{"id":95073,"date":"2020-04-14T08:53:49","date_gmt":"2020-04-14T15:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/?p=95073"},"modified":"2022-04-04T12:18:50","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T19:18:50","slug":"tv-insider-tips-to-upscale-your-next-video-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/tv-insider-tips-to-upscale-your-next-video-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"TV Insider Tips to Upscale Your Next Video Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-95074 size-full\" title=\"TV Insider Tips to Upscale Your Next Video Conference\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/bb-bh-Tips-to-Your-Next-Video-Conference.jpg\" alt=\"Am I Set for Video Conferencing\" width=\"1440\" height=\"820\" srcset=\"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/bb-bh-Tips-to-Your-Next-Video-Conference.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/bb-bh-Tips-to-Your-Next-Video-Conference-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/bb-bh-Tips-to-Your-Next-Video-Conference-1024x583.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/bb-bh-Tips-to-Your-Next-Video-Conference-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/bb-bh-Tips-to-Your-Next-Video-Conference-560x319.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"abstract\">\n<p><strong>These tips were compiled with the help of:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Erik Weaver, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etcenter.org\/activities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Entertainment Technology Center<\/a>, USC<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Nicosia, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.industriousllc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Industrious Films<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dina Mande, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hellojuice.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Juice Media<\/a><\/div>\n<p id=\"bzdropcap\">Video conferencing is absolutely <em>everywhere<\/em> now, and for good reason! Social distancing appears to be helping \u201cflatten the curve\u201d around the world, and the ability to do video conferencing has certainly helped.<\/p>\n<p>Seeing a ring of friendly faces on our calls has proven a fantastic way to bring teams, families, and friends together\u2014even if we\u2019re all calling from our kitchen tables instead of our offices, or chatting from the couch instead of together at a coffee shop. And it&#8217;s not just us normal folks\u2014it&#8217;s now common to see chat show presenters and cable TV interviews delivered from laptops and iPads as well.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re lucky to work with a lot of folks on staff and among our customers who\u2019ve spent careers helping people look good on camera. So we figured, since everyone\u2019s thinking about how to put their best faces forward, we\u2019d reach out to some of our friends who produce beautiful video and images for a living and collect their top tips to bring TV studio magic to your own video conferencing, or even prepare for your own remote TV interview.<\/p>\n<p>As we cover each area where you can upgrade your setup, we\u2019ll provide tips that cost little or nothing, but be sure to call out options where you can get more dramatic results for modest expense.<\/p>\n<p><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-4fdbba66-22c2-4db3-92f4-3733651371f5\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-4fdbba66-22c2-4db3-92f4-3733651371f5\" id=\"hs-cta-4fdbba66-22c2-4db3-92f4-3733651371f5\"><!--[if lte IE 8]>\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n<![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/2832298\/4fdbba66-22c2-4db3-92f4-3733651371f5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-4fdbba66-22c2-4db3-92f4-3733651371f5\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/2832298\/4fdbba66-22c2-4db3-92f4-3733651371f5.png\"  alt=\"\u2794 Download Our Media Workflows E-book\"\/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(2832298, '4fdbba66-22c2-4db3-92f4-3733651371f5', {\"useNewLoader\":\"true\",\"region\":\"na1\"}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n<h2>The Expert\u2019s Guide to Upping your Video Conference Game<\/h2>\n<p>Before you start to worry about lighting your \u201cgood side\u201d let\u2019s make sure you\u2019ve got the fundamentals dialed in first. You want to be sure that your \u201cstage\u201d\u2014including baselines like network bandwidth, power, and your computer\u2019s desktop\u2014is set for success. No matter how well you set the scene, if your shot is blurry because the rest of your housemates are streaming 4K video, your work will have been for nothing.<\/p>\n<h3>Equipment Check<\/h3>\n<h4>Mount<\/h4>\n<p>Most of us use our laptops for video conferencing, but iPhones and iPads are great self-contained video streaming devices too. Whichever you use, make sure that you have them on a stable platform. Even mild shaking as you type away or move at your desk can translate to jittery video for everyone else, distracting your audience from you and what you\u2019re presenting.<\/p>\n<h4>Network<\/h4>\n<p>Having a solid network connection is one of the most important factors in your setup. If you\u2019re on WiFi, see if you can prioritize your connection using your router\u2019s Quality of Service feature, or move everyone not presenting to their own network. Use a 5GHz network for work, and a 2.5GHz network for, well, everything else.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re on a laptop, try to get a wired ethernet connection for the biggest and most forgiving bandwidth. If you\u2019re like most people and run a 100% WiFi household, don\u2019t worry, this isn\u2019t as hard as it sounds. Your WiFi router likely has an ethernet port you can use to get a direct, wired connection to get the maximum bandwidth. Of course, depending on the computer you have, you may need an adapter and possibly a long ethernet cable to complete this fix.