A quick, practical guide to help you look polished, confident, and professional on-camera — by correcting the most common mistakes people don’t realize they’re making.
Most people unknowingly make simple mistakes that instantly weaken their credibility on camera.
These mistakes can make you look nervous, unprepared, or disconnected from your audience — even if you’re confident in person.
Whether you’re filming social content, joining a livestream, being interviewed on television, or speaking on Zoom, knowing what not to do can dramatically improve how you come across.
This guide reveals the Top 5 Rookie Mistakes Made On-Camera — and how to fix them — so you can look more natural, more confident, and more compelling every time the camera is on.
Why this guide matters:
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On-camera settings can feel foreign
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You often have only one take
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Poor delivery breaks trust
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Your audience decides quickly whether to keep watching
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These small errors can overshadow your message
Learning how to avoid these pitfalls allows you to communicate with focus, energy, and connection — no matter your experience level.
What's Inside:
Below are the Top 5 Rookie Mistakes and how to correct them:
Being Too Technical
Winging It
Trying to Control the Process
Bad Posture & Low Energy
Not Taking in the Environment
Top 5 Rookie Mistakes Made On-Camera
Why learn from Shannon O'Dowd
Shannon O’Dowd has spent more than a decade on both sides of the camera — hosting, coaching, and helping people communicate clearly while under pressure.
Her approach is simple:
Small adjustments → big impact.
The advice comes from real production environments — TV, commercial, podcast, livestream — where expectations are high and time is limited.
This guide captures the quickest, highest-leverage fixes for beginners.
Trusted By Top Brands
Happy Customers
Kaeleya Rayne
Business Coach & Founder Soul Conscious Business Women
“I knew that my message needed to be crystal clear and easy to speak and share on camera. Shannon delivered big time! I shared my work, and my deeper vision and mission with her, she got it immediately… and she seemed to understand my style without any direction from me whatsoever! Her work is a true expression of her genius in action! I highly recommend her to anyone who is serious about taking their work out into the public eye with grace and professionalism, she is THE BEST.”
Karamo Brown
"Queer Eye" & Talk Show Host
“Shannon was my first Hosting coach ever and I am soooo glad she was. She is an amazing and caring teacher. She really took the time to focus on my weaknesses and didn't stop working with me till I felt that I was a strongrer host. Since her class I have been booking commercial and hosting work. I thank Shannon for the tools she gave me to be a working host.”
Kyle Kittleson
Animal Behaviorist & TV Host
“Shannon O’Dowd is a great coach because she is also a working television host. If you want to learn from the best, Shannon is the person to go to. She not only is great for helping you improve on-camera, but also offers excellent career advice and tips to help you book jobs and appearances. Your career is an investment and Shannon provides a wonderful return.”
