A local TV station conducts a live interview with an airport representative regarding an upcoming, big announcement. The anchor asks question from the TV studio. The person answering is standing somewhere in the airport. I see portions of two signs that reference the airport, but I can’t quite make out the words. The most prominent sign in the background is “Paradise Bakery.” The big announcement is not about Paradise Bakery. The photographer should have composed the live shot differently. The airport representative should have ensured the photographer composed the shot differently.
A woman sends me a video soliciting business. She sits at a desk. To her left is a plastic container separating documents. To her right is a big printer. I don’t like desk interviews. I dislike them even more when papers and printers distract viewers’ attention.
I once composed what appeared to be a beautiful, outside interview for a client. Then I saw in the distance a big, orange container on the adjoining property. That container forced me to change the camera angle and rethink the whole shoot.
People worry about how they look on TV. They apply make-up and make special trips to the salon. All of that is for naught if your background distracts from your words. Sometimes clutter is the distraction. Sometimes a boring white or brick wall sinks the shoot.
Look over the person’s shoulder. Are people going to be watching that computer monitor’s bouncing screen saver? Is someone walking by now and then? Is there personal information posted on a bulletin board that someone will try to read? Does that window make you look like a silhouette? Why can viewers see that trash bin?
Your background is as important as your foreground. You don’t want people looking over your shoulder when you look into the camera.
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