|  by Dr. Jeffrey Lant.
Author's program note: Everyone reading this article, yes every single one of you either has been, is now, or will be on the air. The Internet has ensured this. The question isn't whether you will, it's when you will. But will you be ready? You will be if... but only if... you read what follows with the utmost care and consideration. For I am about to give you the tips that'll make you a media star... warm, friendly, believed, envied and admired. For the music to this piece, I've selected the ragtime love song "Oh, You Beautiful Doll". It was published in 1911 with words by Seymour Brown and music by Nat D. Ayer. Go to any search engine. When you've found it, print out the famous lyrics, take yourself to any room in the house which has a mirror... then belt out the words, because, baby, this tune is about you... and must be sung to you, by you, you beautiful doll. "Oh!, you beautiful doll, You great big beautiful doll! Let me put my arms about you, I could never live without you." Of course you'll feel like a fool, but only for the first time you sing this. You'll quickly get into the mood and belt it out. Just make sure you check to make sure no one's watching you... just yet... and you're not being filmed. When you're ready, of course, that'll be an entirely different matter. But first... Lights, camera... preparation! The worst thing you can do is go before the camera before you're ready. That's why my company, Worldprofit.com, has a prep area which is the mandatory first stop before you present your mug to the world. Here you can check and see how your background looks, whether it provides the right look (or not)... and such all- important matters as how you are positioned in the video box. (No head, please, on the bottom of the box. I call that the "guillotine position" and you know what happened to the hapless folks who experienced the overrated joys of separating head from body). Then review these elements: clothes.... facial expression.... distracting features... and HAIR! Here are a few words about each. Important point: media viewers are critics, each and every one of them. They sit in front of the screen, be it movie, tv or Internet, and wise crack. Sometimes these cracks are funny; sometimes they're crude and vulgar... sometimes even witty and perceptive. But one thing you can count on: when they're watching you, the comments will be about you... and they will cover each and every aspect of your appearance, presentation, and persona. Thus, like every Boy Scout, you must be prepared, so here goes... Clothes. First, who are you speaking to? What is the purpose of the program? How do you want your audience to regard you and your message? Answering these questions gives you a very good idea what you need to find in your closet and wear. Remember: the objective is to look suitable... dressed appropriately but never in a way that generates comments. This means NO baseball caps, backwards or otherwise. On air clothes sense. Gentlemen, do you have a classic blue blazer? Here's something every preppy lad learns early and uses for life. Whenever you need to look snappy and "correct", don your blue blazer with its gold or silver buttons. I'm wearing (one of) mine as I write. Why? Because I am writing this article live on air at Worldprofit.com and I want to look spiffing in the way only a blazer can deliver. (By the way, ladies, YOU can wear a blazer, too. You'll look terrific.) Note: don't worry about the bottom half of your costume. No one can or should see that. Re-read that line and just focus on the top of your outfit. Of course, you should wear something... I say this because there was one notable day when the person I was speaking to online arrived sans culottes... That, I tell you, made him the focus of every eye... and no doubt generated many stories of an outrageous ilk. For such occasions the eject button was created. Facial expression. My grandmother, a woman with oodles of Midwestern charm and subtle wit, used to say (especially on one of life's gloomy days): "Honey catches more flies than vinegar" which meant SMILE! Your goal is to be perceived as amiable, friendly, accessible, a knowledgeable, caring friend. This means smiling, beaming a happy countenance out to a weary world that needs your cheerful outlook and endless good humor. Is this how you come across? It's time for you to look in the mirror again (or go to your online prep room) and see for yourself. If you've adopted the visage of the Grim Reaper, you might like to take this opportunity to listen to Charlie Chaplin's famous song "Smile" (1936), available in any search engine. "Smile though your heart is aching Smile, even though it's breaking." This point must be stressed. You'd be astonished how many folks bring their troubles to the screen and just cannot understand why Mr. and Mrs. World don't linger and thereby miss the pathos of your current self-centered days. Distracting elements. When webcasting, you need a strong, clear image and absolutely no distracting features of any kind... like noises from your house.... voices from other rooms picked up quite lucidly with today's ultra-sensitive microphones... and (this is big) PETS like furry cherished menaces named Mickey allowed an unlimited bark privilege by entranced owners who never know the clever beast owns them... the beast in question working overtime so that their human never learns the truth so obvious to the rest of us. In short, if it meows, barks, flies, crows, or distracts in any other way imaginable, keep it as far from your camera as possible or be ridiculed by the always wise cracking audience. I've warned you... Hair! Perhaps the single most annoying, distracting, time-consuming and irritating thing to deal with is HAIR! Perhaps it's a hang-over from adolescence, perhaps it's in our genetic code. Whatever the reason, getting hair just so is the adamant objective of most everyone... including you. My advice is merely a replay of what your mother told you long years ago. Keep it out of your eyes, and, never, ever use the bee-hive so difficult to wash, such a welcoming habitat for flora and fauna of every kind. Ready to face John Q. Public? Ok, you've read this article... thus, you're surely ready for the acid test: turning on your camera and dazzling the rubes. Right? Doubtful... but the only way to find out is to do it... the way I do it at Worldprofit.com every day. Come watch. I have absolutely no doubt that you'll have plenty to say... I will, too. |
