[Last Updated: 2025-12-26]
You might struggle with “Dead Eyes” where your facial expressions appear flat during recording. This happens to many founders and creators. You are likely dealing with a biological response to an inanimate object rather than a lack of talent. You can use simple drills to restore natural expressiveness by understanding your nervous system.
What causes “Dead Eyes” in episodes?
The shutdown of the Social Engagement System causes “Dead Eyes.” Dr. Stephen Porges developed the Polyvagal Theory which links our facial muscles and vocal prosody to our sense of safety. This system activates when we speak to a human who nods and smiles. A camera lens provides no feedback. Your nervous system perceives a lack of reciprocity. This causes your facial affect to go flat.
Why does the lens trigger anxiety?
A camera lens resembles the unblinking stare of a predator. A fixed and dilated pupil signals a threat in the animal kingdom. The human brain interprets the unblinking stare of the camera as dangerous or rejecting, which can trigger a defensive state subconsciously. Your body moves out of social engagement mode into a protective and less expressive state.
What is the connection to the Still Face Experiment?
Dr. Ed Tronick conducted the Still Face Experiment which showed infants become distressed when a parent stops moving their face. A camera lens can present a permanent “Still Face” to the speaker. The speaker’s brain struggles to maintain emotional connection without the feedback loop of a responsive face, or responses at all. It’s very hard for us to do with this kind of wiring, so it leads to a monotonous delivery.
How can the Circles of Attention help?
Stanislavski’s acting theory identifies three circles of attention, which is described in the video that accompanies this post. You should focus on the Medium Circle to fix “Dead Eyes”. This “medium” circle represents an intimate interaction between yourself and one other imagined person. This mental shift reduces the cognitive load of performing for a crowd. You avoid the insecurity of the Small Circle and the stage fright of the Large Circle.
What is the Talk to the Face drill?
You can override the nervous system’s response to the lens with the “Talk to the Face” drill from Jen deHaan of StereoForest Studio, described in the video for this post. Place a physical photo of a loved one or trusted friend directly next to the camera lens. Direct your speech to the photo. This external safety cue tricks the brain into perceiving a social interaction. It reactivates the micro-muscles around the eyes and adds warmth to your voice.
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Author: Jen deHaan is the host of the Podcast Performance Lab and founder of StereoForest Studio, a professional podcast production house helping experts build authority through audio and video.
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You can listen to or watch the full breakdown in the full episode on the Podcast Performance Lab.
