In one aspect, an example method includes (i) receiving, by a computing system and from an input device associated with the computing system, a command to map a customized gesture with a particular action of a plurality of actions that a media player is configured to perform; (ii) in response to receiving the command, monitoring, by the computing system and using a camera, a viewing environment of the media player to detect performance by a person of the customized gesture; and (iii) in response to detecting performance of the customized gesture: generating, by the computing system, a classification for use by the computing system for detecting the customized gesture, and storing, by the computing system, in memory, mapping data that correlates the detected customized gesture with the particular action.