5 Ways to Look More Confident and Relaxed on Camera or TV

You must have heard you should look comfortable, confident, and relaxed for doing any sort of video interview. That’s right but you don’t want to pretend that.

Because when you pretend to appear confident and relaxed, it’s going to look like you have a double chin even if you do not have one. The camera will be focused on your belly and make you look heavier than you are. 

To avoid this situation, hold yourself high and lean forward - about 15 degrees to the camera. It will give you a stronger jawline, the double chin will disappear. And the camera is not going to focus on your stomach. You will look taller, thinner, leaner, and more confident naturally. 

A lot of times, people spend so much time memorizing their message but they forget to move in front of the camera because they get nervous and freeze up. And when you froze up, you only move your lips while your body language stays silent. It makes you look like you’re a hostage on tape and you have a gun to your head. 

You don’t want that, right? 

So, make sure your body language is in action while you’re talking. Use your gestures like hands, head, and eyebrows to look less robotic. However, the movements should be natural and not forced. 

I specifically want to stress that you move your hands. People who move their hands when they speak can communicate their message effectively. Because it’s virtually impossible to look uncomfortable and nervous if your hands are moving. 

However, the moment you freeze your hands, you freeze your arms, freeze your body, and typically it gets in your vocals. 

It just happens that when you’re listening to someone on camera, your face goes blank and you look bored. 

So here the key is SMILE. 

Anytime you are in front of a video camera and the other person is talking, you need a little bit of a smile on your face. Not that big ‘say cheese’ smile but a little bit of upturn that makes you look more relaxed and confident. 

Ok, now you must be thinking that I can’t do that when the talk is about serious things like crises or disasters. But let me tell you that a little bit of smile won’t actually look like a smile; it’ll simply make you look more relaxed.  

Your eyes are very powerful on video or TV. So, don’t shift them when talking on camera - like you look at the camera, then you look at the reporter, look up, look down, and so on. 

The rule of thumb when doing a video interview or session is to look in one place. If a report or anchorperson is talking to you, then look at that person. And don’t try to play with the camera like you’re looking at the anchorperson then looking at the camera - it makes you look odd and weird.

If no human is being present, then look at the camera. Don’t float your eyes all around; look at one fixed position because EYE CONTACT matters. 

If you are being interviewed or just talking to a camera while standing, it’s not quite the same thing as being seated. Standing interviews are a bit different. You are not leaning forward 15 degrees the whole time, but you are not trying to have a perfect posture either.

You are moving and, in this process, you come forward. However, you shouldn’t be moving your feet; rather, bend from your waist. The rule of moving your body, head, and face still applies here because that helps you look more comfortable.

Comfortable posture when doing standing interviews 

Don’t stand with your feet shoulder-width apart because it makes you look nervous and uncomfortable, and you may not even realize it. 

Instead, put one foot forward, one foot back. It will keep you from rocking sideways, making you look more confident and comfortable.

Moving hands when doing a standing interview

The awkward thing most people do during a  standing interview is they hold their hands and fall them below the waist. Don’t do that! It only makes you look tentative, scared, and less confident. Instead, your hands should be above your waist. 

Likewise, you don’t want to put your hands behind your back. It makes you look like you’ve been handcuffed and are about to be taken away to prison. 

Some people often get confused and they’re like “I do not know what to do with my hands. I am going to put them in my pocket.” Don’t do that either! It immobilizes you again and makes you look uncomfortable. 

The best thing is to move your hands when speaking. I recommend either having your hands down by your sides or just touch the fingertips when starting off. And then move your hands as soon as you start talking. But not in a wildly distracting way that no one can focus on what you are saying.