“It’s behind you!” – 5 Tips for creating a professional video call backdrop for your home office

Once again, the season of panto is upon us, and, unlike at the theatre where so much focus is placed on the words ‘he’s behind you’, how often do we actually consider what’s behind us? It’s so important to create a professional environment to place and take work calls, but are we really thinking carefully enough about what our backdrop says about us?

Bad backgrounds don’t simply give the wrong impression, they can be distracting too.

Here are 5 tips to help you create a professional backdrop that you can be proud of.

1. Ensure your background is a neutral colour.
   Avoid bright colours and busy patterns that can distract your call attendees. These can render differently on-screen too, or clash with virtual backgrounds to distort your image. Neutral colours such as cream, light blue and light grey can keep you the focus of the call.
2. Get your light right
   Three-point lighting Is the best for video calls. This uses a fill light, a key light and a backlight. Some people don’t have an office large enough or enough lights to achieve this easily. If this is you, try using two-point lighting. Two-point lighting for video calls is easily achieved with a standard ceiling light and a lamp. For the best results, consider investing in an LED ring/panel light which can give you a really professional look.
3. Tidy up
   Clean and remove any distractions from your background including but not limiting yourself to any items such as laundry hanging on a radiator, dirty cups, pet paraphernalia or random boxes. Clear any shelves of clutter and chaos and consider carefully how you re-dress them.
4. Stage your screen
   Consider what you want to be saying to the people on the call. Perhaps some strategically placed books that could illustrate your interest, or maybe a piece of sporting memorabilia that could spark conversation.
5. Consider the props
   If you want to come across as academic or well-read, perhaps if you work in publishing or editing, then maybe a wall-mounted shelving system would be the perfect way to arrange your books within your backdrop. Alternatively, a compression storage and room divider system could equally help you separate a working area from a living area and provide a backdrop for your video calls.

Test your background before your call to make sure you’ve effectively prepared the full area that will be visible.

Other props that you could consider using could include desks or chairs. If you need advice on any of our products that you may need to achieve a professional video backdrop, we have friendly advisors available online or you can call us on 01295 565001.