Picturing Yourself on TV

Before your career ends, you will most likely not be sending e-mail to people anymore. You will be seeing them, just like you see people on TV. It won't exactly be face-to-face, but it will be very close. One reason communication will have to be more visual is the fact that the baby boomers are past the age of 50. As our bodies get older, the dexterity in our fingers diminishes. As a maturing society, we will demand an easier way to converse electronically than using the verbal banter of e-mail messages. This evolution is inevitable. To prepare for the new age of visual communication, you need to have a better understanding of the following topics.

Playing to the Camera

Maybe you're already communicating on camera for occasional teleconferences, to produce videotapes, for image magnification at large conferences, or even when speaking to the media. When on camera, you need to reinforce your message using your voice, positioning, and movement.

Voice

When you are on camera, you have to learn to relax and breathe normally. When you talk through a lens, even though you feel rushed and think you're speaking too slowly, fight the tendency to speed up. You must learn to phrase and pause naturally. Enunciate clearly and be careful to pronounce every syllable. When you're on camera, chances are you are wearing a small lapel microphone. These microphones are sensitive devices that pick up every sound in your voice. Be aware that certain consonants may cause problems. For example, the letter P can create a popping sound, and the letter S can cause a hissing sound. The microphone will pick up a lot of distracting sounds. Avoid mumbling, sniffing, clearing your throat, or using fillers (such as um, er, and so forth). Just be sure to keep all your comments directed at the camera. If you make a minor mistake, keep going. Don't add unnecessary information by apologizing or by whispering some short, frustrated phrase insulting yourself for not being perfect.

Positioning

Positioning yourself to the camera and your audience has as much to do with your physical presence as it does with your personal image. You just have to be yourself. Even though you are under the scrutiny of the camera, you should feel comfortable and act appropriately in everything you say and do. It's easy to forget this when you are alone in front of the lens without a live audience watching you. You need to present yourself as credible and confident.

Given the choice, standing is preferable to sitting because it is easier to breathe when standing. In addition, being on your feet tends to keep you more alert. Sitting may be necessary for longer sessions. Keep in mind that when the camera projects your image, any movements you make look much more pronounced to the viewer. When seated, choose a solid chair that doesn't swivel. If you wear a jacket, sit on the back hem and you'll actually sit up straighter. This also keeps your coat from bunching up in front. If you tilt your head slightly downward or slightly to one side every now and then, you will appear more relaxed.

Naturally, in well-planned environments, someone will play the role of stage manager or production director and make sure the set looks right. You need to be prepared for the local communication that becomes visual. But often, you'll be the one to play the role of producer, director, and actor, in much the same way that you play the role of publisher, editor, and author when you create your own e-mail messages. Before the cameras start rolling, check directly behind you. Pay attention to your backdrop. Is a disorganized bookshelf or a leftover lunch plate the image you want to portray? Assume the camera is always running and don't show or say anything that distracts from your message. Don't be distracted by items or other people in the room; you'll appear detached and uncertain.

Movement

Remember that we've been talking about the triangle since Chapter 24. The basic choreography used for stand-up presentations, whether in a large or a small setting, applies to working on camera, which is the smallest setting of all. The real difference between the environments is the proximity of the audience. In live situations you tend to be farther from the audience when you speak, and your movements need to be bigger to be seen from a greater distance. Through the camera, especially when the image is a close-up, the triangle is magnified for the viewer, and the movements need to be much smaller. You establish the triangle positions with a slight tilt of the head rather than full body movement. Take the basics of body movement and translate them to the sensitivity of the camera.

The three positions of the triangle are still used. You can establish intimacy with the audience by tilting your head forward. Technically, you are in the front of the triangle. You can create neutrality by not tilting your head at all, and you will be in the center of the triangle. You can tilt your head back to reach the back of the triangle and appear to present the larger view of the topic. On camera, the simple tilting of your head creates movement, inflection, meaning, and interest. Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan was a master at using subtle head movement to communicate his views. He was a film actor before he was politician. He knew how to take advantage of the camera.

You can also make adjustments in the angle of your body. Position your shoulders at a 45-degree angle to the camera to establish a rest position. By doing this, you can, when necessary, shift the upper part of your body and square off to the camera to evoke power and emphasis.

