All I want to do is to record myself with a background using Quicktime and a MacBook Air

Hey there macuser0574,

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities. If wanting to use the built-in camera on your MacBook Air to record a video of yourself in the QuickTime Player app, check out the steps listed below that can help: Record a movie in QuickTime Player on Mac - Apple Support

Use the built-in camera on your Mac

1. In the QuickTime Player app  on your Mac, choose File > New Movie Recording.

When the recording controls appear, you see a green light next to the built-in camera in your Mac.

Tip: If your Mac doesn’t have a built-in camera, you can connect an external camera.

2. Click the Options pop-up menu, then choose any of the following recording options:

- Camera: Choose a camera if you have more than one camera available.

- Microphone: Choose a microphone if you have more than one microphone available.

- Quality: Choose the recording quality. Maximum-quality recordings produce uncompressed files, which can use large amounts of storage space.

3. Adjust the volume control to hear the audio you’re recording.

4. Click the Record button  to start recording; click the Stop button  when you’re done (or use the Touch Bar).

To pause recording, Option-click the Record button ; click it again to resume recording.

5. Choose File > Save to save and name the recording.

Let us know if that's able to help.

Have a great day!