Selling Yourself in Confrontation and Media Interviews 113
And to add insult to injury, the phone and utility bills could
pay for a shuttle launch.
The advantage of the studio interview
The studio is a good site. The lighting is most likely profes-
sional and favorable. There’s usually a make-up person to help
you look your best for television. The interview has probably been
planned so you may know the subject and have an opportunity to
prepare. All these are factors in your favor.
The studio interview will either be one on one or else you’ll
appear as one of the “guests.” Normally, there won’t be a studio
audience. Not so, of course, on the syndicated talk shows, but
those dynamics take care of themselves when you learn all the
techniques of giving a good interview.
A stand-up interview in a studio is rare. You may be asked to
make an entrance or an exit, but you’ll probably always be sitting
for the actual interview. So, in your home, in your office, or in a
studio, you’ll almost certainly be sitting. Most of us are more com-
fortable, more at ease, in a chair. But beware. Our posture train-
ing doesn’t always cover sitting, and no two chairs are alike. The
secret is to be able to look comfortable without slouching. If you’re
given a swivel chair, don’t fall into the trap of moving from side to
side or rocking back and forth. Rhythmic movement is monoto-
nous, hypnotic, and sleep-inducing.
Sitting technique
Keep your knees together. Television technicians call spread
knees “The crotch shot.” You can put your knees and heels to-
gether, or cross your ankles. As I mentioned in Chapter 5, if you
cross your legs, angle the top leg down. The camera should never
see the sole of your shoe. It’s the ugliest part of your clothing, and
the camera will invariably find the gum (or worse) you stepped in
on the way to the studio.
Know where to look
One of the questions I’m asked most often is, “Where do I
look? Should I look at the interviewer or the camera?” You’ll
never go wrong if you look at the person you’re talking to. My
recommendation is never look at the camera unless the host says
something such as, “What would you tell our audience watching