Lights, Camera, Action!

When it’s your time to shine on camera, are you ready?  Here are some helpful tips to make sure you look like a star!

ATTIRE

Recommended – Professional Client

Shirt and tie

1. Light colored shirt (not white) and a conservative (solid colored) tie – stripes are okay
2. White shirts are okay if you are wearing a jacket.  If you are not wearing a jacket, wear a light colored shirt (IE: light blue)
3. Suit colors: Solid colors look best on camera – Dark Blue, Gray, or Brown (solids)

 

Things to Avoid

Colors to Avoid (or wear carefully)

1. Bright reds, oranges, blacks, and whites (white reflects light and can make you, the subject, appear dull)

Patterns to Avoid (IE: suites and shirts)

1. Heavy pinstripe
2. Herringbone
3. Houndstooth

Avoid Wearing Shiny/Moving Objects

1. Lapel pins
2. Tie clips
3. Pens in shirt or jacket pockets
4. Bulky and shiny jewelry

 

BODY LANGUAGE

Movements to Avoid

Arms folded or hands in pockets

1. Hands should be clasped in front or behind you (stand naturally)

Excessive hand gestures

1. Excessive hand movements tend to distract the viewer from the intended message
2. If using a hand gesture keep the hands below the neck

 

Movements to Embrace

TV is a ‘cool medium,’ it cools you down, so you need to emphasize everything.

Utilize a relaxed posture (but not too relaxed)

1. If sitting, lean forward approximately 15 degrees – you’ll look interested, alert and thinner
2. If standing, move naturally

Natural movements

1. Move your head as you naturally would in conversation
2. Move your hands as you naturally would in conversation (hand movement helps make you look relaxed)

Smile

1. A smiling face is more likable and trusting
2. Smile with the eyes

Eye Contact

1. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer, not the camera
2. Diverting your eyes around the room projects uneasiness (a slight glance elsewhere is highly noticeable on camera)
3. Ignore distractions in the room
4. Embrace the ‘conversation’ and talk as though you are having one

Speaking

1. Speak clearly and slowly
2. Embrace inflection
3. Say company name instead of ‘we,’ or ‘our.’  It sounds obvious, but it’s one of the most common mistakes in interviews.

 

Eliminate Verbal Ticks

Avoid using sound fillers

1. Silence is okay (and sometimes it’s even a way to emphasize a point)
2. Verbal ticks include:

– Uh

– Um

– Like

– “You know?”

 

Remember, have fun and don’t be afraid to show your personality!!