 Multimedia
Best Practices
Anyone out
there?
Communicating with the
Camera by Vera Burianek
As a CEO or a representative
of a company, you are often required to give speeches in
public, and I am sure that you have mastered this
technique already; if not, take public speaking or
Toastmasters to get you going. Speaking to a live
audience, however, does not prepare you for talking to
the public via camera.
I have positioned the best of speakers in front of a
camera and what happened next was astonishing. They
froze, asked me where to look, moved their arms about
wildly, shifted their gaze constantly, slouched, and
nervously adjusted their posture.
If you are faced with a challenge of looking your most
attractive in front of a camera, remember: it is just
another technique you need to master. Just as you have
to pose and smile to look your best in photographs, you
have to master a special avenue of expertise to
effectively communicate with the public through the lens
of a camera. Remember you are addressing the public
through the camera lens, so look right into it, pretend
the lens is one specially chosen person, give it
attention, smile and communicate with it. There are many
ways to achieve perfection. Present to a mirror,
position a small camcorder on a tripod and talk to it,
record yourself, or, best of all, hire a professional to
help you. Essentially, addressing the public through
film involves the same technique as television.
I love working with experienced people; it saves us a
lot of coaching during the video recording. Remember,
the session with a video company is expensive; it
involves costly equipment and skilled, well-paid
technicians. You therefore have no time to pick up new
skills on the set. What’s more, you will probably be
stressed by the presence of all the people.
But alas, there might not be enough time (at the actual
taping or filming) to prepare you for this complex task.
Listen to the subtle remarks of your production team. If
they suggest that you should use a professional, your
skills are not up to par. Most production houses will
not exclude you from acting in your own production if
you insist on it, but you might become a laughing stock
of your competition. I’m not pointing fingers; you know
who they are; you’ve seen those bad commercials. And
don’t think that hiring a professional is expensive. You
don’t have to employ a well-known personality. Many
start-up actors, anchors, reporters, or students have
had many hours of training. They will appreciate the
opportunity and discount their services accordingly.
Your video professional should assist you in finding
just the right person to help you.
 Very few people are able to talk from memory. Some
skilled speakers use little cue cards to help them speak
continuously. If you are a skilled presenter, you might
not need any notes, or cheat sheets, which are usually
held behind the camera. Remember, memorize your speech
well and come prepared. You will have to think of
thousands of other little details during the recording.
In order to maintain a constant speed of presentation,
and avoid awkward pauses, professionals use a
teleprompter. The better production houses own this
useful tool. A professional who has no clue about the
topic can often appear as knowledgeable as an expert
when reading from the teleprompter. If you are going to
use it, you have to practice. You might be a skilled
reader, but very few people know how to read and appear
as though they were speaking from memory. And have you
noticed how a public speaker that reads his speech loses
his audience? Reading from a teleprompter is a
proficiency you need to acquire. If necessary while
using the teleprompter, practice reading to children,
become a lector in your church, or again, hire a coach
with a teleprompter.
After you master the difficult tasks, a few minor
details remain. For video recording sessions you need
make up, hairstyling and the finest grooming to look
your best. You also need to maintain good posture. Never
lean back in a chair; sit up and hold your back
straight. You also need to know what to wear. Avoid
wearing black, white, and red. Do not wear fine stripes
or patterns, as they create interference.
We have assumed you were in charge, but now imagine
being interviewed. You might enter the enemy territory,
as some unfriendly hosts can drag you into muddy waters.
If you are not a politician, you don’t need this kind of
publicity; it can be detrimental to your business. But
if you want to take a risk, be prepared. There is a
separate set of rules you need to know.
Your production house might not want to, or be able to,
skillfully edit the unsuitable parts of your speech, so
be prepared. Rely on yourself to give your best
performance. If you follow the steps above, you will be
well prepared for a wonderful presentation.
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Vera has assisted hundreds
of companies to project their best image on video. Her
clients know her for attention to detail, and effective
videos that generate results. She has produced many
fascinating national and cable TV programs. She owns
VBPS TV and VERA Multimedia. Contact her at
Vera@vbpstv.com. |
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Published August 2007,
Volume 1, Number 5,
Bay
Area Business Magazine
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