While the ideal solution is probably to set up a dedicated space in your home to take video calls, using a virtual background is a quick alternative that can be applied anywhere. Virtual backgrounds are a great way to mask the current chaos of daily life. You wouldn’t walk into an office with dirty laundry trailing behind you, or invite a future employer into your home with dishes on the counter. When on a video call, your background is important. This means, if you’re on the job hunt, virtual communication skills have become a necessity. With the current covid-19 crisis, many companies are only conducting interviews remotely, through apps like Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams. Whether it’s your company’s office or the Oval Office that you’re putting in the picture, virtual backgrounds are a great way to lighten the mood. Green screens are available from many sources and come in many shapes and sizes. I’m sure that you can find one that fits you. The purpose of the green screen is to tell the camera to not pay attention to your background but to only focus on you.By now you’ve likely seen co-workers, friends, or family members testing out virtual backgrounds in Zoom meetings. I’ve said that a decent camera is a good start to improving your Zoom’s image. Though, sometimes a camera alone isn’t enough to help avoid the virtual decapitations in which you have no doubt seen your peers suffer. An important part of using a virtual background is to ensure that your physical background is not busy with lots of interesting memorabilia that you may have collected over the years. A flat background in both dimensions and color is essential in helping your camera sort you out from the rest of the room. So maybe sit with your back to a plain wall, or curtains. That may indeed be enough for some cameras to focus directly on you. However, sometimes your camera may need a little extra help and then you may want to employ a green screen. You will click the small plus symbol about mid-way on the right-hand side and then select Add Image to choose a photo to use as your background. You may use whatever photo you wish if it is not more than 5MB in size. To fit the photo properly you’ll want it to match the aspect ratio of your camera. Most cameras these days use a wide-screen format so a photo with a 16:9 aspect ratio should fit nicely. You can select a world of photos from the Internet. However, if you are a baseball fan then there is a nice selection of free MLB Virtual Backgrounds for your Zoom use. Note: Sorry to startle more squeamish readers. I should’ve have warned you in advance that this photo of me may be unsettling to some viewers, because I seem to have lost my ears but that may be an improvement… To set your virtual background you’ll select Choose Virtual Background The video tutorial covers the basics about setting up the virtual background features and how to get the best results with lighting, resolution, and green screen use. I have often observed coworkers that are using virtual backgrounds in Zoom become absorbed by the background itself. It’s almost as if their virtual background becomes some sort of quagmire that sucks them in at the slightest movement and they are suddenly missing an arm or their head. I’m reminded of an old movie with Steve McQueen called “ The Blob” where a gelatinous monster engulfs people and they are never seen again ( this explains the cranberry sauce at my aunt’s house last Thanksgiving)! So, unless you find it amusing to startle your peers with Zoom’s virtual background guillotine then here are a few tips to avoid virtual beheadings.īy now I’m sure that all of you are familiar with the concept of using a photo as a Zoom virtual background. Many of you have no doubt tried various pictures for your background with varying results. Certainly, here at my house, which I’ve affectionately named House-O-Havoc, I like to use photos to mask the Tonka construction site that is my living room. I like to use calming photos that bring me “ serenity now!” such as nebula’s, beach scenes, and even a photo of the once a empty Kauffman stadium from last year. Today lets have a little fun with our Zoom’s and look at some ways to jazz up your meetings with virtual backgrounds.įirst, you’ll want to review the Zoom Virtual Background Tutorial.
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