We Wrote for the Ottawa Board of Trade: How to Be Yourself on Camera
The Ottawa Board of Trade just published a piece by our Founder and Executive Director, Ben Hemmings, on something we deal with on almost every shoot: people who are terrified of the lens.
Hundreds of video projects, a thousand interviews
After 10+ years interviewing CEOs, surgeons, community leaders and first-timers, the pattern is pretty consistent. Almost everyone says some version of "I've never done this before." And the nervous ones often give the best interviews, because nerves make people honest and make them talk in short, punchy sentences. That's exactly what you want in a soundbite.
The article breaks down five tips for getting through it, whether you're being interviewed by a journalist, sitting down with a production crew, or filming yourself on your phone:
- It's just a conversation. Talk to the interviewer, not the camera. Nobody's trying to catch you out.
- You don't have to get it right first time. Everything gets edited. Mistakes disappear.
- Fold the question into your answer. "2012" is useless. "I started the company in 2012" is a soundbite.
- Don't try to be polished. Memorized answers sound memorized. Audiences can tell.
- Your voice matters. If someone asked you to speak, it's because they want to hear what you have to say.
That last one is the big one. Ben spent years dealing with imposter syndrome before it clicked that the people in the room weren't there to judge him, they were there because they wanted the knowledge. Once that lands, being on camera stops being about you.
None of this asks you to be someone you're not. The slightly messy, real version of you is always more compelling than the polished one.
Read the full article on the Ottawa Board of Trade site
Thinking about getting your team on camera? Get in touch and we'll make it painless.
