Page 29 - 2018 August Voices

BEHIND THE CAMERA
Put Your Hands
on the Table!
Phyllis Harmon, DTM
One of the first lessons we learn as Toastmasters
is what to do with our arms and hands when on
stage. Our pesky appendages can either help or
hinder our presentations. Body language (we
are told) makes a big difference in whether we
appear confident or nervous. Some say to keep
our arms neutrally at our sides unless we need
to use them to make a point.
Additionally, the etiquette police dictate that
while seated at a table, we keep our hands “at rest”
in our laps unless we are using them for eating
or drinking. No elbows are allowed on the table
per my etiquette-enforcing mom.
All the “do’s and don’ts” of arm use create a
bit of a conundrum when you appear on camera,
seated at a table.
Imagine a shooting gallery at the fairground.
Your goal is to shoot as many targets as possible
to win the big stuffed teddy bear. The target flips
up and you try to hit it. Up and down, up and
down the targets go! If you were coordinated,
and a good shot, you walked away with the prize.
In the studio during an on-camera interview,
think of your hands as the target, and the camera
as the shooter.
If you’ve listened to your mom and taken the
advice of well-meaning Toastmasters to heart,
you’ve got your arms at your sides and your
hands in your lap. Up they come, down they go
as you make a gesture during the interview. The
30 ONE COMMUNITY
camera catches them briefly, and then they are
gone—again—time after time. And if you use
quick, darting gestures, the camera captures
your movements as a blur.
The poor camera operator has two choices
when your hands make sudden appearances.
They can either switch to a different camera
taking the focus away from you, the speaker,
or change to a close up so that your hands are
never in the shot. What they don’t want to do
is constantly change the shots to salvage their
recordings.
Here are a few ideas to keep you framed in
the shot when you are in front of the camera
and keep your camera operator from running
for the nearest exit:
1. Rest your forearms (not your elbows) on
the table. That keeps your hands available for
gesturing and visible to the camera.
2. Clasp your hands loosely if you wish. That
keeps them contained but ready when needed.
3. Keep your gestures semi-tight and
controlled. Large, sweeping arm movements
won’t be captured in the frame and won’t be seen
by your audience.
That’s it! Nothing too elaborate or earth
shattering. Mom and the etiquette police will let
you off with a warning - after all, you are the star
of the show, and we have the footage to prove it!