Let the Camera Find You: Why Over-Performing on TV Backfires
By Ubong Essien, CSP
Television magnifies everything.
Your smile.
Your blink.
Your hand movement.
Your anxiety.
Many first-time TV guests over-perform.
They exaggerate gestures.
They over-smile.
They over-project.
And the camera punishes exaggeration.
The Camera Is Intimate
Unlike a stage, the camera is close.
It reads micro-expression.
Subtlety wins.
Stillness wins.
Measured expression wins.
Television rewards control.
Performance Is Not Authenticity
When you “perform” for camera, viewers sense it.
Authenticity is calm.
Not theatrical.
If you are comfortable in yourself, the camera settles on you naturally.
The Hard Truth
If you try too hard on television, you look insecure.
Underplay slightly.
The camera will amplify you.
Stay in the loop
