Look me in the eye! How I can make real eye contact during Zoom meetings.
We have already become very accustomed to Zoom meetings and are still happy when we can meet people live. “It’s just something completely different” is the unanimous opinion and I agree. One aspect of this completely different impression is the fact that we always look past each other. I mean that in a technical sense. We can’t look each other in the eye because I have to look into the camera so that the other person can look me in the eye, but I can’t find the other person there.
The bigger my screen at work and the closer I sit to it, the more I look at each other.
There is a solution for this.
The video prompter
The principle is known as a teleprompter. The newsreader on television has a similar problem. He wants to address the audience, i.e. look the viewer in the face and read out a text at the same time. With a semi-transparent mirror in front of the camera, the dilemma can be solved technically: a semi-transparent mirror is mounted in the camera’s line of vision. The camera can look through the mirror from behind, while we get the image of the interlocutor reflected in from the front, which the camera cannot see. This means that both images meet on the same axis and eye contact is established.
Instead of a text as with a newsreader, the monitor of the video prompter shows the interviewer.
In practice, we need a video camera or a video-capable camera with a zoom lens that is recognized by the PC as a streaming-capable camera. We also need a stand so that the mirror glass can be mounted at a 45° angle in front of the camera. We also need a holder for a monitor, which is mounted in front of the mirror and provides the image of the person we are talking to.
For the whole thing to really work, the back of the mirror must be completely dark. We therefore need half a darkroom and a black cloth that can be placed around the lens without slipping.
The monitor must be able to do one important thing: it must mirror the image of the person you are talking to so that the mirror reflects it back to the correct side. The trick is in the detail. An iPad or tablet can’t do this because the mirroring causes the image or text to be displayed upside down. Dealing with reflections is confusing.
The tripod shown here is the ideal height for placing the prompter unit on a work table. The camera can be positioned at eye level and looks over the display of a laptop. The entire unit takes up the space of a decent candlestick next to the screen or laptop, which weighs a good 6 kilograms, depending on the type of camera.
The effort is worthwhile for all those who want to make direct eye contact with the person they are talking to and perhaps make the decisive difference in their presentation. The video prompter is the perfect solution for salespeople, consultants, coaches or trainers who have a lot of face-to-face meetings and want to be perceived as emphatic.
Not to forget: the benefit is always on both sides of the camera. The person I’m talking to can see me better and I can see their facial features better.
This combination of video monitor, camera and mirror box opens up even more possibilities:
1. present PowerPoint
Instead of the window with the other party, I can place a graphic, a photo or a complete PowerPoint presentation in the line of sight to the camera. This allows me to talk about graphics or figures that I can see in front of me without losing eye contact with the other person. This option should not be confused with the “Share screen” option in Zoom. With screen sharing, I want to share my graphic with the other person. With the video prompter, I use the screen as a cheat sheet for my presentation.
2. record selfie video and have text prompted
In the teleprompter function, I use the screen in the classic way, like a newsreader, to reproduce a continuous text word for word. With the video camera, I record my presentation on video at the same time and can edit it afterwards. This video looks like a presentation in selfie format, only in good quality. I use the keyboard of the connected laptop to edit texts and change the speed of the video.
3. mobile use for a video interview
I can also use an iPad or tablet with an internet connection instead of a monitor when I’m on the move. This means I’m independent of the laptop and can also look the interviewer in the eye during a video interview while on the move.
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