Setting up your Workspace for Zoom
A GUIDE TO LOOKING YOUR BEST IN YOUR VALOR VIDEO CALL
Hello, and welcome to Valor!
I’m excited to help you get set up for your classes.
Today’s lesson might seem simple, but I’ve been on enough video calls this week to know that everyone could use a little help looking their best. We are all being trained to not be strangers to being camera-ready at all times and in imperfect spaces, because this is the beautifully connected world we live in now.
I want to help you optimize your video space setup: from knowing where to sit to get the best light, to choosing the right microphone, to just staying comfortable. Here are my tips and tricks to becoming the video call MVP you were meant to be! If you pay close attention to the words that are BOLD and UNDERLINED, you’ll get the most important steps.
LIGHT YOUR FACE
It’s best to start with lighting because that will dictate where you are sitting. Open up your shades and let the natural light pour in, but don’t let all that light hit your back. I recommend having your largest light source either right in front of you (normally a window) or no more than 45 degrees away from directly in front of you. It’ll look better for you and everyone else on the call. Also be aware that your screen can be a large source of light, so adjust your screen brightness, too, especially if you are taking a call without natural light. A bright screen can blow the highlights on your face out, making you look more like Casper the Ghost than a video calling champion.
RAISE YOUR CAMERA
There is one, and only one, acceptable camera angle: head-on and at eye level. Your table is almost certainly going to be lower than your face, and that means people are going to get an unflattering look up at you. Use a set of books, a stool, or a higher table to make sure your camera is at the same level as your eyes. You don’t want people to feel like they are looking up or down at you.
TEST YOUR VIDEO BEFORE THE CALL
You want to show up to your class or meeting already looking good so that you’re not adjusting your surroundings, screen brightness, angle, or hair live for everyone to see. Google Meet an option for showing you a preview of your video before the call starts. If you select this option, a video preview will pop up before you enter a call to check how everything looks.
There’s also the option of using a virtual background to completely block your surroundings. Click here for a great resource to find one that meets your needs.
Once the call starts, I recommend hiding your video preview from yourself. Not only will you be less prone to fixing your hair or moving the angle during the call, you will also be less distracting to yourself and others. You can do that in Zoom by right clicking on your own video window and choosing “hide myself.” It can be easy to forget you’re on camera without your video preview, though, so try not to pick your nose accidentally.
FIND A QUIET PLACE (AND YOUR BEST HEADPHONES)
Most of us don’t have a great deal of control over audio, but you’ll sound better if you take a call in a quiet place. Also keep in mind that your headphones might have a better mic than your computer. Google Meet has a tool in the settings for testing your mic, and I recommend collecting all the mics in your house (headphones often have one built in) and testing the mics to find the one that sounds clearest.
As a courtesy to others, please keep your mic muted unless you are talking. You might be used to your neighbor’s midday thrash metal music, but no one else is.
GET COMFORTABLE
Much like being in a physical class or meeting, once you join a call, you shouldn’t be getting up and moving around. Start with a comfortable place to sit or stand for a long period of time. Although I like to sit on my bed, I found that sitting crossed leg for more than 20 minutes is not comfortable for me, so I moved my video call setup to a standing desk. If you are using a laptop, have a charger plugged in and ready for when your battery gets low. I also like to bring a water bottle and/or cup of coffee to my meetings and classes.
And finally: stay professional, even when you’re still wearing sweatpants.
If you have any questions or have other great ideas for looking and sounding great in video calls, send us an email at support@valorschool.org.