Tips for Video Calls

As someone who speaks at funerals for a living, I thought giving a speech via webcam would be straightforward. It isn’t.
    If you're new to video conferencing, here are some tips and advice.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Try a Test Run

    A test call to a friend or relative can identify any snags, problems or extra setup you need before it’s too late.

Check your Camera Lens

You can clean blurry laptop cameras with a dry microfibre cleaning cloth. If you have an external webcam, try using a can of compressed air to blast any dust away.

Invest in a microphone

For just a small sum of money; the purchase of a dedicated microphone will provide noticeable improvements in your clarity.

Wired always beats Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi may have come a long way over the years, but it can never equal the speed or reliability of a wired connection between your computer and router. If your computer has a RJ45 socket, you’ll only need a network cable. If it doesn’t, you’ll also need a USB-to-RJ45 adaptor

Put your notes on paper

Use paper rather than a tablet. Tablets are great, but paper is more reliable. Paper never runs out of battery, never runs updates during a call and is just as waterproof.
Autocue software is fine if you can use them, but take a level of concentration some might find distracting

Backgrounds

Backgrounds can protect your privacy or be ‘just for fun’. They work better when you have a solid, plain, immobile background (such as a green screen).
    Remember - on some platforms (Zoom included), your choice of background remains set between sessions. Any silly backgrounds you put up will remain next time you use it

Lighting

Sunlight is best; it’s the right colour, is softer than artificial light, and casts softer shadows. Try sitting with your light source at around 45 degrees.
In daylight hours, a window bringing in natural sunlight is best. Unless you’re buying specialist equipment, your next best light source would be a desk lamp. 

• Daylight bulbs up to 100 watts are best, white light is great
• Yellow and fluorescent light sources are worst.
• Shadows cast by overhead lights can emphasise bags under your eyes.
• Don’t have light behind you. You’ll look like a silhouette.
  

Positioning

​​Adjust your seat or prop the camera on a few books until it’s at your eye level. People want to see your face, not the top of your head or nostrils.

What to wear

Go for plain items in neutral colours. Spots, stripes and other bold patterns don’t look their best on camera. Also, if you’re using a green screen; avoid that colour or the item will be replaced with background.

Makeup

For makeup, you should focus on two areas:

• Cheeks - Highlighting your cheeks will add some of the dimension video cameras tend to take away.
• Brows - Your brows are crucial for facial expression, so make sure they’re well defined.

Distance

Try to find the sweet spot where you’re close enough for viewers to read your facial expressions, yet far enough to see hand gestures.

Landscape, not portrait

​While we tend to hold our mobile phones in portrait mode, when you’re video-conferencing use landscape. It’s closer to how we naturally see with two eyes.

Look at the camera when speaking

While talking, try to look at the camera rather than the screen. This sounds straightforward, but can take practice. We’re used to looking at the person (or image of them) we’re speaking to.
If you find this difficult, try to position the video of the person you’re speaking with as close to your camera as possible

Remember your facial expressions

When you’re staring into a camera lens, it’s easy to forget to smile.

Please check out my post on public speaking.

Had any web conferencing disasters?
Any of your own hints and advice?
Share below!