One of the other issues unique to the camera is the degree to which you exist in the frame. In a live event, your view of the presenter is a function of where you sit. Obviously the camera has the capability to zoom in or pull back to create a completely different view for the audience. That is why you need to know how close the camera is set at any particular moment. If you know your frame of reference, you can decide what movements, if any, are available to you. Depending on the camera setting, you may have to limit your expressions and gestures.

You'll have to learn to concentrate on both your topic and your movements. If you accidentally move out of the frame, those watching won't be able to see you. If you're operating the camera yourself, you will make the choice to change the zoom level or the camera angle. In many videoconferencing sessions, either you or someone sitting with you in the conference usually controls the camera. If someone else is controlling the camera, you should talk with that person in advance and discuss any movements you expect in which the camera will have to be adjusted. In fact, if your presentation hits a particularly emotional point, you may want to cue the camera to move to a close-up.

Unless the event is highly choreographed, chances are the camera will stay in a relatively fixed position and capture you from the waist up. In a videoconference, the equipment can usually be preset to certain angles, and many systems are voice activated so that the camera automatically shifts to the person speaking. As technology becomes more sophisticated, you will be less concerned about the technical aspects of the visual communication. For now, the camera angles and close-ups are controlled decisions. The timing of those decisions influences the viewer because the camera lens is the link between the presenter and the audience.

Using Videoconferencing Technology

Technology is driving communication. The power of telecommunication and personal computers will soon have us all videoconferencing with the same ease and confidence that we currently use to pick up the phone. Video as the vehicle will be more the norm than the exception.

The current evolution in visual communication is toward videoconferencing, whether it is personal or group. When the videoconference is personal, it is conducted from your desktop. When a group delivers the session, it takes place in a larger setting such as a conference room. In either case, this technology is ever changing. Between the moment I write this and the time you read it, there will have been several changes to the systems available and already in use. Such is the nature of our fast-paced world. I don't want to talk a lot about features or limitations; instead, I want to cover the challenges posed by the nature of the technology itself.

The best way to explain videoconferencing is to think of it as combining the power of television with the intimacy of face-to-face communication, while bridging the gaps of distance, time, and relationships. How's that for a mouthful? It's important to understand the challenges of distance and time, especially to a growing world of visual creatures.

The Distance Factor

Face-to-face meetings require your physical presence. Although a lot can be accomplished through e-mail and voice, being in the presence of another person is the highest form of communication. Sometimes you have to travel to create a face-to-face meeting. When you think about attending meetings that require travel, distance influences your plans. For example, if you work in San Francisco and need to attend a meeting in Atlanta, you already know that much of your time will be spent traveling to and from the meeting. Typically, you'll try to arrange other appointments to help justify the trip, the expense, and the inconvenience of being away from the office for so long. However, if the meeting were on site you would not create additional activity with nearby departments just because you happen to be going all the way to the other side of the building. When travel distance is involved, the need to get other things accomplished while in the area becomes a priority.

As you plan your trip to Atlanta, you call two other contacts in the Atlanta vicinity, and you request a brief meeting because you plan to be in the area. The others may agree to meet with you more out of courtesy than real need. After all, they didn't call you, and they may not be as ready as you are to discuss things or make decisions. Some meetings are called because distance dictates the availability of one or more of the parties involved.

Videoconferencing tries to bridge the gap of distance while offering some of the benefits of face-to-face. It may be easier to coordinate mutually convenient schedules for a videoconference if all parties need to travel only a short walking distance to the visual meeting. You may be able to offer the other people two or three optional times, rather than let the airlines dictate the time and place for the event.

The Time Factor

Although convenience of scheduling is time related, the real factor here is length of time for a meeting. Today, most meetings that take place in company conference rooms are based around the convenience of the clock. Typically, conference room charts are filled with one-hour meetings, even though these meetings may not really need to be one hour. It is not feasible to schedule a 23-minute meeting, then an 18-minute meeting, and so on.

Our other forms of communication are much more to the minute, especially phone conversations. Even a telephone conference call among distant parties offers a start time, but rarely a stop time other than an approximation. Why? Because the parties involved are on private phones, separated from one another. If some of the people on the call are occupying a conference room to place the call, then the time for the call may be more limited to make the conference room available for others.

