Dealing with being camera shy

[Danuman]

My band have a day of recording lined up in a beautiful studio. It’s an amazing opportunity, since we’re an old-school band and we’ll get to experiment with old-school analog recording techniques. (With the luxury of a digital safety net.)

Since it’s a proper large recording room, we have asked a couple of (semi) professional videographer friends to come and shoot it as sort of a live studio gig.

Here’s the catch though: I really don’t know how to deal with being on camera.

As soon as one is pointed at me, I get unbearably self-conscious, I don’t know where to look, I become wooden and I lose the ability to think musically. It takes me right out of the music.

I’ve asked my videographer friends for advice, but what I get from them usually amounts to little more than “just act naturally”.

Who’s got anything better?

[Guest oZZma]

9 minutes ago, Danuman said:

 “just act naturally”.

 

"as you wish"...

[Dad3353]

A small cognac, a little before it all starts. Do not exceed the dose, though.

You could also set up, yourself, a video camera, pointing only at yourself. This can be done in advance, at home, in the car, at rehearsal... Good luck with the studio takes. 

[lurksalot]

If you don’t feel ‘natural’ is particularly inspiring , either for you or the camera , be someone else , get an idea or a person in your head And be them , you don’t have to actually do anything , as long as your head thinks you are ! 

Getting into a character can take the pressure off you as it’s the other guy putting himself on show 

[taunton-hobbit]

Treat it like a gig - just do what you do ................

😎

[chris_b]

Tell the cameramen to de discrete and keep away from close-ups of you.

[stewblack]

as a photographer I too hate being 'that' side of the lens and come into contact with many people of a similar disposition. 

The best advice I ever got was to go for it. I'd you hate being photographed or filmed you'll never look good in the picture. You'll be stiff and awkward, take one look and reinforce the whole situation with more negative thoughts. 

So go for it, don't be natural, don't just be yourself, demand the attention of the camera, its a gift to photographers and videographers when people offer something and they'll get better results and you will like those results thus breaking the cycle 

If it's a fly on the wall thing then play with your eyes closed  lose yourself in the music, or only make eye contact with your best mate in the band. 

Another thing which works really well with the camera shy is try to look really serious  even grumpy. Again it's an act as has been said above if you're acting you're not being you, you are a persona. 

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by stewblack

[knirirr]

1 hour ago, lurksalot said:

If you don’t feel ‘natural’ is particularly inspiring , either for you or the camera , be someone else , get an idea or a person in your head And be them , you don’t have to actually do anything , as long as your head thinks you are ! 

Getting into a character can take the pressure off you as it’s the other guy putting himself on show 

This is a good suggestion. It may help to dress differently to get into character.
 

[Lozz196]

Look at it as part of being in a band and something else that you have to practice at to get comfortable with. I’m sure that - apart from singists, as it’s all about them if course - that many musicians aren’t that comfortable in front of the camera. It’s not something that I was good with to be honest but acknowledged that it’s something I had to work at and now it doesn’t phase me.

[ambient]

I’d recommend doing the opposite to what others are suggesting, be yourself. You surely don’t want to look back and think “god, what on earth am I doing?”.

Be yourself, relax and enjoy. You'll be with friends anyway. You’ll soon get used to it. After a very short while you won’t even notice they’re there. I have autism and dislike a whole raft of things, one of which is being photographed or filmed, it’s something I’ve had to endure a few times. The last time was a year ago when I did a public talk at a local gallery that was featuring my music in an exhibition. I didn’t mind the talk, I’ve done lectures before, it was the thought of it being filmed and photographed that put me off. To be honest, after a few minutes I forgot the cameras were there, the same as happened a few times, at gigs and events I’ve played at.

You need to be you though, so you’ll hopefully want to watch it again, rather than being embarrassed by some pseudo-persona that you’ve adopted.

[NancyJohnson]

I don't like being in front of the camera at all.  I always feel that I look bug-eyed and double-chinny, as a consequence a lot of our old band shots were more about me looking up and away.

When we videoed stuff, I just asked the camera guy to keep away from me as I really wasn't interested.

 

 

 

[DaveFry]

There is a story about James Dean . He was being filmed in a movie scene where he had to kiss an even greater legendary actress in a stationary car . It was Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe , I'm not sure which , but all of a sudden he called a halt , got out of the car , walked halfway to the camera , urinated by the side of the road and then carried on with the filming .
Afterwards , when asked about that he replied that he was so scared of kissing her on camera that he figured that if he could overcome the fear of getting his tool out in front of the camera first then the kissing scene would be easy afterwards .

[ambient]

5 minutes ago, DaveFry said:

There is a story about James Dean . He was being filmed in a movie scene where he had to kiss an even greater legendary actress in a stationary car . It was Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe , I'm not sure which , but all of a sudden he called a halt , got out of the car , walked halfway to the camera , urinated by the side of the road and then carried on with the filming .
Afterwards , when asked about that he replied that he was so scared of kissing her on camera that he figured that if he could overcome the fear of getting his tool out in front of the camera first then the kissing scene would be easy afterwards .

I hope he washed his hands before getting back in the car.

