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Acting in front of a camera can feel uncomfortable, and many actors struggle with anxiety in front of the lens. If that\u2019s you, you\u2019re certainly not alone! Even mega Hollywood stars have experienced intense discomfort when starting out in front of the camera. When the lens is trained on you, it can feel intimidating and unnatural. Acting in front of a camera can steal your attention away from the moment and making you conscious of your every move being watched. As a result, a lot of actors tense up, stop breathing, or get self conscious<\/a> of their facial expressions or how they look. This discomfort stops actors from being fully present and able to be free to give their best performance.<\/p>\n Marvel star Chris Evans shared his own intial discomfort over acting for a camera, describing that \u201cwhen you\u2019ve never been in front of the camera before, it can be terrifying, and I suffer from really bad anxiety a lot of the time because it\u2019s all so new to me and I\u2019m actually quite shy.\u201d <\/em>Even Academy Award winner Michael Douglas has confessed, \u201cEarly on with cameras, it looked like they were extra machines in doctors\u2019 offices or something. So it\u2019s taken me a long, long time to be comfortable in the moment, in front of a camera.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Take comfort in the fact that many actors who have gone on to have incredible careers have started from a place of discomfort in front of the lens!<\/p>\n To begin, we have to acknowledge that often a fear of being on camera can actually be a fear of being seen. <\/strong>In life, we hide things all the time. But the actor\u2019s job is to be vulnerable in public, and to show the parts of ourselves that we hide. No wonder it feels uncomfortable! This art form is not for the weak-willed. It takes true courage to open ourselves to an audience.<\/p>\n Actors can learn to release their discomfort through structured practice<\/a> in front of a camera, an understanding of how to technically adjust performances for screen, and reframing their relationship with the lens. By prioritising relaxation and presence, actors release tension and self consciousness.\u00a0 Furthermore, when actors deepen their understanding of the camera frame and their movement within it, the camera becomes a collaborator in creating the performance rather than an adversary or judging mechanical eyeball. Finally, with repeated low-pressure exposure over time, mindset reframing, and working at the edge of their comfort zone, actors expand their confidence in front of the camera and are able to perform at a high level.<\/p>\n Many highly proficient stage actors get in front of a camera for the first time and realise that their performance, which brought down the house on stage, feels cartoonish and unnatural when captured by the camera in a mid-shot.<\/p>\n While the core of the acting principles are the same, living truthfully under imaginary circumstances (thanks, Meisner<\/a>, for the bomb explanation!) there are many differences in acting for stage vs. screen<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some acting coaches will tell you that on screen you should do \u2018less\u2019. This is nonsense! In reality, people are full of life, they have huge reactions or use their entire body when they speak. Purposely trying to deaden your performance is a one-way ticket to the cutting room floor.<\/p>\nHow Do Actors Get Comfortable on Camera?<\/h2>\n
Stage vs. Screen: Why the Camera Changes Everything<\/h2>\n
The \u201cLess is More\u201d Myth<\/h3>\n