DOING A VIDEO PRESENTATION FROM HOME? HERE’S HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR SET TO GET THE BEST RESULTS
by Roxyanne Young
Although the coronavirus crisis has gripped the planet, many of us are still hard at work promoting our books and staying connected with our readers. Authors like Nikki Grimes and Bruce Hale are doing online readings. Author-Illustrator Mo Willems is giving daily doodle instruction from his home studio. And from her home office, author Anne Marie Pace presented a live Facebook promotional video for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. Authors who also teach, such as Cindy Jenson-Elliott and Rob Sanders, are giving remote class sessions from their homes. Yet, not everyone has a full production studio in their homes, so video quality varies widely. But, there are some simple steps you can take to make your video look more professional:
1. DECLUTTER YOUR BACKGROUND
Although you hope that your audience will focus on you during your presentation, their eyes will eventually wander to what is in your background: leaning books on shelves, knick-knacks tucked in between those books, and piles of papers waiting to be filed. So before you hit record, take some time to tidy up and remove items that might be distracting.
If you’re hanging a plain sheet or printed fabric behind you as a backdrop, iron or steam it first, and make sure you hang it straight. My favorite fabric backdrop is made from upholstery velvet. It’s heavy and doesn’t wrinkle, and if you get a dark color like black or plum, it is usually matte so you won’t have to deal with shiny hotspots.
How much of your background is visible will vary depending on the viewer’s device and which platform you’re using to record your video. If you have particular items that inform the viewer of your expertise, make sure they’re visible over your shoulders while you’re speaking. Place your latest, or favorite, book face out on a shelf or table that can be seen behind you. Do you have plushies of your characters? You can show these as well, especially if they are relevant to your talk or reading. Be careful about glare on glossy book covers and glass picture frames. You’ll be able to see if anything is too shiny when you do your test session (covered below) before you go live.
Also, remember to avoid moving objects behind you, such as ceiling fans.
To find all Roxanne’s other tips, please go to:
https://www.scbwi.org/proinsider-special-edition-with-roxyanne-young/