I’ve been giving a lot of virtual cooking demos lately. 
Fun, fun, fun! 
Here are 3 tips to help you crush your next virtual cooking demo: 
Use clear bowls and containers.
This helps your audience see the contents more easily. 
Cover veggies, herbs and delicate leafy greens with a damp towel until you’re ready to go live. This keeps them looking fresh and vibrant, not limp and wilted. 
Place your perishable ingredients over an ice-pak.…
Did you catch this media FAIL? If you live in Ontario, you might have heard the news about Dr. Barbara Yaffe, our Associate Medical Officer of Health. Just before the live COVID briefing press conference began, Dr. Yaffe was heard saying, “I don’t know why I bring all these papers. I never look at them. I just say whatever they write down for me.”
YIKES!
It’s a classic example of a “hot mic” blunder. 
The microphone was ON –…
Question: How can I look and sound more natural when using a teleprompter? Answer: I’m sure you’ve all seen reporters and politicians reading from teleprompters. If they’re not pros at this, you can almost see their eyes moving across the screen. Sometimes they appear to speak in monotone with an expressionless face. 
You can do better! I’ve used a teleprompter many times to film videos for my business and brand clients. Here’s what I can tell you! 
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Lighting is key to any media or video shoot. Our guest contributor Naomi Chen shares a few of her pro tips! Natural lighting A lot of the times, content creators try to “dim” or “soften” their studio lights. Natural sunlight already helps provide a more organic look in your videos. However, because the weather is constantly changing, your shoots become dependent on the sun. You also may not be able to create certain effects for your videos. You want to…
Wondering what to do with your hands during a TV interview? Here are 5 things to consider. Open or Closed?Both. Keep your hands open as much as possible while you’re speaking. This helps to build trust with your audience and shows that you have nothing to hide. When you’re listening and not speaking, relax and rest your hands in a natural position on the table, podium or in your lap. Up or Down?Up. Gesture your hands slightly upwards.…
With physical distancing these days, more and more journalists are reporting from their homes. I’ve been giving live TV interviews via Skype and FaceTime from my home office and kitchen. And you can too! Here are my personal secrets of success. 1 – Use a tripod for your smart phone. This helps to steady the camera. I set up the tripod directly on my counter top. Raise the tripod so that the camera is at eye level. If you’re sitting…
Guest post by Lucia Weiler, BSc., RD, PHEc, President Weiler Communications Inc. Have you been using video calls for everything these days? It’s a challenging transition for some people and an exponential learning curve for others. So if you’re unsure how to set yourself up for video call success you’re not alone! What I’ve learned from years of working online is that it takes time to discover what best suits each team and situation. For example, this week my…
I first met Kerry Miller when she was a grad student participating in my media training workshop. Fast forward, and now she’s appeared in her first on-camera interview with Global News. Way to go Kerry! Here’s my online interview with Kerry and a link to her TV interview. 1 – Congratulations on your first TV broadcast interview! Tell us how you secured this interview – did you pitch the story idea to the producer / journalist or did they find…
It was a busy Thursday when the stomach flu hit. It was also the day I was planning to do my final prep on key messages for an upcoming Monday TV segment. Needless to say, I got nothing done. I wasn’t too worried as I started to feel better late Friday and I knew that I still had a couple of days until my TV segment. But, I didn’t get better and in fact, started to feel worse again on…
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sure has! But it wasn’t exactly what he had planned to do! Read his unforgettable story below. Spoiler alert: Gum is involved! MTBC: You’re known as “The Food Professor” and you’re the Senior Director at the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax. What brought you to Montreal? SC: Our family cottage is in the Laurentians. On December 18, CTV’s Your Morning [in Toronto] booked me for an interview for January 2 at 7:15 am. I…