Today, videoconferencing equipment is not on everyone's desk as is a telephone or a personal computer. The availability of the technology from a time factor is still limited by appointment. However, when the technology is on each desktop, the length of meetings will be determined by the objectives of the conversation, not the availability of space.

Current videoconferencing technology has a higher connection time cost than a simple phone call. From an expense standpoint, companies need to limit the length of each call. This has a benefit because when you pay by the minute, you will likely make more prudent use of the time during a videoconference session than you might in a typical face-to-face meeting in the conference room.

The Relationship Factor

Many projects involve assembling a team of experts from within an organization or even across organizations. Too often, people in different departments, in different companies, and even in different cities don't have the time or resources to meet face-to-face, and yet they somehow are required to complete a task as a team. When face-to-face meetings are not possible, it is more difficult to get a group of diverse personalities to perform as a team.

A lot of our time during business communication is spent imagining what the people we haven't met really look like. Every moment we interact without seeing a person, we are communicating with our mental image of the person, which we create. This is a natural process. The beauty of face-to-face communication is the chance to meet and greet others. This is how relationships are formed. Relationships are a huge part of the team concept.

Videoconferencing gives separated parties the chance to see and hear others who may be brought together for only a short time to accomplish a task. Although everyone can't shake hands, at least they can avoid the task of imagining what the other people look like because they can see and interact through the technology of videoconferencing.

The Power of Television

Chances are that you grew up with television. How much money would you have if you were paid five dollars for each hour of TV you have watched in your life? If you averaged 20 hours a week and you've been watching TV for 20 years, you would have amassed more than $100,000 by now—and that's assuming you never put the money in an investment plan.

Regardless of how much TV you really do watch, no one can deny the influence of television over the generations of the past 25 years. Figure 27.13 summarizes the most obvious features of television that keep us glued endlessly to a variety of channels sometimes offering little content.

Television is a highly produced, action-driven medium. You thrive on visual images, and you have become highly critical of those writing, producing, and performing for television. Although you are comfortable with the medium as you watch the screen or talk into the lens of a home video camera, you have much higher expectations of those performing professionally on TV. It doesn't take a great stretch of the imagination to wonder what your expectations will be of those who communicate using videoconferencing technology. Maybe you won't expect TV personalities, but you might expect talent to be something better than what you have recorded on your home video camera.

From a business perspective, the power of television is used most often as a “store and forward” medium, rather than a real-time one. You may have been asked to view tapes in the workplace for training, informational, or motivational reasons. This is more private and mostly one sided—you are receiving information but not interacting. The good news is that these video productions are usually done well. They are produced using professional talent, and they are highly visual. You don't read a lot when experiencing video. We are content to use the medium of TV to serve our purposes both in business and at home. Until television is two-way and more interactive, it will continue to serve a much more passive and entertaining role in our daily lives.

The Beauty of Face-to-Face

Television has its place in business as it does at home, but it can't compete when a situation requires a face-to-face encounter.

Figure 27.14 summarizes the aspects of face-to-face communication. The ability to engage in real-time conversation in the same room with another person is clearly important to all of us. The whole interpersonal experience is very natural when it comes to using your five senses. Just the handshake as a greeting tells you so much about another person. A casual stroll past a freshly brewing pot of coffee can change the perspective of almost any conversation.

A heightened level of intimacy or closeness exists when people share face-to-face communication. The fact that people share the same moments at the same location allows them to cement a memory beyond what any other form of communication can offer. It's that closeness, that friendship, that helps develop business relationships over the course of time. Even the degree to which you can be truly interactive in a meeting makes you want to use the face-to-face process whenever you can. After all, you can tell right away if you need to change direction in a discussion or bring up additional data to support your point. In many cases, you know these things simply by being in the same space as the other person.

The Ideal Communication Channel

If any medium could harness the best of both television and face-to-face communication, it would be the ideal communication channel. Figure 27.15 shows the elements of the ultimate medium, if it really existed. Even at this stage in the development of this technology, videoconferencing possesses many of these attributes and comes close to being the ideal communication channel.

