons of great options and role models out there, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, you can choose what appeals most to you. But you’ve just gotta try things.
Even though I’m very talkative and I can give very long answers if you watch any of my social media content they are usually under 2 minutes. They are really really short and that’s just the style that I’ve chosen. When I’m onstage I can sometimes do a 45 minute keynote. But when I’m on social media it’s 2-minute videos. And that’s been my niche. So, you just have to try things and get more comfortable. There are certain unflattering angles that I’ll now refuse to do and then there are others that I really love and am now quite comfortable using more often.
This concept of trying out new things also applies to where you look for a camera or how you appear to a camera. It’s just a matter of getting comfortable. This process is very similar to trying to learn a new language. It sounds funny the first couple of times you hear new words come out of your mouth. Before you know it, as long as you put the work into it, it becomes second nature and you even start dreaming in another language.
Being online is no longer negotiable. If you don’t live online you don’t exist. That’s just the reality of it. So yes, embrace social media and get comfortable putting yourself out there in any form. Whether on camera, by voice, or in written form the more you get in front of a camera and try out new angles, styles, and experiment with new methods, the more comfortable you will feel. Your new confidence will shine on screen giving your message the attention it deserves.
If you want to become more comfortable on camera I would love to work with you. Get in touch today
Dan Ram ignites the stage as an in-person event and virtual event MC/ Moderator & Speaker at over 100 events a year. He has shared the stage with international luminaries including President Barack Obama, Sir Richard Branson, Reid Hoffman, Nico Rosberg, and Grammy-winning artists and celebrities. He has also been recognized as a Top 40 under 40 leader 2020 as well as a Top 100 Yale Alumni in Technology 2021. Level up your communication skills through his course and mastermind “Speaking Success”. His passion is to inspire people with his motto ‘Start Now Start Simple’ in building a future we all want to live in.
It’s always reassuing to know that when we see someone as confident……that person has had their obstacles they have overcome to reach their current state of assurance. Thanks for sharing your process Dan!