Don't Fear The Camera - Put Your Best Face Forward

The majority of individuals just can't simply "actyou. You are in complete control of your film
natural" when a camera's lens is focused on them.project. If you make a mistake, you get a chance
Getting the job done!to redo it, and your errors will never be seen by
When the actors and actresses appear normalanyone. It would astound you how many takes
and not like they are acting, this produces theare required even for acting pros.
best on camera performances. Knowing this, youThird, warm up before letting the camera roll.
shouldn't be fooled by these scenes anymore.Jump up and down. Breathe deep. Shake out your
They rely on the actor's skills rather than amuscles. Just like an athlete before a race,
natural event occurring.warming up will get rid of all that tension. It will
The secret is making it APPEAR natural.get the adrenalin flowing and help you exude
To accomplish this, you have to find a way toexcitement, not tension.
get comfortable when the camera's lens is trainedFourth, extend your tongue and widely open your
on you. If you feel tense and on edge, it willmouth. Vocalize so you can open up your throat.
come across to your viewers and will distractExercise the muscles of your mouth and jaw as
from the effectiveness of your video.well as cheeks and tongue. This loosens up your
What is a good way to present yourself asmuscles and allows your mouth to work better,
comfortable when in fact you are not? These arethe same as warming up does. In a way, it's the
my top five recommendations to accomplish thatsame thing as greasing a wheel.
comfortable appearance.Last and most importantly you need to eliminate
The initial step is to be 100% prepared for yourthe critic within you. The majority of us have that
camera shoot. By writing down your script andlittle voice in our head saying not to do this or
rehearsing it over and over, you will gainthat thing. The voice may say 'How silly you look!'
confidence and it will look like you were born toor perhaps 'You are too old and too fat to be on
say your lines.film!' or even 'Who do you think you are, people
Second, overcome your anxiety about theare going to laugh at you!' and 'You have no acting
camera. Remember that a camcorder is just askills!
hunk of metal and other materials. It can't mock