At Red Shoes Inc. we find very few people actually seek out opportunities to be on camera. Especially a video camera that is going to either record you or stream you live in a newscast. Many times, when the lights come on and the camera recording light goes red, people freeze up, can’t speak and overall are just plain nervous.
However, cameras are a necessary evil as we continue to venture further into the digital age. Video content is king on social media and websites because they get optimal viewer engagement rates and traditional TV news is still the main way people choose to consume news content. For a company looking to get awareness about its brand, going on camera is a part of the job.
Red Shoes works with people to make this process much easier. Media training is one of the best ways to prepare for these on-camera situations and makes them much less scary. Here are the top three ways you can make sure you are camera ready the next time the media comes calling or your marketing team asks you to do a video for social media.
- Remember you are on video, so people can see you.
This seems obvious, but it plays a larger part than most people realize when it comes to being on camera. The first thing that happens for a viewer is that they see you. This means they’re looking at what you’re wearing, how your hair looks, if you’re sweating, how you sound. Viewers are picking up on all of these visual cues. Make sure you wear solid color clothing, put matte finishing powder on your face to eliminate oil and shine, yes guys should do this too, and comb your hair.
- Practice what you will say.
Get the questions ahead of time from the reporter and practice how you will answer them. Feel free to write down answers ahead of time, but know that you will not be able to read from a piece of paper when on camera. You want to sound conversational and just talk to that reporter or person asking you questions from behind the camera. Again, remember people can see you and hear you, so you don’t want to sound robotic or too rehearsed. It’s important to come off very natural when on camera. Additionally, remember to enunciate your words and not slur them together because the whole point of doing an interview is to get a point across, so you want people to be able to hear and understand your message.
- Breathe.
Nerves can easily get the best of people when the camera turns on, but it’s important to be mindful of your nerves. Sometimes people may talk too fast when answering questions because their nerves are going. Remember to breathe and maintain your cadence of speaking to what your normal pace would be. This will make your interview much easier to listen to and you will appear more credible to the viewer.
Overall, as with anything, practice truly makes perfect when it comes to being on camera. However, the more you put yourself out there, the easier it will become.
If you’re looking for help or feedback on your on-camera performance, Red Shoes Inc. can help you prepare for any media interview, whether on camera, live or in-studio. Call (920) 574-3253 or go to redshoesinc.com to set up a media training session.
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