Being on camera.

It might seem daunting but being on camera can be a fun and rewarding experience. Most people assume they won’t be any good, but with a little bit of knowledge and guidance you’ll be giving answers like a pro! Check out some tips and guidance below.

Tips & Tricks

Do I need to dress super smart?

• Wear clothes you feel good in. If you never wear a tie at work and then you put one on for an interview it can make you uncomfortable.

Any particular outfits I should avoid?

• If you want to wear a shirt or jacket of some kind, solid colours are best.  AVOID anything extremely bright, fine checks, extreme stripes or dramatic herringbone patterns – they tend to moiré on screen (appear to vibrate). When it comes to wearing white, try and avoid a pure white.  We prefer creamy off whites (yellow, green or blue tint) or solid colours such as blue, yellow (not too bright!).

Am I allowed to wear my glasses?

• Of course you are! Glasses can shimmer and give off light kicks, but we can light around them.  If you need glasses to see and that’s the way people know you, wear them.

Can I grab a quick water?

• You absolutely can and you should really make sure you’re nice and hydrated before you arrive at the shooting location. If you’re dehydrated you may end up having a slightly clicky sound picked up on the microphone. Heavy smokers tend to be more clicky than others, and also people who drink a lot of coffee in the mornings. Again, this is all down to being dehydrated; both cigarettes and caffeine are diuretics, meaning that they effectively sap the water from your body!

Should I have every word I want to say memorised?

• It depends on the type of video we’re making and also how you want to come across. If you want to plan every exact word in advance then we’d suggest you let us know in advance to have an autocue set up for you (or we may be getting into triple figure number takes due to word trips, fumbles and memory lapses!) If you want to come off more natural and off the cuff only do a light bit of planning and then allow yourself to be you. Don’t worry about slight pauses or using exact phrases and words… just freestyle! We’ll always support you during your stint behind camera but we do have one rule… no looking down at a cheat sheet!

How long should my answers be?

• Short answers are optimal — no more than a few sentences long.  Stick to short points if you have them, and let us help you get them across.  We are on your side, and we will do our best to make you look great on camera.

What do I do if I’m being interviewed on camera?

• You will be answering questions asked to you by an interviewer seated right next to the camera.  Don’t look into the camera, and don’t try to give your answer or statement to any other people in the room when we are rolling. Just focus on the questioner as if they were the only person in the room.

Am I going to be able to do this?

• Try to enjoy the process.  It’s really not so bad, and you may be surprised by how little of the interview gets used in the end.  We usually shoot on a 10:1 ratio so that means lots of footage will get left on the cutting room floor!

Got a question?

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via hello@giantleapproductions.co.uk or drop us a line at studio on 01924 918736