What actually makes you “camera ready”.

"Camera-ready" gets thrown around like it's one thing. A look. An outfit. A “professional” voice you flip on like a switch.

NAHHHH-

It's actually two things. Part one is you, how you physically show up on camera. Part two is your business/ brand/ event/cause - and whether it's actually ready to show up when the opportunity comes. Most people only think about part one. Let's talk about both.

Part One: So, what are we wearing?

Camera-ready does not mean there's a "right" outfit you have to find before you're allowed to feel “legit” on camera. The right thing to wear is whatever makes you feel confident and looks relatable to what you're actually doing.

TV is a visual medium, so what you wear needs to align with your message and your platform.

For example ….

Say you're a professional baker on a lifestyle show, demonstrating the easiest way to ice cookies with just a Ziploc bag and store-bought icing , that's casual, playful, fun.

Now say that same baker is on the evening news with an investigative reporter, talking about a big box retailer price-gouging small bakeries, WOW totally different outfit, totally different energy. Same baker, same brand, different room.

We get stuck thinking we need one outfit, one look, one "on-brand" thing. But your brand has to live in a lot of different spaces - magazine, radio, TV, and each of those has multiple genres inside it. I want you to feel and look powerful, confident, and knowledgeable in every single one.

That's just the outfit question, though.

Part Two: You are ready, now lets get your business camera ready!

"Electronic press kit" might sound a little old-school, but the concept is still wildly relevant. It's what keeps you from scrambling for digital assets the second a media opportunity actually shows up.

Every business should have one shareable link, Google Drive, WeTransfer, Dropbox, whatever - ready to send to an outlet.

And here is what I want you packing in there:

Shots of you in action. Baker example again: I want photos of you baking cookies, pulling them out of the oven, handing them to a customer. Not just one headshot of you in a chef's jacket from culinary school graduation day. Show people the experience they're getting with you, not something they're buying off a shelf.

B-roll, no music. Take those same moments and put them on video, no music or sound attached. Doesn't need to be fancy editing, just simple transitions between clips. Show you in action, excited about your business, creating an experience for someone else.

*No really- skip the music on purpose: licensing issues can get your video flagged and make an outlet unable to use it at all.

A bio that's actually current. Not the boilerplate one you built on GoDaddy twenty years ago, (hey we've all been there, no judgment.) A dynamic overview of exactly what you bring to the specific people you want to serve or the problem you want to solve.

Both Parts Matter

Camera-ready isn’t about finding the one right outfit. It's about being ready for whatever room you walk into and having your business assets ready so you're not scrambling when the call comes.

So go get ‘em - YOU ARE CAMERA READY!