[Maude]

I adopt a different persona onstage anyway to help me 'perform', different clothes than I'd normally wear helps me be someone else. I'd imagine the same would work in front of a camera. 

For instance, this chap from @NancyJohnson's band pretends to be Mark Radcliffe 🙂

[Dankology]

I've videoed possibly hundreds of other people's gigs over the years and yet still can experience what feels like a tautening of every sinew in my body as I sense the camera coming over to me.

The way I try to think about it is that the discomfort I feel is a result of not wanting to look like a @r$e - but if I did look like an @r$e it would be apparent to everyone in the room, whether there was a camera there or not. At least with a video you can edit down such moments to the bare minimum - no such luxury in real life...

Also, videos have let me notice things I can do something about, such as the horrible perma-grimmace I used to have - and also how much better everyone looks when they are not conspicuously self-conscious.

I do hope you crack it - there's something immensely satisfying about seeing yourself utterly lost in a song. This is the most recent one we've shared and there's lots to fault: it's a cover that we've only ever felt our way through, it's the hottest day of the year, so we're all sweaty so I'm in shorts and there's no hat to hide the thinning hair plus I left the bass muted much longer than intended at the beginning... But seeing ourselves absolutely immersed in the performance has been incredibly useful to us. 

 

[FinnDave]

The best pics Ive seen of myself on stage have been taken when I am completely unaware of the camera. If I see someone pointing a camera at me, I usually look straight at them, which sometimes works but usually makes me look like  a psychopath. 

Like this: 

Edited August 26, 2019 by FinnDave

[la bam]

The best ones I've seen, and also the best ones of me, have been taken when I had no idea there was a camera there. Just pure enjoyment captured, rather than forced.

[Danuman]

It’s exactly the same for me. Pictures and videos are always best if you don’t know it’s happening. 

Same goes for tracking in a studio up to a point. Trying too hard to avoid mistakes (or looking like an ar*e) just isn’t a particularly helpful mindset. Definitely worse for me with cameras though.

I’m not expecting to become a natural or anything, but it would be great if I could reduce the impact of those stupid little moments where it messes up my playing. 

It’s nice to know you all have these different approaches!

Edited August 26, 2019 by Danuman

[Danuman]

7 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

Do not exceed the dose, though.

Sage advice.

7 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

Good luck with the studio takes. 

Thanks!

[Dan Dare]

Try to remember that you are just one of many, many things that are being filmed/in shot. You are not the centre of attention (you are the bass player, after all...). Carry on with what you do and ignore it.

[FinnDave]

16 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

Try to remember that you are just one of many, many things that are being filmed/in shot. You are not the centre of attention (you are the bass player, after all...). Carry on with what you do and ignore it.

Not so easy when the photographer is a few feet away and the lens is pointing straight at you!

[BassTractor]

Dunno if this is helpful to you, but IME: I'm way too sensitive to any awareness of a camera, recorder, or someone who has to judge what I do, and consequently I do have a natural tendency to perform way worse under that kind of circumstance than I'd normally do.

My solution was twofold:
1) Realise that I have a duty to the audience first and foremost, and force myself to concentrate on MY JOB. In this I very much like the proposed "persona" thinking. You perform like an actor would - you're not being yourself. The audience is not likely to be served by yourself, but is likely to be served by your role. To some degree it's theatre.

2) Realise that I'm likely to be the best musician in the room. I'm aware this can't go for everyone, but bassists do tend  to score above averagely (me, I'm an organist and too part of a group that tends to score above averagely). For me this is about that I have insights I know are of interest to an audience, and this (in my thinking) gives me a responsibility: that of conveying my musical insights so the audience gets a good time.

Again, I don't know whether this is of any help to you, but in my case my gained attitudes meant that cameras and the like became of little importance. I confidently concentrated on my job.

Edited August 26, 2019 by BassTractor

[Skinnyman]

Er, you're the bass player.

Unless you're on fire, there is virtually no chance of you appearing anywhere in the final edit so just ignore the whole camera thing - they're not there for the likes of us.... 😃

[BassTractor]

5 hours ago, Dankology said:

 

 

Disappointed. Was expecting fire, water and a naked lady. 😁
Great performance though, and you made me check you guys out immediately and consequently buy Waddup and Tiny Mind.
Luvverly stuff!

One comment though, if that's not too presumptuous of me: I think the singer should train on intonating slightly higher. Singers tend to do this wrong unless trained by a professional, and they can get away with it to some degree, but the right tone is stronger than a low tone. 

[Danuman]

I’m very much aware of how bass players are perceived. I giggled as a lead player for years, but I was never a showman. So I’m much happier as a sideman firing up the people who are happy to do the showboating.

That said, we’re essentially a power trio with a lead singer/harmonica player (who takes a few breaks here and there), so that’s a fairly naked setup. Admittedly, that’s part of the fun, but it also means there’s nothing to hide behind.

Anyway, I’m sort of fine knowing we’re going to be filmed, but as FinnDave stated:

3 hours ago, FinnDave said:

Not so easy when the photographer is a few feet away and the lens is pointing straight at you!

Yikes! That’s when it happens. 🙈

Edited August 26, 2019 by Danuman
I just noticed the typo. I’m leaving it in. 😆