On video, your eyes are very powerful. They're much more dominant than they are if you're just in a room with someone speaking. So if you're doing things like this Hi, I'm TJ Walker. I'm very honest and trustworthy. I'd like for you to send me your credit card so I can help you save money. Is that believable?
I don't think so. I become literally shifty eyed. If I'm trying to look at the camera, look at the reporter Look at the camera. Look up for inspiration. Look down. The rule of thumb with video is to look in one place.
If a reporter is talking to you and anchor a host, then look at that person. It's not going to be odd that you're not now looking at the camera. That's the grammar of television news. Look at a human being you cannot go wrong. Looking at a human being during a meeting interview. Don't try it.
Play to the camera don't start off looking at the human being and then Well, Jim, I'm glad you asked me that and going back and forth, it looks phony. It looks contrived. It looks weird and you don't need to do it. Now, if there's no one present, if you're being interviewed through satellite, you've got an earpiece. Perhaps it's an interview through live Skype video, something happening increasingly common these days. And that case, look at the camera.
Look at it like it's a human being. Don't have your eyes floating all over the place. So that's what you need to know about eye contact. This is constantly a source of confusion for people. Because I'm in one on one and small group media trainings all over the world. I'll tell people this, I'll demonstrate it.
I talk about it in my books, my online courses and still people will get up. TJ Where do I look when you're feeling A little bit nervous, scared tense, your brain shuts down and confusion starts. So I want you to really get this down. Just look at the human being. If anyone's talking to you, it's just your own video, or any kind of connection where you're hearing someone through an earpiece, then look right at the camera.