Videoconferencing is definitely action driven and highly visual. Videoconferencing happens in real-time, give or take a second for transmission of the signal. In addition, it's intimate and interactive.

However, of the eight elements of the ideal medium, videoconferencing falls short in some areas. Figure 27.16 shows where the technology misses, specifically in the areas of production, talent, and naturalness.

In terms of being produced and talent based, videoconferencing requires specific skills to make the event and the participants more effective. Acquiring these skills will put you on the fast track for decision making, problem solving, and getting noticed. You can't escape the eventual need to become a video communicator and screen-to-screen collaborator.

Regarding the technology enabling completely natural interaction, just like face-to-face, that kind of virtual reality is getting closer, but it is far from here. Let's take a look at what you can do to make videoconferencing look better produced and more talented than it is now.

The Production Aspect

The only way to make videoconferencing more like TV is to create a simple production. Videoconferencing enables you to incorporate a few of television's powerful elements. The effectiveness of TV stems from its capability to tap emotions. The medium leaves little to the imagination as images, graphics, voices, and music provide every detail of the stories it tells. You can enhance the visual effectiveness of videoconferencing through your setting, screenplay, and special effects.

You can control the setting by enhancing the layout of the room where you conduct your conferences. Whether you are using personal or group videoconferencing, pay attention to the positioning of the equipment relative to the seating and doorways. In a group setup, the camera and codec (coding/decoding or compressing/decompressing) unit usually sit on top of the monitor to allow the most meaningful eye contact between the sites. Make sure the distance between the equipment and seats allows for a complete group shot, as well as appropriate close-up views of the individuals. The system's microphone should be equidistant from all participants and, if possible, positioned on a separate table to eliminate noises from shuffling and vibration. Doorways should enable people to enter and exit the room with minimal distraction in front of the camera.

Backdrops enable you to manipulate the audience's perception of you and your environment. The backdrops you see on television are chosen to provide details in the story being told. They are used to create an effect. This approach may be overkill for the business world, but remember that your image is everything; understanding the power of the visual image can give you an edge. For best results, choose a backdrop (or wall paint) that is about 17% gray. This ensures a flattering and smoothly transmitted backdrop.

The typical conference room is lit with fluorescent and incandescent lights. These are unflattering and provide little control. If you are creating a videoconferencing room, rely on professionals to design a lighting system that highlights each seat with quality lighting. If you will be conducting a lot of videoconferencing from your office, pay attention to how your face is lit and consider aiming a couple of spotlights at your chair.

When choosing the clothes you'll wear on camera, you need to consider both technical and personal image issues. From a technical standpoint, avoid white because it washes out the picture and reflects harshly to the viewers on the other side of the video transmission (also known as the “far side”). Also avoid narrow stripes and houndstooth prints because they tend to “vibrate” on the screen. Large prints and plaids tend to distract because there are more colors and patterns that need to be transmitted through the system. Your best choice is solid blue or gray, but make sure you don't become camouflaged by your background. These colors evoke credibility and authority. Lavender and yellow are also good choices, but be careful with light pink because it tends to transmit as white, and it becomes too bright from the far side view.

Another way to make a videoconference appear more professionally “produced” is to write a screenplay. Like meetings, effective videoconferences require a bit of planning and a shared set of assumptions as to who does what and what rules are followed. The more the videoconference is structured around some type of plan, the better it will be for everyone.

An agenda is crucial and should be shared in advance with both parties so that the participants can be prepared for the discussion and tasks at hand. The agenda should note any visual presentations and video that may be used and which site will be responsible for the delivery. In addition, be sure that both sites are equipped and prepared to use the videoconference technology. You don't want to waste valuable meeting time teaching people how to work with the equipment.

Decide who will be facilitating or leading the meeting and who at your site will be taking responsibility for the equipment and any media used. If you divide these responsibilities in advance, the meeting will run more smoothly, and if any troubleshooting is necessary, it can be addressed quickly. With the latest advancements in videoconferencing equipment, one person can easily manage to lead the discussion while controlling the technology through a simple remote, with a few touches of a button.

