Last week, I had the great opportunity to represent ParkingCarma on national television when our company was the subject of a piece for Good Morning America called “Finding the Perfect Spot.” I was very naïve to the behind-the-scenes logistics of getting this all together before this happened. I thought I would share some of the highlights of the process below.
1. They will put makeup on you; remember to wash it off before going out to lunch before someone asks, “Are you wearing makeup?”
2. The camera(s) and lights will make you lose about 25 IQ points and gain 10 lbs – Usually not the best combination of trends. Stick with simple answers to questions
3. You will be out of your comfort zone. Have your friend stand about one foot away from you while another shines a spotlight in your eyes on a busy city sidewalk. Ignore the gathering crowd and try to answer such challenging questions as, “what’s your name, etc?”
4. Control the verbal diarrhea. It’s amazing how a short answer can turn into a 300 word ramble with no clear end in sight.
5. Be amazed that over five hours of filming turns into a 90 second segment and that you will appear for about 10 seconds.
6. Be prepared that the 10 seconds they show you for is not the ten seconds you would have liked to have been shown.
7. Bring props. People can relate to them and it’s easier to talk when the camera is pointed at something else.
8. Try to appear natural when being filmed in a car crammed with 5 people, three cameras (one outside the car), and a driver who is reading a cell-phone while driving down a busy street and interviewing you.
9. If you are going to demo your technology you must understand that the reporter’s cell phone will be something that you have never tested your service with and it is either wildly bleeding edge or it’s so old it comes with a handset.
10. Be very appreciative of the producers and reporters. Doing a live Good Morning America shot on the west coast means they have to start setting up at 1:00 am. The post-production turn-around time is also amazing. It took me nine months to get my wedding video, these guys did it in about six hours – complete with Seinfeld clip.
Bonus: Expect congratulations from distant family members and friends on your national TV debut. Also expect fantastic and constructive criticism from all the same people whom you never thought were closet Screen Actor Guild Members.
I want to thank Miguel Marquez of ABC for taking a camera newbie like myself and getting me through the shoot. I also would like to thank Herran Bekele, also of ABC, for producing the piece and the camera crew for taking the shot from “just one more angle.”
For those interested you can view the Good Morning America segment here, "Finding the Perfect Spot."
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