My history with the camera and film production is long. I’ve been making films since I was, well, too young to really remember, but it’s been a long, long time: let’s just put it that way! When I was making those films as a child I would put myself in front of the camera (often beside my friends) because I had no choice… and I didn’t care. I wasn’t critical about how I looked on the screen at that young age.
As I’ve gotten older that willingness to step in front of the camera has diminished. As someone who is either behind the camera, or at least running a company from behind the scenes, I’m aware of the pressures on of those in front of it. Almost no one likes seeing themselves on camera.
However in this age of the ‘selfie’ I find myself questioning that. People tell me all the time that they hate seeing themselves yet look on any social media site and you’ll find a selfie! What they don’t reveal though is the voice. And it’s our voice that we never hear properly… until we hear a recording of it that is.
Having just completed a photoshoot featuring yours truly I can assure you I felt uncomfortable. However, I also gave an on camera interview that day and that was hardest to watch. Playing it back and seeing and hearing myself, ouch!
I’ve always prided myself on helping others calm down in front of camera and deliver what they’re there to do. Often when they see themselves they comment how terrible they look or sound and I always tell them the truth – they look and sound brilliant! To everyone else we look and sound just right – we are who we are.
So when I’m filmed next I’ll get someone else in the team to edit the video and I’ll stay far away from the edit suite!
For a much more insightful article on this I discovered the below…
Gizmodo.com – why do we hate seeing photos of ourselves
Oh and the dreaded picture? See below…