Being in a visual society, video is powerful, and it is everywhere; corporate, YouTube channels, webinars, virtual meetings, and, increasingly, the lens is turning on those who typically remain behind the scenes. Increasingly, this trend continues to expand as media plays a larger role in business, so the ability to appear confident, self assured and captivating your target market becomes a necessary job skill.
Being surrounded by brilliant people from many different areas of expertise in their professional field such as sportsmen, presenters, CEO’s, business managers, marketing executives, performers, life coaches, entrepreneurs, and even working actors and international models, I found that everyone shared a common problem. That, of feeling a discomfort of standing in front of a camera lens being able to deliver an authentic conversation, just being themselves. And yes! That makes total sense as we are not naturally programmed in any way to have a conversation with an inanimate object.
So how can we get around this personal hurdle of on-camera false starts, awkward pauses, nervous fidgets, poor posture and even forgetting scripted lines in mid sentence while camera is rolling?
On-Camera coach and Casting Director, Channa Geldenhuys, knows how to get the best on-camera performance results from your subjects, working directly alongside the director, videographer, producer and script writer on your set or production environment. Channa remarkably has over 22 years experience working behind camera alongside local and international Directors & Producers for TV commercials, corporate video’s, music videos, feature films and below the line marketing.
Channa understands that shooting a successful on-line video is to have your presenter captivate the audience within the first ten seconds of the introduction. Channa, ensures that your presenter delivers their message effectively by keeping the audience for your target market stay tuned to your product service for the entire screening without losing interest in the presenters audience approach.
Channa understands that shooting a successful on-line video is to have your presenter captivate the audience within the first ten seconds of the introduction. Channa, ensures that your presenter delivers their message effectively by keeping the audience for your target market stay tuned to your product service for the entire screening without losing interest in the presenters audience approach.

Channa focuses on the interpretation of the script before your shoot ensuring specific key words are highlighted to emphasis the importance of what is being sold. While production is setting up the shoot scene before filming, Channa will have your subject prepared and knowing of what’s to come. She will ensure the presenter read their script out loud several times, encouraging them to look at their paper less and less each time. By reading out loud will also ensure that the on-camera coach and script writer takes notes of any areas your subject may continuously have trouble with saying. Editing the script is a necessary part of the process as this will insure your presenter is comfortable with any jargon pronunciations or tongue twisting word sentences.
To capture a great video, the presenter needs to connect with your target market audience on a personal level as quickly as possible through:
We all understand the heavy time constraint being a major factor when shooting on very tight schedules. The director usually only has one brief rehearsal before first take which can become all too unnerving for the actor (especially for those presenters / actors that are still new to working on set).
Figuring out how to work as an on-camera coach with the actor is an exciting, demanding job, and when done right, can really elevate the presenters performance to brand new heights.
Having coached full time for the past 7 years, I must admit that my work has been
carved out to bring out the best in every actor to their best ability without them feeling the need to hide behind that camera.
To capture a great video, the presenter needs to connect with your target market audience on a personal level as quickly as possible through:
- On-camera body language
- Motivational tone of voice
- On-camera confidence
- On-camera friendliness, charisma & energy
- Looking straight into the camera lens
- Managing the nerves
- Delivering script with the assistance of cue cards
- Interacting with your viewer
- Consistency throughout on-camera delivery
We all understand the heavy time constraint being a major factor when shooting on very tight schedules. The director usually only has one brief rehearsal before first take which can become all too unnerving for the actor (especially for those presenters / actors that are still new to working on set).
Figuring out how to work as an on-camera coach with the actor is an exciting, demanding job, and when done right, can really elevate the presenters performance to brand new heights.
Having coached full time for the past 7 years, I must admit that my work has been
carved out to bring out the best in every actor to their best ability without them feeling the need to hide behind that camera.