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/75660\/the-beginners-guide-to-qos-on-your-router\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">HowToGeek\u2019s Home Router Guide to Quality of Service.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Power<\/h4>\n<p>It may seem obvious, but make sure everything\u2019s plugged into power or at least has a healthy charge\u2014your computer, bluetooth keyboard and mouse, <em>everything<\/em>\u2014before starting that critical video conference or webinar. And be sure to temporarily set your laptop to \u201cno sleep mode\u201d to avoid suddenly seeing a lock screen on your computer while you\u2019re talking!<\/p>\n<h3>Good Housekeeping<\/h3>\n<p>If there\u2019s even a <em>chance<\/em> you\u2019ll be sharing your screen during your presentation, you should clean up your desktop icons (you should really do this anyway) and swap in a solid color desktop background, which can actually reduce video compression artifacts (all of that weird stuff you see on the screen when your connection is bad).<\/p>\n<p>In your browser, make sure to close out applications and web browser tabs you don\u2019t need for your presentation and turn off notifications so the whole office doesn\u2019t see you playing Buzzword Bingo during your next video conference!<\/p>\n<p><em>Turn off notifications on a Mac: Option-Click on notifications in the menu bar.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/camouflage\/id445264274?mt=12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Camouflage<\/a> on Apple App Store.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Camera\u2019s Ready, Set&#8230; Rolling!<\/h3>\n<p>Those tiny cameras in laptops, phones and tablets sit on the <em>edge<\/em> of the device, but since you tend to look at the middle of your screen during a web conference where your colleagues&#8217; faces are, you\u2019ll want to raise your laptop so that the camera is on eye level while you\u2019re speaking. This way, you\u2019re not looking down on, or up to everyone else in the conference. When you\u2019re talking or presenting, speak to the camera as if it actually is the person you\u2019re speaking to; it may help to put a smiley face on a Post-it under your camera to help you remember.<\/p>\n<p>Or, you can actually use your iPhone or iPad as an external camera instead of using the one in your laptop thanks to some clever apps like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kinoni.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EpocCam by Kinoni<\/a>. As long as your iPhone is on the same WiFi network as your laptop, or connected via your USB cable, you can select it as a new camera in your video conferencing app.<\/p>\n<p>For the best results possible, add a dedicated external camera. While some go for purpose-built webcams like the Logitech P220, or even action cameras like the GoPro Hero, you might be able to turn your existing DSLR camera into a TV studio quality workhorse by mounting it on a mini-tripod on your desk, connecting it to your laptop with an HDMI cable, and putting the camera into streaming mode. You may also need to download an app from your camera\u2019s manufacturer to put it in streaming mode; specific steps vary for each camera platform.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_95077\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95077\" style=\"width: 855px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-95077 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image1-855x1024.png\" alt=\"Using a tripod for videoconferencing\" width=\"855\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image1-855x1024.png 855w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image1-250x300.png 250w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image1-768x920.png 768w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image1-560x671.png 560w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image1.png 1085w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-95077\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The new breed of mirrorless DSLRs make a fantastic external camera for your video conferencing needs. They also double as a full-featured still photo and movie camera you can take anywhere.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>YouTube and Twitch streaming stars find this to be the single best investment to make their streaming look as professional as possible. Some popular choices here are the Canon M200 and the Canon M6 Mark II, and Nikon and Sony have similar offerings. And when not connected to your laptop for conferencing, you have an amazing still and video camera. (Which you can\u2019t say with dedicated streaming video cameras.)<\/p>\n<h3>Soundcheck<\/h3>\n<p>For the most part, the sound and microphone in your laptop does a great job of picking up your voice and playing back the conference audio. If you\u2019re in a noisy environment, you\u2019ll want to use your headphones to isolate the conference audio, and be sure to hit that mute button when you\u2019re not speaking. Run a test with a friend and check for room audio problems like the background noise of a fan or refrigerator, or boominess. Moving just a few feet to a different location could make a world of difference.