Author
Tina Šoln
Although I also believe that reality often cannot compete with the images we create in our heads, I still offer some useful tips below on how to best prepare for a TV appearance. This way, your image will (at least) closely resemble the one the content recipient creates in their head.
Just as professional athletes do not stop training when they achieve success at the highest level, the key to a good media appearance is training – this is the only way to maintain or even improve the quality of your performance in front of the cameras.
When a journalist contacts you for participation in a show or a TV segment, ask about the format, how much material they need, whether it is a live appearance or a recorded segment... The type of segment you are participating in will determine your content preparation – if you are one of the interviewees in a short segment, it is good to prepare brief and as clear answers as possible. I also recommend brevity and clarity for shorter live TV appearances, but if you are a guest on a longer talk show, you can afford longer and more detailed answers to questions. One of the keys to a good TV appearance is undoubtedly good content preparation, where we take into account advice on the length of answers, ensure our communication is clear and understandable, and speak calmly and slowly (but not too slowly).
In TV appearances, your visual presence is extremely important. Choose appropriate clothing that expresses your personality but also the theme of your TV appearance – participating in a talk show certainly allows for more relaxed clothing choices than, for example, appearing on a news show. In every TV appearance, neatness is crucial, as compared to a radio appearance or contributing to an online or print article, you communicate a lot, if not most, with your appearance. Check with the journalist or producer who contacted you about makeup – if you agree to an on-site shoot, you will most likely have to do your makeup yourself, while for studio shoots, most media houses offer makeup services, as stronger lighting requires stronger makeup.
Good bod language is what makes a good TV appearance. A straight and open posture, controlled hand movements (be careful not to wave around, touch your face, or close off your open posture with your hands), and even when only the upper body is filmed, do not cross your legs... Facial expressions are also important (a friendly look, a smile, controlled facial movements...) and of course – eye contact. In interviews, unless the journalist instructs otherwise, maintain eye contact with the journalist, not the camera.
One of the keys to a good TV appearance is undoubtedly good content preparation, where we take into account advice on the length of answers, ensure our communication is clear and understandable, and speak calmly and slowly (but not too slowly).
Just as professional athletes do not stop training when they achieve success at the highest level, the key to a good media appearance is training – this is the only way to maintain or even improve the quality of your performance in front of the cameras. You can practice your appearance in front of a mirror, with colleagues or family members. A very useful trick for learning public or media appearances is to record your performance and analyse it thoroughly. This way, you can clearly see if your body language and facial expressions match what you are saying, and you can easily improve your performance. It is important to take (self)criticism from video analysis as something good and approach this process with the understanding that this method can greatly improve your performances – both in front of cameras and audiences. Experts in this field can also help you here, and at NC3 we also offer public speaking trainings for clients.
If you struggle with nerves before the performance, some useful tips for controlling and accepting nervousness have already been written in the blog about preparing for a radio interview, and I will certainly address this topic more thoroughly in the future.