Before you begin, be sure the first-time users understand that there might be a slight delay in the audio transmission. Naturally, as the bandwidth increases, the transmission of audio and video signals will be closer to the broadcast levels we get with TV. For now, the equipment may have some limitations. Just let everyone know that their brains will adjust quickly to any sound delays and that, after a while, they will learn to pick up the cues of a video conversation.

At the start, introduce everyone at each site. If someone has to leave in the middle of the conference and the camera doesn't make his departure apparent to the far side, be sure to let them know that someone left the room. In a face-to-face meeting this would not be necessary, but in a videoconference the only view you have to the other side is through the eye of the camera.

The fact that you have control of the camera can add value to the production aspect of the event. Your equipment probably enables the camera to pan and zoom, giving you a unique ability to change the perspective on the meeting. With a little practice (or a system that can program preset camera positions), you can bring the camera in close when you want to make an important point or pan the room for individual reactions.

In fact, some systems enable you to control the camera in your room as well as the one at the far side. You can pan around the room on the far side, zoom in on individuals as they speak, and pull back to view a group reaction. Just be aware that a picture-in-picture function on the far side may enable them to see what you're seeing.

Your system may also enable you to incorporate an electronic presentation, videotape, or dataconferencing into your remote meeting. You can even audioconference outgoing and incoming phone calls if you need to access the expertise of a colleague. If you use these media, be sure that you rehearse the order and switching to ensure that you can move smoothly between the different devices. The power of these tools can be diminished when you begin fumbling with the technology. No matter how simple the equipment is to operate, take the time for a technical run-through.

Finally, keep in mind that a videoconference can also be videotaped for archival or review purposes. All it takes is a VCR connected to the videoconferencing system. Although the replay will include only the action from the far side, the audio will be two sided, similar to what it may have sounded like had you attended the meeting. The only thing you won't see is any interaction in the room on your side of the conference. Keep in mind that if your interactive sessions are archived, there will be compelling visual evidence available in case you change or need to defend your position on a particular topic. This is true of e-mail and voice mail messages, but a videotape is much more impressive. Of course, a videotape recording can be blessing or a curse, depending on the nature of the content.

Those are just some of the things you can consider if you want a videoconference to appear more like a TV production. This is not much different from the effort it takes to make an average presentation look extremely professional. The more you become aware of what to work on, the easier it becomes to accomplish the task.

Boosting Your Talent

It goes without saying that a talent-based medium requires talent. The people embracing videoconferencing are developing a unique set of skills that is setting them apart as communicators. The skill set goes beyond the ability to write well and speak comfortably in public. This technology is quick, interactive, and intimate. It requires that you constantly assess what you are saying, how you are saying it, and how you look.

Earlier in this chapter we talked about playing to the camera, and a videoconference is a prime example of a situation in which your voice, positioning, and movement are most noticeable. Some other unique issues related to videoconferencing also come into play.

From a vocal standpoint, avoid the rudeness of side conversations. People may see you whispering but may not hear your comments. However, in negotiations, asides can be your ally. Many videoconferencing systems have a mute button on the microphone that enables you to pause the audio transmission temporarily. If you first get an agreement that both parties will be using this function to discuss items among themselves, negotiations can proceed more quickly. Just be aware that the video may still be running, allowing the other party to read your expressions and body language.

As I mentioned before, when you are using a system that has a slight audio delay, it's important to wait until an individual has completely finished a sentence before replying. Because we tend to interrupt each other a lot in normal conversation, many experts believe that the patience required by videoconferencing users may finally teach us to wait for the other person to finish. This more “formal” timing will actually put us in line with the communication styles of our European and Asian partners and could lead to more effective communication overall. Of course, when all systems are up to real-time broadcast quality speed (like telephones), there won't be any audio delays. Then we'll go back to stepping on each other's sentences again.

From a physical delivery perspective, facial expressions are critical to the communication process. By reading the face of the other party, you may be able to tell if he is confused or supportive, eager or bored, trustworthy or lying. Likewise, your face will communicate information about what you are thinking and feeling. Remember that even though you may not be the person speaking, you are still on camera and therefore are still communicating. Try to manage the messages you are sending through body language, and you will be much more effective.