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_95078\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95078\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-95078 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image5-1024x748.png\" alt=\"4 different podcast microphones\" width=\"1024\" height=\"748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image5-1024x748.png 1024w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image5-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image5-768x561.png 768w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image5-560x409.png 560w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image5.png 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-95078\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Podcaster style microphones plug into your laptop\u2019s USB port and deliver warm, rich radio-style sound.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But to really upgrade the sound of your voice, you\u2019ll want a much better microphone than the tiny one buried in your laptop or phone. Here, we take a top tip from podcasters and make a modest investment in podcast style microphones. Blue makes superb microphones such as the Yeti and Snowball that help make you sound like a radio star.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluedesigns.com\/youtube-and-podcasting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blue Microphones.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Check Your Six<\/h3>\n<p>Just like TV studio set designers, it pays to think about what else you\u2019re showing on the screen. What\u2019s behind you? To keep the focus on you and what you\u2019re saying, situate yourself against a plain background and reduce visible clutter. Some find that room divider or Shoji-style screens work well, too. Or, you may want to decorate your office \u201cstage\u201d with a more professional background, like a bookcase tastefully arranged with awards and recognition. For the most part, a simple, non-distracting background is what you\u2019re going for.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_95081\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95081\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-95081 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image2-1024x405.png\" alt=\"Snapchat screen capture\" width=\"1024\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image2-1024x405.png 1024w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image2-300x119.png 300w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image2-768x304.png 768w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image2-1536x607.png 1536w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image2-560x221.png 560w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image2.png 1892w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-95081\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Digital backgrounds can drop in a professional background, or transform your image into any number of fun avatars\u2014just be sure to practice how to toggle it on and off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/potato-boss-filter_n_5e856b8ec5b6f55ebf47d7cd?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMVdxmRXpbOqcE3idE_bCoy-vVDej9Bc9rD4Sm7KQza3QxHhyFDh93mD757tHzosUEtNIDC2B1b2NXjsmB6igTFQb_5mcF9MS_nIGOg20lJNk8v9OwbpHIqjE3bDH6hfZpaet5aLzcmqYxxtNtvy_150B7AcLFtqgSsTaqCp8kxs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">before your next big video conference!<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Or, make the leap into digital set design. Some conferencing apps like Zoom let you swap in a picture to replace your background, digitally. (Just be sure to practice turning it off and on at the risk of delivering your next status report as a potato.)<\/p>\n<p>If you have the room, you can pair a simple photographer\u2019s backdrop and frame to turn your home office into a home studio suitable for filming testimonials and interviews. If you also add a greenscreen, your Zoom backgrounds will look as good as the cable news channels.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/support.zoom.us\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/210707503-Virtual-Background\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zoom Virtual Backgrounds.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/snapcamera.snapchat.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Snap Camera<\/a> to choose custom backgrounds and filters that work for Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/savageuniversal.com\/blog\/how-to-set-up-your-collapsible-backdrop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Set Up Your Collapsible Background.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Lights<\/h3>\n<p>Good lighting takes your web conference video from flat to dramatic. Your room\u2019s interior lights are designed to light your room, not your face. Any lights beaming directly into your laptop camera will confuse it and it will shift constantly to try to compensate for video hot spots.<\/p>\n<p>If you have good natural daylight available from a window, try repositioning your laptop with different angles to make sure that the sun shines on you, and not in your viewer\u2019s eyes. An indirect angle on your face works best. Sheer drapes will soften any harsh light.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_95082\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95082\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-95082 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image4.jpg\" alt=\"ring light with an iPhone in the middle\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image4.jpg 800w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image4-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image4-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image4-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image4-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image4-560x560.