FREE GUIDE · PRESENTERS

Presenting on a live stream: a presenter’s one-pager

Presenting on a live stream is like presenting in a room, with one extra person: the viewer watching through the camera. These tips help you reach both. Send this page to your presenters a week before the event, along with the run sheet.

Where to look

In a room with an audience, speak to the room. Look at the camera for your opening, your key points and your close. The online audience feels addressed.
In a studio or without an audience, look into the lens as if it were one person. Not the screen, not the crew.
On a panel, look at whoever is speaking. Cameras will cut to you, and you want to look engaged.
Ask the crew which camera is yours. Some productions use a tally light to show which camera is live.

What to wear

Solid, mid-tone colours work best. Blues, greens, burgundy and soft greys suit most cameras.
Avoid fine stripes, small checks and tight patterns. They can shimmer on camera.
Avoid pure white and pure black where you can. They lose detail on camera.
If there is a green screen, don’t wear green. If there is a blue screen, don’t wear blue.
Choose clothes with a waistband, belt or lapel for a clip-on microphone and its pack. A dress without either makes this hard.
Avoid jangly jewellery near the microphone, and large logos unless they are meant to be there.

Microphones and sound

Assume your microphone is always on. Say nothing near it you wouldn’t say on stage.
With a lectern microphone, stay at the lectern. Step away and the online audience loses you.
With a handheld, keep it a fist’s width below your chin and point it at your mouth, even when you turn your head.
With a lapel microphone, don’t tap it, rustle papers near it or fold your arms over it.
Repeat questions from the room if the person didn’t use a microphone. Online viewers can’t hear them otherwise.

Pace and slides

Speak a little slower than usual and pause between ideas. Captions and viewers both benefit.
Use slides with large text, high contrast and one idea each. Small print rarely survives a phone screen.
Describe anything important on a slide aloud: “This chart shows revenue doubling since 2022.” Not everyone can see it.
Send your final slides by the agreed deadline in the agreed format. Late changes are where mistakes happen.
Tell the crew if a slide has video or sound, so they can play it properly.

Timing and cues

Know your exact time slot from the run sheet, and plan to finish a minute early.
Agree your cues in advance: for example, a card or screen showing five minutes, one minute and wrap up.
When you see “wrap up”, finish your sentence and go to your close. Don’t speed up through the rest.
Wait for the cue to start. There can be a short delay while the stream switches to you.

Questions and answers

Questions from online viewers may be read by a host or MC, or shown on a phone or tablet. Ask how it will work.
Repeat or summarise the question before answering. It helps everyone keep up.
If you don’t know, say so and offer to follow up. A question taken on notice is better than a guess.
Keep answers short so more people get a turn.

If something goes wrong

Keep going unless the crew or host asks you to stop. Most problems are fixed without the audience noticing.
If your slides stop or jump, keep talking. Say “next slide, please” if you have lost your clicker.
If your microphone fails, keep calm and wait for the crew. They will bring a spare.
If you are told the stream has paused, wait for the cue, then recap your last point before you continue.
Don’t apologise at length. A short “we’re back” is enough.

Want a hand with your presenters and speakers?

JPC plans and produces live streams, hybrid AGMs and member voting in Melbourne and across Australia. Talk to a producer about your event.

1800 527 737 · production@jasperpictures.com.au · livestreamvideo.com.au

More free resources · Webinar production in Melbourne · A live streaming studio in Melbourne · Live presentation graphics. Put the audience on screen.