How to articulate a television interview
The main difference between speaking in front of an audience and performing on television (or radio, or YouTube) is the element of editing and brevity: when we speak in front of an audience, as long as we are not interrupted, we are heard. On the other hand, when we are recorded, our words will be edited and shortened between 90% and 99%. Therefore, unlike a speech to an audience where it is important to be good all the time, in a recorded speech you have to be fine all the time, and brilliant in the really important parts, the 'sound bytes'. A few tips will help achieve this powerful message |
Workshop for appearing in the media
A practical workshop to improve performance and security in front of cameras. Medal got the most out of every interview. Limited number of places |
The message should be repeated several times, and in several different ways.
Repetition is always a good thing, because it helps Mr. to be absorbed and remembered, but when talking to a television camera, repetition has two additional advantages:
- Allows assigning improvements - The presentation of the message does not always go perfectly, and repetition can achieve the improvement.
- NAnd give the editor a choice - When the editor comes to choose the segments to be broadcast, he has several versions of the main message to choose from, and when the versions differ from each other in style and wording, the chances are that he will like one of them.
- The emphasis should therefore be on finding different ways to say the same things, so that you don't look like a parrot repeating yourself.
It is advisable to include the question at the beginning of your answer
When you insert the question into the answer, the editor can project your answer as one piece without having to insert the editor's question, which gives you a few more seconds of screen time at the expense of the interviewer (and there is nothing to worry about, interviewers usually have no problem with this).
Another advantage of the method is that it allows you to appear in control, as if you are the ones presenting a position and not reacting to what the interviewer says, and as long as you are careful, you can also introduce a slight bias in the question so that it is more convenient to answer it (but in other cases this is seen as evasion).
And finally, repeating the question gives you a few more seconds to think about your answer...
use proper-pronouns
It is important to use the first name more than a general description. Less "my book" "our product" or "in the opinion of the party", more "in the Discipline Conversation book I explain", or "the public speaking workshop allows..." or "the Labor Party supports"
The reason is that your name does not always appear or is mentioned, and even if it was mentioned, it will not always link you to the product. In fact, it is very possible that the viewer zipped to the interview in the middle after you were introduced.
Beware of jargon
Television is a message aimed at a low common denominator to achieve maximum ratings, so it is important to use language that is understood by as many people as possible. This does not mean that you are obliged to be simplistic and shallow - it just means that you will have to explain complex concepts in ordinary words. It's not easy, but that's what makes certain experts sought-after interviewees, and others invisible in the media.
By the way, it is especially important in Israel to avoid using English words wherever possible. Lots of technologists who are surrounded by other technologists, and who live in Silicon Valley and the world of venture capital funds forget that the general public, including the decision makers do not know what VC or 2.0 is
Beware of rants
In a normal speech it is very easy to get excited for the audience, it even helps to keep the audience. The enthusiasm is created during the speech, and is built on a wave of adrenaline, partly from the fear of the audience, and partly from the positive feedback from the audience. The problem with an interview is that the edited segment can seem very out of context when the enthusiasm is not shown. That's why it's important to show enthusiasm in your body language, but beware of ranting in your phrasing.
It is especially important to be careful of extreme expressions and sweeping generalizations - as they say in English 'never say never on live television'