Shooting location

• Well-lit with natural sunlight or plenty of indoor lighting, no overhead lights

• Quiet location, avoid spaces with lots of echo

• A seat for yourself that is stationary and quiet 

Setting up your phone/camera

• Check that your laptop, phone, or camera can record a clear image and clear sound

• If not, could a friend or family member lend their device?

• Record in landscape mode, HD landscape 1920 x 1080 px is preferred
  
  

•  Set up your device on steady surface (please do not hold your camera while shooting to avoid shaky footage)

• Position the camera at eye level (if you can, avoid angles where the camera lens is looking up or down on you)

• Choose a non-distracting background such as a blank wall (avoid windows, showing other people, posters/signs that can be read etc)

• Check that you have a strong and stable internet connection before recording, otherwise, upload time may take longer

Lighting

• Shoot in daylight if possible

• Position yourself so windows or your main light sources are facing you, not behind you.

• Avoid overhead lights

• Optional: When shooting indoors, consider using a ring light that clips to your computer/phone to help light your face

Camera presence

• Look at the camera at all times

• Smile, especially at the beginning and the end of each response

• Keep your hand movements to a minimum

• Stand/sit up straight

• Keep your hands to your side or gently folded in front of you (no crossed arms)

• Keep your shoulders relaxed

Answering questions

• Smile when introducing yourself

• When answering question prompts, please rephrase the question at the beginning of your response instead of jumping right into your answer (eg, “My experience selling with Autozen was...”) and take a short pause

• Start and end your answers with a second of silence, looking straight into the camera

• Start and end your answers definitively (Avoid starting every sentence with “so's" and "um's" and ending with upward intonations, like you would when asking a question)

• Start your answer again if a noise interrupts your answer, such as a police siren or dog barking, it's ok to repeat your answer again

Clothing and accessories to avoid

• Clothing with colors that blend in with your background

• Patterns (stripes, plaids, polka dots)

• Shiny fabrics or jewelry

• Visible labels, logos, text, images

• Wrinkled clothes

• All white or all black clothing

• Noisy accessories that could interfere with your audio

A few other helpful hints

• If you can, ask a friend/family member to assist you while you record

• Do a short recording test to make sure you can see and hear yourself clearly

• Have water handy for clearing your throat