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From Nervous to Natural: Mastering the Art of Directing Non-Professional Talent
By Patty Mooney
Special to Internet Video Magazine
In today’s video-driven world, authenticity is a company’s strongest asset. More businesses are featuring real people — employees, executives, customers — rather than actors to tell their stories.
While genuine voices build trust, directing non-professional talent presents a challenge: How do you help real people look and sound confident on camera?
At Crystal Pyramid Productions, we’ve spent decades guiding non-professionals to deliver polished performances without sacrificing authenticity. Whether you’re filming a CEO, a product specialist, or a client testimonial, helping your subjects move from nervous to natural is essential to creating impactful video content.
Understanding the Role of Non-Professional Talent
Audiences today prefer real, relatable experiences over scripted performances. Employees sharing expertise and customers sharing success stories feel more genuine — but without proper coaching, nerves or awkwardness can detract from even the best messages.
Modern video production demands the ability to coach non-professionals into presenting their best selves.
Easing Camera Anxiety
Most non-professional talent worry about appearance, delivery, and forgetting lines. Building confidence starts with familiarization. Take time to explain how cameras and lights work. Offer low-pressure practice sessions where mistakes are encouraged — not penalized.
A relaxed, informed subject is far more likely to deliver a natural, compelling performance.
Encouraging Authentic Delivery
Rigid scripts often lead to flat, unnatural delivery. Instead, coach talent to speak conversationally, using bullet points to stay on track without sounding rehearsed.
If the interview format is based on questions, it’s best not to provide the questions in advance. When talent tries to memorize answers, it usually results in stiff, wooden responses that disconnect them from the audience. Instead, guiding them through the conversation naturally allows for spontaneous, genuine answers.
Similarly, while teleprompters have their place, they are often not ideal for non-professional speakers unless used creatively. A teleprompter loaded with full sentences can make delivery sound mechanical, but using bullet points on the screen can remind speakers to hit all their key ideas without sacrificing natural tone.
An off-camera interviewer asking questions conversationally can also help non-professionals focus less on “performing” and more on simply sharing their expertise.
Fine-Tuning On-Camera Appearance
First impressions happen instantly on video. Preparing non-professional talent to look polished without seeming overproduced is key.
Recommend solid-color clothing, avoid busy patterns, and suggest light makeup to reduce shine. Remind talent to stay physically grounded — no chair swiveling, fidgeting, or face-touching. Subtle, confident body language amplifies trustworthiness.
Special Considerations for Executives
C-suite leaders often have limited time and little interest in rehearsal, yet their video appearances set the tone for the organization.
Capturing them naturally — interacting with teams, walking through operations — can yield stronger, more authentic footage than stiff interviews. Voice-over paired with dynamic visuals allows busy executives to contribute powerful messaging without performance pressure.
Learning from Television
Encourage talent to watch television critically. Observing how news anchors, talk show guests, and documentary subjects present themselves teaches valuable lessons about posture, voice modulation, attire, and authenticity.
Media observation accelerates internalization of effective on-camera behavior, giving first-timers models to emulate without formal training.
From First-Timers to Natural Communicators
Helping non-professionals look professional on camera isn’t about perfection — it’s about clarity, confidence, and connection.
With a supportive approach, patient coaching, and attention to key details, any subject can transform from tentative to natural. In doing so, producers not only capture better footage but help organizations build deeper trust with their audiences.
In today’s world of authentic storytelling, real people — properly coached — are a brand’s greatest asset.
About the Author:
Patty Mooney shares insights from her career as a pioneer in corporate video production and documentary filmmaking, as VP at Crystal Pyramid Productions. The company’s award-winning work has helped hundreds of real-world experts shine on camera for more than four decades.