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-95082\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inexpensive LED ring lights have many uses and help deliver studio-quality face lighting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even with good daylight, a large LED light ring can deliver \u201cI\u2019m ready for my close-up\u201d lighting. For the most flattering image that really pops on-screen, you can easily adopt a classic two or three light photographer\u2019s setup. You can arrange desk lamps and floor lamps, or buy inexpensive clamp lights to create a high <em>key<\/em> light angled at your face, a lower angled <em>fill<\/em> or low <em>key<\/em> light, and optionally, another light behind you that shines up to help fill your background.<\/p>\n<p>The results with even common household lights are dramatic. For modest expense, you can add clamp lights with fluorescent or LED \u201cdaylight\u201d bulbs, and you can easily soften shadows by clamping translucent paper over the front of the bulb.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_95083\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95083\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-95083 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image3-1024x1021.png\" alt=\"point lighting kits\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1021\" srcset=\"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image3-1024x1021.png 1024w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image3-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image3-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image3-768x766.png 768w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image3-80x80.png 80w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image3-560x558.png 560w, https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/image3.png 1073w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-95083\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Entry level three point lighting kits are surprisingly inexpensive and give your video conferencing or video blogging setup a dramatic look.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019ll be doing a lot of streaming, you can get an inexpensive three point lighting kit that can be moved and set up anywhere quickly.<\/p>\n<p><em>RocketJump\u2019s excellent eight minute Lighting 101 Tutorial:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lighting 101: Quality of Light\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jw066PBZe60?start=171&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Ready for Your Close-Up?<\/h3>\n<p>Now, what to wear? One top tip: don\u2019t wear black at the risk of appearing as a floating head. Try to position your camera far enough away so that your head fills about two thirds of the screen and the tops of your shoulders are visible. Now pull your shirt down in the back to smooth out wrinkles.<\/p>\n<p>And finally, for the full TV star treatment, eye-brightening or allergy relief drops will make your eyes their whitest, simple bronzer or self-tanner will add color to your face, and if you see lights bouncing off bright spots on your forehead, video producers everywhere swear by Neutrogena Matte finish applied with foam wedges.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-camera-friendly-makeup-for-men-and-women\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Apply Camera-Ready Makeup for Men and Women.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>PhotoJoseph\u2019s Makeup Tutorial:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"On-Camera Makeup Tips and Tricks for Men \u25baTips From a LIVE Streamer\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EqGA-U-UmVM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>3, 2, 1&#8230;<\/h3>\n<p>Finally, it\u2019s good practice to prepare for the unexpected. Write down important dial in codes or URLs in case your internet or power conks out and you have to rejoin quickly from your phone. Have a glass of water handy just within reach and place a note on your door that you\u2019re in a conference.<\/p>\n<h3>And, Action!<\/h3>\n<p>Yet no matter how carefully we prepare, life happens. So when your dog jumps in your lap, or your suddenly homeschooled office mate gives you their art project to look at\u2014it&#8217;s ok! We\u2019re all going through it too, and we\u2019re all in it together!<\/p>\n<p>What tips or stories can you share? Comment below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COVID-19 is rightfully filling the news cycle, but if you\u2019re coming to our blog, you\u2019re probably looking for some helpful information about backing up or entrepreneurship. In this post, we\u2019re sharing our top tips from TV studio insiders and film production professionals for setting up great video conferencing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":95074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111,476],"tags":[470],"class_list":["post-95073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrepreneurship","category-media-workflow","tag-newsletter","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Expert\u2019s Guide to Upping your Video Conference Game<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Up your video conferencing and vlogging game with these tips from TV crew members on lighting, angles, equipment and makeup.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/tv-insider-tips-to-upscale-your-next-video-conference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Expert\u2019s Guide to Upping your Video Conference Game\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Up your video conferencing and vlogging game with these tips from TV crew members on lighting, angles, equipment and makeup.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/tv-insider-tips-to-upscale-your-next-video-conference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage &amp; 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