A Cure for Camera-shyness
Two comments often heard in my work:
“I don’t really like being on camera”
and
“I can’t believe how good you made me look and sound!”
Whether you’re gearing up for an organizational story, such as one I recently completed with St Leonard’s or a life story, such as this (abridged version) featuring the late Basil Easterbrook, it’s worth asking how best to unlock the very best in storytelling.
Storytellers (and there are a few around) will deploy different strategies, but prefer to focus on putting the subject at ease first. Then they slowly introduce the elements of recording.
Words like “recording” and “camera” are triggering for some people, so the word “conversation” is preferred as we enter our space.
I aim to keep the camera tucked behind me, then make sure the person is situated comfortably in the space.
The lights, which are usually off when the interview subject enters, are slowly added one at a time.
The whole time we’re creating our scene, I make sure that the interviewee is engaged in light conversation that acknowledges their concerns but assures them of the outcome. I remind them that this isn’t live TV.
And I let them know that I’ve brought my favourite interview lens (90mm f/1.8) which makes everyone look their best.
The very best advice as the camera starts rolling? Lock eyes and be the most interested person in the room. Deploy sincere curiosity and genuine affirmation to unlock the depth of story that is waiting to be shared.
***
An interesting analogy to consider:
During a recent stay at a rented cottage we observed a couple in an aluminum boat raced all over the lake on several occasions. One person operated the noisy outboard motor and one was perched in the front, clutching a large and expensive looking camera-and-lens combination. The photographer was shouting instructions over the roar of the motor and the two of them were hellbent on getting photographs of some resident loons. Needless to say, the aspiring National Geographic team didn’t even get close before the birds bolted.
LeeAnne and I enjoyed the antics from the dock, for in the quietude of the morning, we had silently paddled into a serene bay to capture these images using our iPhone:
