Tips and Tricks
This allows users to look better in video chat
A video conference in the home office
© fizkes / Shutterstock.com
In video chats you shouldn't be sloppy, but what else can you do to make it look even better?
The Corona crisis has permanently changed the work and private life of most people. When it is not possible to meet up with friends or the office is closed, video chats and conferences are used to communicate with one another and to be able to see each other. Here are simple tips and also technical possibilities to make the whole thing look even better. You usually want to make a good impression on friends, colleagues and business customers.
Clothes and makeup
It should be clear to everyone that you should choose an appropriate outfit for a call or a conference – especially in the business area. However, it is not only important to note that you shouldn't necessarily sit in front of the camera in sweatpants and a dirty shirt. One should also pay attention to the colors and patterns of the clothes. If the upper part has a fine pattern, picture disturbances and thus flickering can occur. Colors that are too bright can also have a disturbing effect, which is why the choice should be made of more muted shirts, blouses or shirts.
Make-up does no harm either – even for men. Colorless powder can hide shiny skin, for example, concealer helps against dark circles and a little rogue can make the cheeks look rosy if you haven't left the house for days because of the pandemic. Even the choice of earrings should be considered when using a headset. With large creoles or hoops, for example, it can happen that they hit the microphone again and again, causing interference.
Correct location, distance and backgrounds
The location of a webcam, laptop or smartphone should also be chosen carefully. If the camera being used is placed too low on the desk or living room table, you can look down at it from above. Under certain circumstances, this can seem arrogant. It becomes particularly uncomfortable when you are still very close in front of the camera and colleagues, customers or friends can virtually look into the participant's nostrils. Positioning at eye level would be perfect.
But even in this case you shouldn't get too close – and centrally – in front of the camera lens. Because it is just as unpleasant when parts of the head, such as the forehead or chin, are cut off, so to speak, or only half of the face of a user can be seen. Positioning too far away from the camera can be just as disadvantageous. The user should be in the center and not the trimmings. As proud as you are of your apartment, the furniture or maybe even the dog frolicking in the background can be very distracting. And you don't necessarily want to show if you haven't tidied up. A screen or a screen can also be used here.
Many chat and conference tools also offer the option of using ready-made and custom backgrounds. Blurring is also often possible. So nothing has to be changed in the apartment and the other participants are still not distracted. In the business environment, a selection should be made that is as neutral as possible. For example, a picture of a functional house wall or the like is more appropriate than a sunny beach, which, depending on the context, could appear strange.
Lighting, attention and sound
The lighting of a room is just as important in this context. The picture quality is generally better, the brighter the room is lit. At the same time, the room and the user should not be overexposed. As a rule, natural daylight or indirect light look appropriate, for example a window or a table lamp behind a monitor or webcam. In the more professional sector, dimmable video lights can also be used, which offer variable color temperatures and are increasingly used for recording web videos or streaming.
Users should also never forget that a camera is always pointed at them. So you shouldn't let your gaze wander around the room uninterestedly during a conversation, constantly look at another screen and, ideally, smile once in a while. This signals that you are listening carefully to the other person and that you do not believe that you have something better to do. Constantly sliding around on the chair, standing up or the like causes unrest. In order to avoid any faux pas, it could help to imagine that you are currently in a meeting in the office or in an interview where you don't want to leave a bad impression.
A good tone is also important for a pleasant conversation. Sources of interference such as noise from an open window or the like should be avoided. Suitable headsets or table microphones generally improve the sound quality and can also filter out lower noise. Even cheap alternatives can be better than built-in microphones in laptops or smartphones. A sufficiently furnished room also ensures that it doesn't reverberate.