On-screen Interviewing: Appearance

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Aimy Kersey. I want to talk to you today about some general screen tips. What to do when you find yourself in front of the camera? Television viewers will judge your trustworthiness by your message substance and your style. However, your appearance must also match view expectations. Following are a few do's and dont's for dressing for success in a TV interview. In general, never wear black or white for television interviews. Aim for mid tone colors. Dark or bright colored clothes can make your face look extremely washed out or dark under television studio lighting. You blouse or shirt should have a place to clip the microphone. Don't wear light sensitive glasses. Studio lighting will make your glasses darken. And viewers won't be able to see your eyes. Here are some ideas what to wear in the studio. Stick to a conservative, professional appearance. For men, wear a tailored sports coat. Make sure you try it on before. I can't tell you how many interviews I've seen where I've wondered if there was a stylist involved because a man is sitting there in a jacket that is bunched up and makes them look ten times their weight. Make sure it makes you look smart and appropriate for your interview on television. For women, skirt length should be appropriate. It's absolutely critical you don't go on television in a mini skirt. I can't tell you the amount of women I've seen showing their underwear and it's just a disaster when that happens. Undergarments should not show through. Sometimes you see various different colors showing through lighter or very tight skirts. Same with your tops. Make sure you top is not too tight that it's showing all the lines of your undergarments. Wear tan or black hose rather than bare legs. Avoid tight stripes or plaids. On camera, they sometimes produce a moving zipper stripe effect. And the camera just can't cope with it. For on location clothing, dress in natural clothes. Make sure the clothes are appropriate for where you're going to be. Don't wear a suit if you're being interviewed in a peanut field or a citrus grove. Avoid hats. If you must wear one, push back the brims so that people can see your eyes. Jewelry. Now many people get everything else right about their whole outfit. They put some much work and effort into making sure they got the right outfit on and then destroy it all by wearing the wrong jewelry. Wear only a few pieces. Avoid clunky or dangling jewelry. Be gold or high gloss pieces can reflect studio light. Remember, if what you're wearing distracts the camera. You're going to get less face time on camera. Short necklace is the best. As long necklaces rub up against clip on microphones and cause a lot of distortion. What would be the best thing for me to wear to an interview? You know that's really a great question. I think what you're wearing, makes you feel very comfortable. Would you say you're very comfortable in what you're wearing right now? Yeah. Yeah I am. It's a great outfit to be comfortable in. Unfortunately, the color doesn't always work on camera. It's best to steer away from blacks and whites. And plaids and stripes too sometimes can not be best thing to wear because the camera has a hard time with that. Your jewelry should always be quite minimalistic. Don't go overboard on the jewelry. This is a beautiful chain. But, you will have a problem with that catching on the microphone. So it's better to wear shorter necklaces and nothing that's too glaring."