Eye contact is still a dilemma in videoconferencing. You can't make direct eye contact with the camera and the person on the screen simultaneously, unless you are sitting back far enough from the camera lens that you appear to be looking directly back at someone. Figures 27.17 and 27.18 demonstrate this issue. As I was typing this, I decided to take some quick photos of myself with the small digital camera attached to my PC. Imagine you are looking at me during a videoconference. Figure 27.17 shows how I appear to you when I look directly into the camera lens. Notice that I am looking right at you. Figure 27.18 shows how I appear to you if I look at your image on my end of the conference and my viewing screen is lower than the camera. The only reason you notice this is because I am so close to the camera. I would have to sit farther back from the camera to give you the appearance of direct eye contact as I look at your image on my screen.

That is why most videoconference systems use a 27-inch or 32-inch TV screen with the camera mounted on top of the set and the participants seated about 10 to 12 feet away. From that distance you really can't tell that the person you're looking at is really looking at your image on their screen, slightly below the camera lens. Of course, if the camera could be mounted in the middle of the TV screen, you would always appear to be looking into the lens regardless of how close you were to the screen.

If you were on TV, you would always be looking directly into the camera lens because it's still a one-way communication tool. This line-of-sight problem is most apparent in personal videoconferencing and close-up views. Until the technology is perfected (and many solutions are being researched), you must learn to look into the camera when speaking or adjust to any differences.

Look at Me When I Talk to You! When you watch television, there is no reciprocal eye contact. The transmission of the signal is one way. As the viewer, you are not sending your image back to the person in the studio, so that person only has to look into the camera lens to know that eye contact is being made with you watching from home. Unlike television, group and desktop videoconferencing systems today face the challenge of absolutely direct eye contact. Videoconferencing is interactive, and two-way communication means eye contact is important on both ends of the transmission. Because the lens is outside the viewing area of the screen, maintaining absolute eye-to-eye contact is impossible. To reduce this distraction, experts suggest reducing the angle by which the eyes are averted from the lens. Adjusting the distance people sit from the screen (TV or monitor) or using a smaller screen can help with direct eye contact problems. As the screen size gets larger, you must increase the distance participants sit from the screen. The goal is to have the angle between the camera lens and the person's focal point (the spot focused on with the eyes) to be 10 degrees or less. Mount the camera on top of the monitor and center it. Be sure the monitor is at a height such that you're looking straight into the top third of the monitor when sitting. This reduces the angle that those on the other end (looking at you) have between your image and their camera lens. To minimize the angle between your camera and the image of those you are looking at on your monitor, frame the shot of the other people so there is only a small amount of empty space above their heads. That way, your eyes have to drop down only a short distance when you look at them on your monitor, and it appears you are looking more directly into the camera lens. Of course, the simplest way to know if your eye contact is a distraction is to ask those on the other end if it seems like you are looking directly at them or somewhat downward. If you appear to be looking down from their perspective, sit farther back from the monitor to reduce the distraction.

If you plan to move around at all, one way to stay within the frame of the camera is to test the camera positions in advance and plan your movement. If your videoconferencing equipment allows you to preset camera positions, you'll also be able to change from a wide shot to a close-up with the touch of a button.

Of course, real talent develops with experience. The more you use videoconferencing, the less your viewers notice the technology, and the more comfortable and natural you'll feel. As the technology becomes more common, you can share your expertise to introduce others to the power of the media. In the beginning, it might feel like the technology is controlling you, but eventually you will use videoconferencing with the ease with which you currently use your computer, fax machine, and phone.

Not Quite Natural

Although videoconferencing falls short of being the ideal communication channel, the efforts on your part concerning production and talent can bring the technology much closer to the ideal.

Current videoconferencing cannot duplicate the natural aspects of face-to-face communication. You still can't fill the coffee cup of the person at the far side. You can't smell cologne or shake hands. You can't see the subtle expression in his eyes or hear the faint pronunciation of his words. You can't casually notice the small actions of the group unless the camera picks them up for you. You can't do these things because you aren't there. This limitation of videoconferencing will never be overcome.

But technology advances as we speak, and perhaps, over the course of time, virtual reality will enable seamless workplaces that simulate very real and natural interaction among people. It is more likely that we will sacrifice the five senses for the sake of just two or three, rather than ignore videoconferencing as the new-age communication medium.