You’ve heard me mention on this show many times before that I’m the medical expert for two TV stations here in Charleston, South Carolina. I am actually working on a third station in a different market. But needless to say, I’ve done a lot of TV interviews.
Before COVID-19, I was in studio at ABC News 4 every Tuesday afternoon for a weekly 4 Your Health segment. The host would interview me for 2 to 4 minutes about a medical topic.
Once I was offered this opportunity, I reached out to the station’s makeup artist. She didn’t work for them, but she would come to the station and do a guest’s makeup for $35 per appearance. It was really cheap. But she couldn’t get out to the station on Tuesday afternoons at 5:00. So, I went without makeup.
I watched the video of those first few interviews on ABC. You can probably find links to them on my media coverage page on my website – drdavidgeier.com. But I noticed that I looked washed out compared to whoever the host was interviewing me.
For men, but especially women, makeup is critical. Even if you don’t have dark shadows under your eyes or blemishes on your face you want to hide, it’s important to use at least some makeup.
The lights in the studio on set are very bright. And they will make you look pale, washed out. Especially compared to the host, who will certainly be wearing makeup.
I am not going to get into the specifics of how to do makeup. Women definitely know more about it than I do. But TV makeup is a little different than makeup in real life. If you are going to be doing a lot of TV interviews, you might want to talk to a makeup artist who does TV to get some suggestions for you and your complexion.
But even for men, you want some basic makeup. And here is what my media coach at the time suggested when she saw those first few interviews on ABC.
There are wipes that remove oils from your face. Use these wipes to eliminate that shine off your face – and your cheekbones and forehead especially. Then apply some powder to add a little bit of color but to further reduce the shine.
Again, for more extensive makeup application, talk to a makeup artist for tips to looking your best on TV.
And if you are lucky enough to have an in-studio interview in a large market like New York or Los Angeles, the station will likely have an in-house makeup artist who knows the studio, the set and lights and will make you look great.
And even doing remote interviews, you should consider it. If you’re watching this episode on YouTube, you might not realize it, but I have a little bit of powder on my face. If you do remote interviews and use the equipment I’ve suggested – especially lights for the interview – they can make you look pale and washed out. Or they can show an unattractive shine you don’t want. So, consider it for remote interviews, although you might not need as much as you would under the bright TV studio lights.
One of the things I do with the clients I work with one-on-one is that you and I find shows that would be helpful for growing your business or practice, pitch the host or producer of that show in a way that makes them want to interview you, and then prepare to do your best on that TV interview, including easy tips to look your best on camera.
Now please remember, that just like my website, my coaching and everywhere else, that I am not giving business, financial, legal, medical or any other kind of advice here. Talk to a professional for advice specific to your situation.
If you want to learn more…if you want more customers, more clients, more patients, you want to make more money, you want to be recognized as THE expert in your industry, or you even want people you don’t even know to come up to you at the gym or in the grocery store, thanking you for helping them, I can help you become a Media PRO.
Sign up for a FREE 30-minute media strategy session with me. We will see where you are and what you’re trying to achieve in your business, and then plan some strategies for you to get more media interviews and appearances to achieve all those goals and far more.
While you’re here, pick up my FREE eBook – The Media PROS Interview Checklist, offering you a handy reference full of tips to shine in your next media interview or appearance so they keep asking you back, over and over.
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