Nervous on camera? 8 ways to feel and look more confident

Updated October 29, 2026 · Anthony Delmotte

Short answer. Most camera nerves come from three things: not knowing what to say next, talking to an object instead of a person, and treating every take as final. Fix them with a script close to the lens, by picturing one real viewer, and by deciding in advance that the first takes are practice.

1. Know what comes next

The blank moment, when the next sentence won’t come, is what most people dread. A script removes it. Keep it close to the lens on a teleprompter so you are never searching.

2. Talk to one person

Pick a real friend or customer and talk to them through the lens. “Hey everyone” to an imagined crowd sounds stiff; one person sounds like a conversation.

3. Warm up your voice

Hum for a minute, read a paragraph out loud, yawn. Your first words after a silent hour are always a little tight.

4. Set up before you think about it

Light in front of you, camera at eye level, phone on a stand. Once the set-up is ready, you only have one job left. Our guide to filming yourself with an iPhone covers it.

5. Record throwaway takes

Tell yourself the first two takes will be deleted. They usually are, and knowing it takes the pressure off. In SmoothCue you can also read without filming to rehearse.

6. Slow down

Nerves make you speed up. Breathe at each paragraph break. Our page on how to slow down when speaking has exercises.

7. Let the scroll wait for you

A fixed-speed scroll adds pressure: fall behind and you panic. A prompter that follows your voice waits when you pause.

8. Watch it once, then stop

Watch the take once, looking for one thing to improve, then record again. Replaying it ten times only feeds the nerves.