How to be “ON” When the Camera is On
Whenever a video camera is turned on, people tend to do one of two things: they either light-up or they clam-up. With today’s success of video marketing and the plethora of opportunities to get your message out by being interviewed, there are a few simple things you can do to ensure a more comfortable experience.
- RELAX – Take a deep breath and remember that the interviewer is on your side and wants to assist you in getting your message out to the public.
- SMILE – Non-verbal cues assist a viewer in determining how they feel about what you are saying, so a natural smile will add a positive impression to your message.
- BE NATURAL – Don’t let a piece of equipment change your personality or how you act on a day-to-day basis. If you act natural, your message will be more readily received.
- HAVE A CHAT – The interviewer is merely asking you questions to assist you in getting your message out to the viewing public. So think of it as having a casual chat as opposed to a serious interview and you will naturally loosen up and be more conversational.
- REALIZE THE CAMERA IS ONE PERSON – Oftentimes interviewees put pressure on themselves by imagining that a huge audience is listening to them. But actually the camera is merely one person with whom you are having an intimate conversation.
- MAKE EYE-CONTACT – Now that you realize that the camera is only one person, make eye-contact with the interviewer and the camera as you would naturally do so while having a chat with two people.
- PREPARE YOUR MESSAGING – Make sure you know what you want to say before you say it, and repeat the messaging every time you are interviewed for consistency purposes.
- BE SHORT, SWEET, AND TO THE POINT – Remember that the majority of an interview ends up on the cutting room floor due to time considerations. So the quicker you make your points, the more of the interview will be included in the final project.
- NO MORE MARKETING MUMBLE JUMBLE - One of the easiest ways to be short, sweet, and to the point is to speak in actual words that people use in everyday conversation. Using big marketing words to appear intelligent backfires if your audience doesn’t understand what you are saying, and can actually impart a negative impression if they can’t repeat your messaging.
Make sense? The more comfortable you are with the camera during an interview, the more responsive the viewing public will be to your messaging.
So sit back, relax, and have fun…lights, camera, action!
**Many thanks to Lindsay Fultz of Middle Child New Media for encouraging me to write this post**
Copyright 2011. This article may be shared or referenced as long as the source is cited and linked. No portion of this article may be copied or reproduced without express written permission by the author.
