TV Broadcaster class or DVD

[pbthompson]

Hello,
For my job I have to make training videos for staff and other people. Think Regis and Kelly set up. The material is bland and boring, but I want to make my presentation better.

I am from New England and tend to talk fast, I know that I need to work on my inflection as well. Does anyone know of a class/course or DVD that will help me with this?

 

[tvguy]

Hello,
For my job I have to make training videos for staff and other people. Think Regis and Kelly set up. The material is bland and boring, but I want to make my presentation better.

I am from New England and tend to talk fast, I know that I need to work on my inflection as well. Does anyone know of a class/course or DVD that will help me with this?

Sounds like you know exactly what you need to work on. No need for a class or DVD, just practice speaking slower, and enunciate.
Sit in front of a camcorder, or use a webcam and record on your computer and practice, and then critque what you did. Keep doing it, practice is what you need, so it becomes natural.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Let's put it this way, if you ever watched James Lipton "Inside The Actors Studio" on Bravo the actors will come there and talk about the process of acting.

The majority of the actors will tell you that they read the script a minimum of a 100 times or more. They get to a point where it is memorized and then that is when they make notes on the character and how they see the character saying the material, acting, etc.

So you need to practice your presentation until it is flawless and then when you feel you can get through that you can add touches to it.

Using a video camera to critique your work is probably the way to go here. Also if you are able, get a lot of criticism from co-workers to improve your style.

I know a lot of it comes from natural talent, some people are just better speakers but I think you can practice your presentation to get better results.

Good Luck!

 

[Imzadi]

Ditto the other two about practicing in front of a camera & taping it. Webcams are super cheap nowadays. You can get a practice webcam for about $12.

Practice reading out loud everything. Especially boring stuff like the newspaper. Get it to make sense to the listener's ear. Then go over it several times to make it more interesting and exciting.

Also, read it in front of the mirror, so you can catch yourself making funny faces or overacting in the moment. Then go back & do it over & over again - naturally.

If you have a Toastmasters organization in your area, GO! It is a national, non-profit organization designed to help people with public speaking. Some even have meetings at lunchtime. Everyone from Fortune 500 CEOs, lawyers, empowerment speakers, broadcasters, to scout leaders who want to speak better and become leaders, go to Toastmaster meetings. You will get lots & lots of practice as well as gentle critique.

http://www.toastmasters.org/

 

[pbthompson]

Great advice. Thanks everyone.