Placing Your Device - Try not to hold your mobile device as you will cause what we call camera shake even if you think you are holding it steady. Use your camera on the phone ahead of the interview to see how you look in the frame and what’s behind you.
Stay back from the camera - This goes with the first tip but place yourself away from the camera. Again I have a 60 inch television and don’t need to look up your nostrils while you talk. Sit far enough away from the camera that your head and shoulders can be seen in the frame
Place the device in Landscape Mode - Our society has become obsessed with holding the phone in the portrait position due to platforms like Instagram. Other than on that platform it makes for terrible video and looks very amateurish. If you want to use the footage for Instagram place your subject or yourself in the middle of the shot and you can crop it later. There is nothing worse than watching someone on a 60 inch television screen with 20 inches of black bars on either side of them.
Have Good Wifi - Video can take up a lot of bandwidth and if you don’t have a good connection it will make for a terrible video. If conducting interviews ensure you will be in a location with strong wifi and a solid connection. Stay away from public locations if possible.
Use a microphone - use a microphone when doing interviews or long conversations. Microphones built into your device pick up all the room ambience and make it very hard for people on the other end to hear what you are saying. Use ear buds or some other style of microphones to cut down the room noise.
Be aware of your background - Be aware of what is in the background of your shot. I have a television behind me that I can add my logos onto when doing interviews. You don’t have to go to that much trouble but ensuring that your spouse won’t be walking naked in the background or that your picture from the naked drawing class isn’t on the wall behind will help embarrassment later on.
Look at the camera when talking - We have the tendency to look at the screen and the person when doing video chats. The problem is the other person will see your eyes looking down. To look as though your looking at the other person during a conversation look at the actual camera and not the screen. It can be hard to do but can be mastered over time.
Taking a few minutes to ensure clear audio and placement of your device will help you improve your live videos helping you look good for the future. Check out the video below of the five mistakes I see people make on their videos. Good luck!
Good luck!
Bruce
Check out the video to enhance the idea above.
