Look better in video-conferences and video-calls!
Ever since the start of the pandemic Zoom and other video conferencing apps have been daily companions for many of us working from home or at the office. Looking around the participants of a call you often see people looking not quite as good as they usually do in real life. Often that is down to the quality of the camera on their laptops or desktops. But there also other factors that contribute to you maybe not looking your best at a video conference. We will have a look at those and help you to shine in your next call!
You know The Collaboratory helps self-employed people and small business owners get ahead. And 2021 will be all about video! We asked our friend Alexander Hohenthaner to tell us his best tips on the topic.
Here there are!
Lighting is important
Even more important than the quality of the camera on your device is lighting. Cameras need light to function properly, and the more light you can get on your face the better. If possible try and sit facing a window with the camera pointing at you from the direction of the window. Never sit with your back to a window! The camera will have a very hard time capturing you against this very bright background and the other participants might only see a silhouette of you instead of your lovely face!
You can use your desk lamp and direct it at your face as long as it is not too bright. Try to get a good amount of light on your face, maybe also at an angle since this will make you look better than having the light shine straight in your face.
Watch the background
A background that is too busy usually is not ideal. You can try and arrange the background like pictures or plants in a way that these objects frame you. It is usually not attractive to look like you have a tree growing out of your head if it’s positioned right behind you. Move it a bit to the side so that it frames your face and body nicely.
Positioning the camera
Often you will see people looking down at their cameras during these conferences. They have either placed their laptops literally on their laps (never good) or just have them sitting on their desk. This angle is never ideal, it will always give you a double chin, and we want to avoid that, right? The easiest way to get around this is simply putting a few books or board games under your laptop or get a laptop stand. The goal is to have the camera of the laptop or the webcam that you are using at your eye level. This is a much better angle and you will look much better. But make sure not to put it too high! If you have to look up at the camera this will make you look small and weak. And we also don’t want that during a work-call, right?
Sound is important too!
Never forget the importance of sound. Research has shown that people will turn off videos quickly if the sound is bad. They don’t mind bad video quality quite as much. So make sure that your sound is good and your voice can be heard clearly. The best way to ensure this is to buy a special microphone for your computer that plugs into your USB port. These microphones have been designed to make you sound your best. Your colleagues will surely appreciate you not sounding like you live on the other side of the planet!
We are sure that these view tips will help you to look and sound better in future video conferences. Have fun!
In the meantime, if you want things DONE FOR YOU, get in touch! You can record your videos at The Collaboratory and with Alex’s help, they will look just as professional as you are!
Just look at this awesome ad we’ve recorded with Alex!
Who is Alexander Hohenthaner?
Alex Hohenthaner has been working in the field of video marketing and brand marketing for more than 15 years. He has extensive knowledge and experience in creating engaging content. He is a Blackmagic Design certified trainer for the video editing program DaVinci Resolve, which is used by major Hollywood productions. He shares his knowledge as a lecturer at the WIFI Vienna and speaker at many conferences. Find out more at www.hohenthaner.video
