Eye Contact - Secrets to Improve Your Videoconferencing Experience

[@Ms.Houston]

Great idea to have camera embedded in monitor like you said. Creative thinking indeed👍🏾✨

[@johndn9238]

Well done, useful points and helpful tips. Its now over six years since you made the video and I find it surprising that so few people talk about how to manage eye contact when there is an offset between the images of an audience on the screen and the camera position, both of which you want to look at e.g. when running training sessions. Many thanks.

[@LetsDoVideo]

Thanks for your comment! It does feel like we've made almost no progress in solving this.

[@DrDRE4391]

Excellent Presentation!

[@americandean8083]

Great review, David. A teleprompter improves my eye contact experience, so I mirror-flip my existing slides using PPT Mirror tool for my iPad and display them through the lens in a teleprompter( using Bluetooth remote to advance the slides) it is a definitive guide to giving eye contact with viewers that helped me and I speak confidently because I always have my whole concept in front of the camera, which leads my videos to more natural. Hope this helps too,

[@LetsDoVideo]

A teleprompter is a great way to fix this problem!

[@kendricklincolin4981]

Thank you for the video, Very helpful tips! I found that the idea of using PPT Mirror tool to mirror-flip the slides and display them through the lens in a teleprompter to be helpful a ton, especially to maintain eye contact with viewer, as I don't have to read word for word to avoid eye movement and also to keep my speech to natural because I have my whole concept in mind on camera so I just use talking points to keep my conversation on target. Maybe this option could help others too,

[@LetsDoVideo]

That's a great idea. Someone should make a home PPT teleprompter product.

[@Derek-C-Emery]

Terrific thanks

[@oliverpowell5655]

I'm thinking about using video for therapy where contact is the critical factor. Thanks so much for taking the time to put this out. I will definitely be experimenting with your ideas !

[@LetsDoVideo]

That's awesome! I love to hear about people using video for positive/helpful reasons like this.

[@henrybn14ar]

Make the space between the LED array transparent so that a camera can be placed behind.

[@lawrose4]

I've been thinking the same thing since this pandemic started. Why don't computer manufacturers simply put the camera behind the screen? I'm sure it can be done. For that matter, why don't they include better webcams?

[@LetsDoVideo]

Whoever solves this will change everything.

[@VilleWitt]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHLIlHSOntOUqNU

[@joshuatrees797]

Thank you for this informative video. The eye contact issue is, indeed, the elephant in the room. What I'm wondering is, if I sit back (as opposed to sitting close to the screen), how is sound affected? Can the person I'm speaking with hear me through my webcam mic?

[@LetsDoVideo]

With most webcam mics, the farther away you are, the more hollow you will sound. If you are going to be making a lot of video calls I recommend looking for an affordable headset.

[@CAMerrill1]

I so agree with your thoughts and appreciate your video. I keep wondering why there aren't small behind the screen cameras that can track your eye movement during video meetings. I'm guessing that, in the beginning technology that meets this need will be much too expensive for most of us but, over time, will be available to all. :-)

[@patxigarmendizabal6063]

Huawei phones (P30 and less expensive models) got it for selfies and video calls, you look at the screen and they correct the gaze to make it feel like you're looking straight at the camera, Apparently a beta version of ios13 of Apple also got it for their facetime video chat. Please check it out and make a video about your experience and wise comments.

[@LetsDoVideo]

Thanks! I will look into it.

[@patxigarmendizabal6063]

@@LetsDoVideo any progress?

[@LetsDoVideo]

@@patxigarmendizabal6063 Is the iPhone version available yet? I'm not seeing anything in the patch notes. I don't have a Huawei phone so I will have to wait until it comes out iPhone.

[@patxigarmendizabal6063]

@@LetsDoVideo it waa available on the beta version of IOS13 but they took it out of the market to fix some issues. Couldn't you borrow a P30 just for that review? Just a thought of course. Thanks

[@andryapearson7262]

Can you use a dual monitor not side by side but the second monitor behind the camera so you are looking right behind the camera?

[@LetsDoVideo]

Some people do put a camera in front of the monitor that they are looking at. But I find that distracting. I want to see the screen unobstructed.

[@CAMerrill1]

I've done that and still have the challenge of being able to look directly at the camera AND see the 30 members of my group. I haven't given up though! :-)

[@syriesanica5988]

why not just mirror-flip your Powerpoint slides with bullet points and use them in a teleprompter using an iPad?, to maintain eye contact and speak confidently because you always have the whole concept in mind

[@josephmiller528]

@@syriesanica5988 I think this is more about the chatting aspect than broadcasting prompted scripts or PPT presentations. This was a great watch; thank you David! Never thought about sitting further and zooming in and might try that. I like your point, though Syrie. In that vein, for chatting, when I am on my laptop or desktop, I use an SLR or my cell as the cam attached to a cheap teleprompter. Inside the teleprompter I insert one of my small 5" or 7" monitors connected to my desktop or laptop (in dual screen mode) and drag the Zoom or Skype screen into it. I also have a cheap HDMI switch with remote that allows me to toggle back and forth between looking at them and vainly looking at myself--to periodically make sure everything is in order :). It is seamless. Set it and forget it because always rigged. The entire time, my audience perceives me to be looking directly at them. Hope that helps someone--you or @CAMerrill1. But I agree 2,021% with David, in an age of 'advanced' technology (and real need), why do we need to rig such contraptions!?