How to Look Comfortable and Relaxed on Camera

• 00:04 Now, as you've heard me mention,
• 00:06 you want to lean forward a little into the camera.
• 00:10 because if you're leaning backwards,
• 00:13 it can make you look uncomfortable, stiff, scared.
• 00:16 So you may be in a home office and your chair reclines, it looks bad.
• 00:22 It sends your head away, you'll have a double chin,
• 00:25 whether you have one in real life or not.
• 00:28 Now, sometimes people try to do this, so-called perfect posture.
• 00:31 Hi, I'm TJ Walker, I help people look relaxed and
• 00:34 comfortable in front of a video camera.
• 00:36 How does that look?
• 00:39 Makes me look scared and stiff.
• 00:42 Okay, you want to lean forward anytime you're speaking.
• 00:47 I'm leaning forward about 15 degrees.
• 00:50 This makes my face, what I'm saying more prominent, gives a stronger jaw line.
• 00:55 It takes away less emphasis from my body.
• 00:59 Now, you can see, when you see me from the side, it's not particularly natural
• 01:04 looking that much and it's not so-called perfect posture.
• 01:07 But when I'm leaning towards the video camera, it looks much, much better.
• 01:14 So this is the best way to come across when you are speaking on a video
• 01:19 conference.
• 01:21 Now, I'm standing.
• 01:22 You certainly don't have to stand, you can be seated at a chair, but
• 01:26 make sure your chair isn't rocking.
• 01:29 Because I guarantee you, if you have a video conference with ten colleagues, and
• 01:34 you have the most exciting information ever, great information for them,
• 01:38 and you're rocking.
• 01:40 The only thing anyone will remember is that you were rocking.
• 01:45 So you want to avoid distractions or swiveling.
• 01:50 And you want to make sure that there's nothing distracting.
• 01:53 You want to move, but only from the waist up.
• 01:57 You do not want to be doing any sliding in your chair, that sort of thing.
• 02:02 So these are the most fundamental things that are important
• 02:06 when it comes to how you move.
• 02:07 Now, you heard me mention the eyes.
• 02:10 If you don't want to look at the camera the whole time, it's okay to glance down,
• 02:14 but here's what you don't want to do.
• 02:16 Let's say your boss or your client asks you an important question.
• 02:21 That's a great question, I'm glad you asked me that.
• 02:23 When your eyes shoot upwards, it makes it look like you have no idea
• 02:28 what you're talking about and you're just going to make up something.
• 02:34 So my recommendation, if you're called on to speak,
• 02:37 try to look at the camera as much as possible.
• 02:39 If you have to look away, glance down.
• 02:43 And nothing wrong with glancing at notes, nothing wrong with that at all.
• 02:50 What you don't want to do is act like you're on camera for
• 02:54 network news, and you're checking yourself out like that.
• 02:58 You don't want to have quick, furtive eye glancing,
• 03:02 that will make you look nervous and scared.
• 03:08 The final thing I want you to think about when you are on camera is,
• 03:13 if you're not speaking but the camera is on you.
• 03:17 In some video conferencing systems, everyone's face will be showing,
• 03:22 or you'll be introduced at the beginning.
• 03:25 Maybe you're not asked to say anything, but you go full-screen.
• 03:29 Here I am with my face completely blank.
• 03:36 How does that look?
• 03:37 It kind of makes me look bored, boring, uninterested,
• 03:41 kind of looks like a mug shot.
• 03:44 So here's what I suggest,
• 03:46 especially when you're being introduced at the beginning, or people are seeing you,
• 03:51 or there's a split screen, have a little bit of a smile on your face.
• 03:56 Here I am smiling slightly.
• 04:02 It's not a gigantic TV evangelist smile.
• 04:05 You don't even have to show teeth.
• 04:07 But just a little bit of a smile will make you look more relaxed,
• 04:12 more comfortable, and more confident when you are on camera.
• 04:18 So these are the fundamentals of how you can come across your very best
• 04:22 when you are shown on camera for your video meeting.

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