How Do I Get a Nervous Person Comfortable on Camera?
Lower the stakes before the day and give them something steady on it. A short call beforehand means they've already met the director, and hearing that the crew's job is to make them look good takes away most of the fear. On the day, use questions instead of a script, a camera with a familiar face behind it to talk to, breaks, and as many takes as they need.
Key Facts
- For nervous speakers we use three cameras. One stays locked off with a familiar face behind it, and two roam to catch natural reactions.
- For people who aren't actors, we write questions and key messages instead of a script, and write more questions than we need on purpose.
- A teleprompter is one more system that can fail on the day, so for webinars we usually suggest notes on a laptop or iPad out of shot.
- For a 30-second ad, we capture the long answer and then ask for a shorter take, so the edit has options.
What Helps a Nervous Person Before the Day?
A short call with the director, and a clear picture of how the day will run. Most people's worry is looking silly, so the aim is to take the unknowns away before anyone arrives on set.
- Meet first. A short call means the director is a familiar face on the day. Look for something you have in common.
- Show them the day. Send a short video from a similar shoot so they know what it looks like, and explain that it's a conversation and nobody will grill them.
- Say what the crew is for. Our job is to make them look good, and they don't have to be anything but themselves.
- Offer them the footage. Some people like having it afterwards, for example as a show reel.
Experts and senior professionals get the same treatment, plus a reference. Send them a video of a similar story, tell them what to focus on and reassure them there's no script. Their passion for the subject usually carries it. The wider planning for a shoot day is in what happens in pre-production.
What Happens on the Day to Help Them Relax?
A steady place to look, a small crew and no pressure on time. For nervous speakers we use three cameras.
- An anchor camera. One camera stays locked off, ideally with someone they know standing behind it, so they always have a familiar face to talk to.
- Two roaming cameras. These catch the smiles and gestures as people turn. We tell the speaker to ignore them.
- No resets. With three cameras running, a good moment never has to stop while we set up again.
Build breaks into the schedule, let people do as many takes as they like, and bring along anyone on your side who can cheer them on. For unscripted conversations between two people, prompt them without directing, and give them a simple activity to do while they talk.
I get to work with all sorts of people on camera. Some of them are comfortable, some of them are nervous. And the thing that holds them all back is the idea of looking silly or coming across as a little bit stupid. That's why we're there, to help them and guide them and direct them and make sure they feel comfortable and give their best performance.
Should They Use a Script or a List of Questions?
Questions, for almost anyone who isn't an actor. Most people sound rehearsed when they try to deliver lines. Write the questions and the key messages instead, and write more questions than you need on purpose, because several will blend into one answer. A stationary interview gets through the material faster than a walk-and-talk, and the structured script gets written afterwards, from the footage, for the edit.
People who've told their story many times can sound polished in the wrong way. Rework the questions to come at it from a different angle, stay present, and the unrehearsed version tends to surface.
When Does a Teleprompter Help?
When the words have to be exact and the speaker has had a practice. Load the script as plain text with paragraph breaks, run a couple of read-throughs before recording, and if they stumble, restart from the top of the paragraph.
For a webinar or live stream, we usually suggest leaving it out. A teleprompter is one more system that can fail on the day. Notes on a laptop or iPad out of shot let the speaker run their own notes, and a glance down rarely bothers a webinar audience.
You can also get scripted and candid material in one session. Film the scripted piece to camera off the teleprompter first. Then switch the screen to the person's own photos and capture close-up reactions and unscripted answers to a few set questions. Filming people as they react to footage works well, but whatever plays on the screen is locked into the final video, so build and approve it before the shoot.
How Do You Get Great Answers in an Interview?
Ask for the outcome you need, and ask for it in more than one way. Start by agreeing the two things the video most needs to land, instead of the words people should say. Then:
- Ask about each message in a few different ways. There are plenty of ways to ask about something like trust, and each one gives the editor another answer to choose from.
- Ask for one moment. Prompts such as "the person you'll never forget" or "feedback that stopped you in your tracks" bring out real stories. A short pre-interview before the shoot means the film is built on moments that exist.
- Mark the gold. When an answer lands, note the time and talk it through with the editor between takes. A shortlist saves hours of searching later.
- Get a short version too. For a 30-second ad, capture the long answer, then ask for a shorter, tighter take so the edit has options.
Who Should Write the Interview Questions?
Either side, as long as the crew stays free to adapt on the day. Clients often know the message best, and their draft is a good place to start. We'll rework any question that sounds like an industry conference panel, because it won't hold anyone's attention on social media.
What If Someone Thinks Their Story Makes Them Look Bad?
Find what they did well inside it, and hand it back to them as the part worth celebrating. People undervalue the extra step they took. Someone who second-guessed themselves and went back to check is showing exactly the care the video is there to celebrate. Tell them so before the camera rolls.
How Do You Interview Someone About a Sensitive Experience?
Gently, in a comfortable room, with as few people in it as possible. Be present and keep things moving, but never rush someone who's getting emotional.
- Choose a cosy setting over a stark studio backdrop, with food and drink close by, so it feels more like a lounge room.
- Keep the crew small. We've streamed the main camera to a tablet so the director could watch from outside the room.
- Bring a hair and make-up artist who's calming to be around.
How Do You Film Children Who Aren't Actors?
Keep it short and led by them, with a parent deciding what's comfortable. Children usually relax quickly once they know what to expect.
- Meet them first. A five-minute call means the director is already a familiar face. Ask what they love, and bring a small gift to match.
- Film what they'd do anyway, such as homework, walking the dog or a trip to the park, with a small crew. Don't ask them to hit marks.
- Let the parent lead on whether to meet at home or somewhere familiar first.
- Plan the day around them. Offer flexible start times around school and kindy, film the parts that don't need them first, and build a break into the middle. Pacing a child is part of the job, and a good production company plans for it.
If a parent doesn't want to be on camera, don't push. A confident child can carry a story on their own. We don't pressure families who are shy or neurodivergent, either. Whether and how they take part is always the family's call.