Broadcasting: How to Be Good In Front of the Camera
Standing before a camera is never an easy task. Many people find it hard because it is not something that anyone can do. While the news team will be busy writing the script and setting up the cameras, oftentimes, they forget to prepare the anchor. They assume that perhaps experience makes it more accessible. However, even experienced new anchors sometimes face hard times dealing with the camera. With everything around, you may easily get confused and do the opposite of what is expected.
The most important thing to do before facing the camera is to gather yourself. And the good news is, once you do it several times, you start understanding what can make you a better presenter. Everyone is watching you, in the room, and probably across the world, hence you want to be the best. It may be a bit hard at the beginning. But like any other profession, strive to make yourself a better person before the camera. Sometimes you see professional broadcasters and think it is easy. But once you get into the game, you start realizing perhaps there are a few things you may have overlooked.
In this article, we are going to introduce you to a few ways of making your TV presence worth your time. It is all about knowing what you want to do and giving it your best. However, it all depends on your skills and willingness to become better. The most important thing to put in mind is what you want to do with your time in front of the camera. As the news anchor, you are the image of the broadcasting house; hence your actions matter very much.
Understand your audience
In a news scenario, you are speaking to a live audience. Therefore, understand that there are will be no time to make corrections and edit your work, like in movies. You need to be as perfect as possible in presenting your ideas. By knowing who your audience is, you can make the write call whenever possible. Even though you are just reading a script, it is up to you to make it interesting.
For this reason, your voice must be appealing in tone. Every part you read should reflect what you are feeling because you are directly impacting your audience. Understanding your audience also means knowing who you are reading for. Every piece of information in a news bulletin is directed at a specific audience. If you know who they are, then your work becomes much easier.
Improve your skills
There is a certain set of skills a news anchor should possess. They include, but not limited to, the following:
- A college degree or certificate in journalism. This is where you learn everything related to journalism and how to work in the news industry. It is the most basic requirement.
- Professional experience. As stated above, standing before a camera, especially to read news is never easy. The tension comes in, especially when you make a mistake. And this is why an employer will require seeing your ability to handle camera pressure. It is all in the way to stand before the camera, where you focus, and how you move your mouth.
- Interest. You cannot be a TV broadcaster unless you want to be. Therefore, you first have to show that you are interested in what you are applying for. And there must be something that motivates you to become what you want to be.
- A good voice. Apart from showing your face, the audience is interested in your voice. In fact, many people are attracted to the voice of the anchor, more than their faces. And this is the reason the best anchors have many fans across their region.
- Confidence. The last thing you want to experience is sweating and shaking in front of a live camera. Hence, building your confidence should give you a better entry into the world of broadcasting.
These are just some of the basic skills you may need to have. But if there is some area you feel low, you don’t need to worry. It takes time to perfect. Besides, everyone starts somewhere. And even the most experienced anchors were in the same spot once on their life. Note, however, the TV industry is quite competitive. If you are not aggressive enough to grab the opportunities as they come, you may end up losing up. Fortunately, other areas in journalism are less crowded. And you can take advantage of such to improve yourself.
Own the News
It could be that someone else wrote the script for you. But that does not mean you just let it flow as it is. You need to own the piece because you are the one speaking directly to the audience. In other words, you are interpreting the script to the viewer. Hence, the way to move around the studio, tone for your voice and facial expressions should all be part of the story. Every like you read should make you feel like you are the reader. This is important more so for news reporters. When you are in the field, interacting directly with your audience, you get the opportunity to feel what they are feeling.
Become the talent
To be successful on camera, it is important to become a talent. Strive to be the best you can be in all manners. In other words, you need to take charge of the show. People are looking at you, and your talent should tell them everything they need to know about you. Make it your goal to keep improving. It is only by doing so that you uncover the talents that lie within. In life, we all need to learn to grow. Sooner or later, you will start going without a script. The bottom line here is, commit yourself to get better. It is never about the degree or the good high-school grades. In the field, you desire to grow
, and putting your talent to use becomes your greatest weapon.
Author: James Hamilton