High-Stakes At Home
Easy ways to boost the production value of your wfh presentation
There’s getting ready for a Zoom meeting and then there are high-stakes virtual presentations. Like speaking on a guest panel at a virtual conference.
Next week I take my expertise and personal brand to the largest audience to date. Which means I want the best possible production standards I can get in my home. Here are some easy tweaks to make that happen:
1. Upgrade to a stool. There’s a reason on-air hosts and news anchors sit on high stools. It forces a strong posture and a commanding presence. The only thing better is to stand. But in this case, the panel is an hour. I know I will shift my weight at some point, and without a camera operator to reframe me, it will mess up the shot. A stool gives me the energy boost I need while still consistently keeping me in frame.
This means I need to raise my camera to keep it eye level. In this case the trunk I use to store extra equipment is just the right size. I also have an angled laptop stand. It’s supposed to be for ergonomics, but it’s also great at elevating my laptop camera every time.
2. Hardwire to your internet. Get an ethernet cable and plug it into your modem. Then get an adapter and plug it into your computer. Go to your network settings and select this option. Then turn off your wifi. When broadcasting remotely you want as much bandwidth as possible going to your camera for a strong picture and clear sound.
3. Connect to an energy source. If you’re using a laptop or phone, don’t take chances with battery life. Plug in your device.
4. Use an external microphone. Even high-quality internal microphones will make you sound like you’re far away if you’re sitting far away from your computer. Instantly improve your audio by using a microphone. I use a lav for high-stakes recordings and presentations. It clips onto my shirt, so you barely see it. The one I use cost $25 on Amazon. That’s cheaper than my ear buds. Speaking of which, if you use a mic, you must use ear buds. If you use your computer speakers, the microphone will pick up the other voices on the call and create feedback. No one wants to hear that. And make sure to select the external microphone and headset on whatever platform you use. In a perfect world these platforms would automatically detect the external devices, but they don’t. Check this before the presentation.
5. Two words: ring light. I don’t use ring lights for meetings. I find they take up a lot of real estate on my desk and I can get decent lighting with my desk lamp. But you can’t argue the great, consistent lighting you get with a ring light. It’s the “set it and forget it” lighting tool we all need working remotely. Just like the laptop, plug this into an energy source. The last thing you want to worry about is battery power on your lighting.
#broadcasting #publicspeaking #virtualevents #mediaconsultant #mediacoach #wcw2022
