Apr 07 2008
Is It Live or Is It Taped? What You Must Know Before Your TV Interview
As an author, you know that any media exposure for you and your book can cause a huge surge in book sales. So, if you’ve booked an interview on a local TV show, good for you! But before you come on the set, be sure you find out the format of the show. Understanding the format will dramatically affect how you prepare, what you choose to discuss, and how much time you have to talk about it.
Most television news shows are likely be shot in one of these three formats: live, live on tape, or taped.
Live!
If you’re going to be on a “live” TV show, your interview will be broadcast in the same moment that you are being interviewed. Every word, blink, giggle and twitch is going to be aired live with no editing. On a live show, you’ve got to come out ready and raring to go and maintain that momentum throughout your interview. Stick to your message points, stay engaged, and give every second all you’ve got!
Live On Tape
A “live on tape” show is being taped as if it were “live.” The only difference between a live or live on tape show is if a major mishap occurs, like a camera malfunctions, a live on tape show can “stop-down,” which means producers can stop rolling tape and later edit out whatever error occurred.
But if you stumble over a word, or cough, or lose your train of thought, none of that will be edited out. You should regard a live on tape show just as you would a live show.
Taped
A taped format is when, you guessed it, your interview is taped to be aired at a different time and often in a segment of a television show which is called a “package.” News programs are produced with taped packages. The advantage of this format is that you can take your time and tell your story without rushing to cover all your message points. The bad news is that your interview may be so severely edited you won’t recognize your own words!
See how important it is to know the format ahead of time? Now you can prepare accordingly and make the best use of this terrific opportunity to sell your book!
To Your TV and Media Success,
Alice Collier
TV Image and Media Coach
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