Our top tips to help you create and record high-quality videos for your MBA essays:
1. Dress appropriately: Please treat these videos just like job interviews and dress accordingly. Ideally, you should be dressed in business formals. Choose a plain dress, with dark, solid colors. A coat/ suit for men/women is ideal. Women can also aim for a professional dress/ blouse + business make-up/ accessories.
2. Look into the camera: You want to appear talking to the person who would be watching your video, so try to make direct eye contact with them. Avoid looking away or down or even at yourself on screen. Yes, we know this is easier said than done, so kindly do adequate practice. Ensure your camera is high quality. If your laptop webcam is low-quality, buy a new webcam for interviews.
3. Suitable background: Please keep a clean, neutral background. If possible, have a light-colored wall/curtains as your background. Avoid busy/distracting prints and cluttered rooms. Avoid removing the background with software as it could look odd/fake.
4. Frame properly: Keep the camera at your eye level and place yourself in the center. Frame in such a way as to place the top of the frame close to the top of your head and the bottom part of the frame just above your waist.
5. Light from the front: Often we have seen students not paying enough attention to lighting their frame and it really affects the video quality. Position the light source in front of you so your face/ body is lit properly. Kindly do not place lights on the side or in the back/ top.
6. Good audio: Check your audio/ mic a few times before the actual recording and listen to your recorded voice. Avoid using big headphones/ earphones - they tend to look clumsy and distracting - unless you are using wireless ones/ or black ones that are non-intrusive. For the most part, the microphones on your laptop would be good.
7. Minimize background sounds: Find a quiet place with minimal distractions before you start the interview/ record your answers. Don't forget to turn off your email, text, Facebook, Skype, Twitter, and more notifications both in your cell phone and computer system. If you have the option, choose more silent times of the day such as early mornings or late nights, for interviews/ recording your videos.
8. Posture matters: Although mostly your torso up would be visible on the video, this is not the time and place to sit relaxed or slouch. A good posture will make you appear attentive, and alert, and make a positive impression.
9. Listen well: Be fully attentive and listen to questions fully, and make sure you understand what is asked out of you. If for any reason, you are not clear - ask the interviewer politely to repeat the question, or you can also paraphrase the question and check if they meant what you understood.
10. Be upbeat and smile: Display your enthusiasm for the school and the process by being cheerful and in good spirits. Speak loudly and clearly and when appropriate, smile! Although you are in a strictly professional context, you don't need to be gloomy or serious. If it helps, you can think as if you are talking to your manager who is also your friend - speak with that mindset.