With the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly driving an increased need for video conferencing, we wanted to provide a resource on how to look more professional on a video conference call in a series of posts and videos.

In this first blog post, we are going to review how to properly frame yourself for the conference call. A huge key to looking professional on a video conference call is being able to properly frame yourself in the video, so you draw the participants in and keep the focus on you. First you’ll want to set your camera up at eye level, or just slightly above. This will allow you to appear to the viewers that you are directly addressing them individually. Use items like a book or a monitor stand to raise and lower the camera to the correct height.

Now that the camera is at eye level, let’s review the “rule of thirds.” The rule of thirds is a guideline that helps you compose an image. Picture a Tic-Tac-Toe board on your video. First, you’ll want to align yourself in the middle of the screen. You’ll generally want to film yourself from the chest up. Next, you’ll want to leave yourself a little bit of headroom. An easy way to determine if you have enough headroom is to have your eyes resting on the upper horizontal third.

For more tips and tricks on framing your video for conference calls, check out our video below!