How to Perform on Camera: The Berocca Way

Working with The Media Coach and other Mediacrews clients, I often find myself coaching people on how to come across well in front of a video camera. Everyone needs both energy and confidence or as Lindsay often explains,  ‘Warmth, Authority and Animation’. To do that on camera requires an unfamiliar set of skills.  

David Gridley, Mediacrews

When you perform on video, the technology tends to ‘flatten’ you, making the playback appear uninspiring and rather dull. For this reason, I tell people that to compensate, they must add extra energy to their delivery. Our fellow trainer, Eric Dixon, often uses the analogy of the energy drink, Berocca, whose tagline was “You, but on a really good day!” This is what is needed. 

Think of it as adding an extra 30 per cent to your delivery and you will be getting somewhere close to the kind of energy you need to throw at the camera lens, to come across well. The downside of adding extra energy is that most people naturally speed up their delivery – they start talking too fast – and that makes it harder for the audience to follow. The crucial trick to master is: energy up, speed down.

In the beginning, this will feel strange as the natural tendency is to lose energy when you speak more slowly.  But what TV requires is the opposite. Mastering the technique of slowing your pace while at the same time upping the energy, is the key to unlocking many of the other techniques that will improve your overall delivery style. Things like: emphasis, signposting and adding light and shade to your performance are all only really possible once you get to grips with the energy/speed conundrum. But once you do get the hang of it then all things are possible and your on-screen performance will improve massively. And then it really will be “You, but on a really good day…”

If your job requires you to speak to camera, and you want coaching to improve your performance call or email The Media Coach on 020 7099 2212 or enquiries@themediacoach.co.uk.