5 Video Chat Tips Everyone Should Know
Video chats are a convenient and fun way to communicate with friends, family and colleagues. However, when you first start video-chatting it can be a rather awkward experience. Here are five tips that will help you look good, while preventing any awkward embarrassments.
Set Up Your Lighting
Good lighting is key to looking your best on camera. You should have a source of light coming from behind your computer or webcam that will illuminate you. Avoid using the brightness of your computer monitor as it tends to turn you a shade of blue. You should also turn off any lights that are directly behind you, since they will make you appear too shadowed.
To get the best light possible, try using a lamp with a swivel head so you can adjust it to the perfect angle. If the light from the lamp is too harsh, try changing to a softer bulb or experimenting with a filter.
People often complain that they don’t look like themselves when they are on a webcam. This is likely due to the angle of the camera, especially on a laptop where the webcam is often tilted with the monitor screen. This can cause some of your features to look larger than what you normally see when you look in the mirror. Try positioning your webcam at eye-level and make sure it is not tilted at an angle.
Make Eye Contact
Making eye contact can be tricky during video chats. When you are looking at the person on your monitor, your eyes are actually directed downward from the camera, which can make you appear uninterested. In order to make eye contact, you must look directly into the camera. Of course, this is difficult to do during an entire conversation.
A good practice is to look into the camera when you are talking, especially if you are making an important point. Then, when the other person is talking, try periodically glancing up into the camera. You can also rely more on facial expressions and gestures to communicate your interest, but don’t go too far with this.
There is so much potential for embarrassment and trouble when others do not realize that someone else is in the room. When you are chatting with someone, let them know when you are not alone or if someone else enters the room (so they don’t say anything private or embarrassing). Likewise, you should let a person who enters the room know that you are chatting with someone on your computer (especially, if they are not fully-dressed!)
While we are on that subject, make sure you are appropriately dressed when making or answering a chat call. Don’t assume that the person calling or answering is alone on the other end.
Make Sure You Hang Up
Again, embarrassing things happen when you do not hang up properly and your webcam remains on. Always, check the light on your webcam to make sure it is turned off when you finish your call. For extra protection you may want to cover your webcam when not in use. You can place a post-it over built-in webcams or cover external cameras with a cloth.
