How to Stop Feeling Awkward on Camera: The MSR method
The 3-Step Framework That Actually Builds On-Camera Confidence
Every week I hear some version of the same confession: "I know I need to be on camera. I just freeze up."
If that's you, here's the good news — on-camera confidence isn't a personality trait. It's a system. After 20 years in media at Netflix, People, Us Weekly, and Fox, and years spent coaching executives and self-employed professionals to grow their impact through video, I've distilled it down to three steps: Mindset, Skill Set, Repetition — my MSR System.
1. Mindset: You Have to Believe It Before You Build It
You will not get better on camera until you actually believe the camera can help you reach your goals — a bigger impact, a bigger business, a bigger reach.
I hear the same doubts from clients constantly: I might look silly. Am I really an expert? I don't like my voice. I don't like my hair.
To override that noise, you need something pulling you toward the camera harder than fear is pulling you away. That's motivation — and it has to be specific and visible.
Try this: Write down your real reason for wanting to be on camera on a sticky note. Put it on your laptop, your wall, your phone. The next time you're spiraling over how your voice sounds, that note is what pulls you back.
2. Skill Set: This Is Learned, Not Innate
Being confident on camera is a skill — a whole discipline, really. TV anchors don't walk in gifted; they train for years. So when people say "I should just be good at this," I push back every time.
Having a phone and a selfie stick doesn't make you a content creator any more than owning a magnifying glass makes you a scientist. Once you accept that on-camera presence is a skill you're building — not a trait you either have or don't — you stop being harsh on yourself and start looking for the right coaching to close the gap.
For context: even clients who go on to do keynotes and national press hits spend months building this skill. It's not one class and done. It's a continuous practice — one I'm still actively refining for my own stage and media work.
3. Repetition: The Reps Are Non-Negotiable
You can't go to the gym once and expect a six-pack. Same rule applies here.
Getting better on camera means talking to your camera consistently. The exact format will look different for everyone, but the math is simple:
Once a week → 4 times on camera by month's end
Every other day → roughly 15 times a month
That volume compounds fast. The discomfort that felt unbearable in week one is barely a blip by week four.
The Takeaway
Confidence on camera isn't luck, and it isn't reserved for naturally charismatic people. It's Mindset, Skill Set, and Repetition — in that order, built deliberately.
Want the full breakdown? Grab my free guide to getting better on camera at kimrittberg.com/tips.
Want Kim to teach your team how to be confident in meetings, on camera or on stages? Check out her speaker page and public speaking training or hop on a call here.
Kim Rittberg is a six-time award-winning media executive, two-time TEDx speaker, and on-camera confidence expert who has trained executives, celebrities, and Fortune 500 teams at companies including Google, Goldman Sachs, and P&G. She spent 20 years in media at Netflix, People, Us Weekly, and Fox before founding Henry Street Media.
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