Creative License Ep. 5: How to Make Your Students Feel More Comfortable On Camera

In the fifth episode of Creative License, Padcaster founder and CEO Josh Apter discusses how to help students feel more comfortable on camera. These tips are universal and can easily be applied to everyone, not just students. Some people are just born feeling comfortable in front of the camera, but most are not. Here is some advice on how you, your colleagues or your students can feel more confident in the spotlight.

Let it take time. Don’t worry about getting the perfect video on the first take. Take the time to make sure your students and colleagues get to know the material. Let them practice as much as they need while the camera is rolling so it becomes less of a high-pressure situation and more second nature. By filming on a mobile device you won’t have to worry about using up the expensive film. Shooting on a mobile device doesn’t cost anything - all it costs you is time, which is a worthwhile investment. Eventually, with time, they’ll forget there’s even a camera there.

What about if you’re conducting an interview? Don’t be afraid to go “off book”. Too often inexperienced interviewers will stick too closely to their questions and fight the natural flow of the conversation, causing the interviewer to seem stiff or very nervous. As a result, the interviewee and audience are likely to feel uncomfortable. Let the interviewer know that it is perfectly fine to stray from the original script a bit and let things flow naturally. By letting the interview go down an organic conversational path it will help your interviewee feel more comfortable and engaged. You may even end up finding a different angle or a deeper viewpoint that you may not have discovered had you refused to deviate from the original script.

Want Josh to answer your question or have a topic you want him to discuss? Join in the fun by emailing us at support@padcaster.com with Creative License in the subject line or reach out to us on twitter, @padcaster.