Lights, camera, action!
I am not the person I was at the beginning of this crisis. I now wash my plastic bags, dip my shopping into a bowl of disinfectant and quarantine my post. I am also unexpectedly learning the craft of being a television presenter, or trying out some of these skills. Those of us who were most at home “being in the room” presenting and facilitating workshops on our feet are now isolated at home, presenting to camera without a technical crew.
How can we find our inner chat-show host and make sure our audiences are not the victims of Zoom Gloom?
I turned to Dramatic Resources for their presenting and performing arts wisdom and experience. Dramatic Resources’ director Geoff Church and I co created this piece for you. This is what we know.
Posture is everything
To project ourselves, like an actor, we need to be able to breathe deeply without restriction. Working to camera means that we need to project even more energy down the wires. A simple way to do this is to stand up. Standing up energises you and lifts your voice. Look straight at the camera, not at yourself in the bottom of your screen and imagine a broad smile in your tummy. This will help you speak with a smile. If you sit down, your posture may also slump and you will lose your energy as well as the interest of your audience. For more on this, see this funny video from DR
Be fully yourself in the frame
This is not a time to hold back who you are! Remember you are not reading the news and do not need to be neutral and calm. If you like to gesticulate, wave your arms around, laugh and smile with your teeth and your eyes. Remember that you are not reading a monologue.
Keep breathing
Before you start your session take several deep breaths, breathing into your belly, expanding your tummy like a balloon. Do this for several breaths.
To centre yourself, before you enter your home stage, sit upright in a chair, feet on the floor and breathe in for two and out for four for a few breaths.
Use pauses
If you like talking a lot like I do, make sure you use pauses. Pace is really important as the technology is variable and the bandwidth, particularly late afternoon, can be very unreliable. If you are in full flow and people dropout they may miss your key points. Pace yourself. Pause for breath. Summarise what you have just presented and sign post what’s up next. They sign post all the time on daytime TV to keep our attention.
Interact with your audience
We love it when an actor speaks directly to us through the camera, or involves the audience in the action. Connect, connect as much as you can; use the polling function on Zoom, name people when you answer their question via chat, invite people to write, draw and move around. Be aware of time and energy levels. A quick star jump and clap of the hands releases endorphins through laughter and gets the blood flowing again.
Set up your set
When we think about a television studio, what is your home “set” going to look like? Distracting shelves, glimpses of unmade beds may not support our learners’ concentration. Think about your setting and what to place behind you. Zoom allows you to select a background picture. If you do this, make sure you wear black or you will disappear!
A radio broadcaster once told me that they presented to someone doing the ironing in their living room. Who are you speaking to? Keep them in mind.
Without an autocue, place your prompts out of view around your screen.
Have water, not juice, on hand to support those vocal chords.
Nervous energy is good
Even the most BAFTA awarded actors have a bout of nerves before they step out to meet their audience. We need this to propel us, so acknowledge it and thank it as it helps you move forwards.
When I asked Geoff what is the most important of all the things to remember. He said energy -energy, energy, energy! Remember - you are creating the experience for your online audience and, like a good party – you are the host!
About Dramatic Resources and effective online communication http://www.dramaticresources.co.uk/virtualcommunication
