0437 – Eye Contact For Video And Stage Performers

2022.03.13 – 0437 – Eye Contact For Video And Stage PerformersEye contact for video and stage performersOK this isn’t about the voice per se but let’s just spend a short time looking at this closely associated topic. When you speak, involve your listeners with your eyes: it’s natural, personal and conversational and helps create a bond with them. That’s easy of course if it’s a one-to-one conversation or with a handful of people as you can look at each of them in turn. With an auditorium of people, look at different parts of the audience and within that some specific individuals. On video, look into the lens of the camera, not at yourself in the screen. Yes, you can glance away in all of these situations, to one side, or down at your notes or up at the ceiling as you do a ‘mock’ search for words, say. But looking someone in the eyes suggests (in most cultures), honesty and friendliness and averting your gaze suggests disinterest, nervousness and insincerity. Plus, if you don’t look at them, they won’t look at you! You will have broken the ‘eyeball bond’ and the audience will feel excused from giving you their eyes, their ears and their attention, which in turn may lower your confidence and raise your discomfort. Looking at your audience completes the feedback loop that we looked at before: you can see your listeners’ reaction and change your delivery accordingly. Furious scribbling in notepads shows you’re giving content of value (although possibly a little too fast). People looking away and talking to each other suggests you may be losing their interest so maybe consider brightening your intonation, animating your gesticulations, or moving across the stage.  Has anyone got their hand raised with a question..? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.