Talking with entertainers on the Internet, I’m hearing a lot of hesitation about doing a live streaming show, which made me think back to some of the insecurity my friends shared with me. Here’s what I heard and my suggestions on how to overcome their issues.
Here the five problems plus a solution to overcome these obstacles.
1. Terry was scared because he had never done a show online before. As an accomplished entertainer, he had been on TV but never done any live streaming or YouTube videos. Let’s face it, Terry and the rest of us are creatures of habit. When Terry started, he had a big learning curve. Over time, Terry learned how long it takes to set up and break down a show, place his props, and perfect comedic timing. Terry’s rhythm is disrupted, and that scares him.
Overcoming the fear: Terry’s first step was to understand that his customers are learning, developing, and producing events in a way they never expected. Once Terry realizes that his fear is depleted and understands the more virtual shows he does, the better the unknown becomes. If Terry’s fear is his mic will fail, he can have a second mic. Terry’s mind eased, and he reduced his fears once he established a backup plan.
2. Sue hates her voice: Turn on a recording of Sue, and she runs out of the room. Sue, like many Hollywood stars, cannot watch or listen to themselves on video. “The voice I hear is not the voice I like,” she said.
Overcoming Sue’s voice: Sue did some research and found voice exercises to improve her voice and her pronunciation. Yet, this wasn’t Sue’s problem. The problem was she was not accustomed to hearing her voice. Sue started recording herself and playing it back over and over again. Sue rehearsed a speech and read poems into a voice recorder. She found doing a couple of YouTube videos for herself was not as bad as she first thought. After a couple of weeks of doing this, I talked with Sue. She told me the exercises worked, yet the only improvement I saw was Sue’s confidence when I listened to the video. Once Sue’s confidence increased, she overlooked her voice and now focuses more on what she says in the videos.
3. Tom was not happy with how he looked on camera. Tom consistently over judges his appearance. He is judgemental about his haircut, his weight and is critical about little things that only he sees.
Overcoming your looks: Let’s face it; we are entertainers, and our looks are part of the job. Losing weight, updated haircut, makeup, or new clothing should be done regularly. Here is a tip I learned from working with TV production companies. Not all colors are covert to the broadcasting screen. Reds and purples are hard for a camera to distinguish. Test your clothing and see what A) you look good in and B) what works with your virtual background.
4. My equipment is out of date. Unless you plan to build a virtual studio or are a YouTube star, everyone is working with outdated equipment.
I am overcoming old equipment, using old lamps from the garage as part of my light setup. I tested and used extra microphones and my kid’s gaming headset. I even watched DIY YouTubers showing tips and tricks for lighting, sound, and video production. Here is a video I found on making a cheap teleprompter that I’ve made and used.
5. The virtual show is work. I recently blogged about my experience of creating an actual show, and there is a lot of work, but what is the alternative? Get a job? Talk to anybody who seeks employment, and they will tell you finding a job is a full-time job.
Overcoming the virtual show. My suggestion is to start with your show. Start with the things that easily convert to a virtual format? Next, look at all your hardware, and I mean all your hardware. Are those old cables, mic, camcorders, camera, phone, and any other equipment you might have buried in closets. Then plan an elementary virtual show. Don’t go crazy with extra cameras and new routines. Build on it slowly, and remember you still have to sell the show. Over the next couple of days, your time will be spent building, crafting, learning, and marketing a new virtual show.
The realization may not have set in yet, but if you have read and watched the video above, you’ve started your journey to do a virtual show.