This year I started doing my first promotional interviews. Most of them so far have been for print, I've had a few appearances on very low-end tv shows and Web-shows, with the exception of one fairly high-profile TV spot. The program won't air until next year and I'm super excited but also very nervous.
I think I did pretty well considering it was my first notable TV interview, but I feel like I could have done better had I been more prepared. I don't have a publicist at the moment because I can't afford the particular one I want. Her basic fee is £5000 a month and she's also very picky about who she takes on, so I'm setting myself up to be in a position where when I do approach her, she's more likely to say yes. For now though, I'm having to hustle my own media appearances and self-train myself on dealing with the media.
Now you're probably wondering why I don't just hire a cheaper publicist who would be willing to take on a D [minus] Lister like me. Well, the answer is simple, I'm stubborn and only want the best. Besides, I'm doing a pretty good job at getting press clippings on my own. It's not Saturday Night with Jimmy Kimmel, or The Ellen Show, but what I am doing is satisfactory enough I feel for this moment in my career.
Here are my top tips on acing an interview if you're new to the game and the thought of it makes you nervous.
1) Show up on time.
Time is money, you do not want to keep people waiting. It reeks of self-importance and is just rude.
Make sure you're prepared for the interview the night before. Have your outfit laid out, check the route you need to take to make sure there are no travel disruptions, have your bag packed with everything you think you'll need. Prepare, prepare, prepare!
Make sure you're prepared for the interview the night before. Have your outfit laid out, check the route you need to take to make sure there are no travel disruptions, have your bag packed with everything you think you'll need. Prepare, prepare, prepare!
2) Be polite to everyone.
Noone likes a diva, so learn to keep your ego at home. I really can't stress this enough as it's a negative behavioural pattern too many famous people fall into especially when they first start out. It only gets worse if you don't learn to deal with it early on. It's fine to feel like you're the shit, heck, why not, but nobody wants that energy around them, so keep it in check when you're around others. Tell yourself how fabulous and awesome you are in private when you're dancing around your presidential hotel suite singing to Beyonce Flawless.
Look at people like George Clooney, he's one of the biggest movie stars in the world but how often do you hear people say he acts like a brat? Hardly ever, in fact, I don't think I ever have.That's not to say he isn't demanding, or an egotistical maniac, infact, I'm pretty sure he is, but he knows when to put his ego in a bottle and close the cap tight.
2) If you have an entourage, tell them watch thier manners too.
The catty publicist, the pushy body guard, the screeching assistant - if you're a journalist or dedicated fan who follows your celeb around, you've probably come into contact with one of theses vile creatures. When you're a celebrity, you are also judged by behaviour of others in your circle. Make sure they keep their manners in check too!
3) Dress to impress.
For my first interview I wore a beautiful dress that was lent to me by a designer ( more on how to get lent clothes in another post) Afterwards, the interviewer said she was thankful that I had made the effort to look glam & was slightly disappointed the other interviewees she had seen that day didn't. Remember, this is showbiz, half of the job is creating an illusion of glamour....even though the reality largely consists of cocaine snorting, pill popping and train-wrecks waiting to happen. Always look your best, I can't stress this point enough and will do further posts on appearance soon. How you look matters enough in the average persons day to day life, but in showbiz it's EVERYTHING!
Ask the producers whether there will be a hair & makeup artist, if not have someone do it for you. You don't have to splash out on a top stylist- you can even get a bridal artist to glam you up for a cheap price.
Better still, learn to style yourself. There was a makeup artist at my first TV interview, but no hair-stylist so I wore a fabulous wig and keep a versatile collection of wigs, clip-ins and pre-stlyed buns on stand-by if needed. Watch YouTube videos on styling and makeup and practise your skills as you'll want to keep your expenditures down while you're still working your way up.
Never be caught on camera looking bad, boys that counts for you too. Make sure your hair is properly styled/cut and your clothes are well put together.
Overall though, make sure your look coveys who YOU are.
You must dress like a queen/king to be treated like one.
4) Have a good idea of what you'll say & really sell yourself.
If possible, get the interviewer to send you a list of questions they are likely to ask, but be wary of your tone, film yourself & make sure you don't come off as rehearsed. Always remember though that you are there to sell yourself and your product/movie/show ect, so think about how to want to come across and the message you want to convey.
5) Anticipate difficult questions.
If you've been involved in anything controversial, or what you do raises ethical questions, find polite ways of getting around the question.
I call it skirting. As long as you smile, keep a calm tone and speak confidently, you can give a response not directly related to the question and get away with it. If that sounded confusing, I'd suggest watching interviews with politicians. If anyone understands the art if skirting, it's them. Which brings me to my next point.
6).....Watch how the big dogs do it.
Watch YouTube videos of bigger stars who are good at interviews.
Here a list if people who I think have perfected the art.
-Angelina Jolie - The undisputed queen of PR, she always knows exactly what to say & how to say it. I suggest watching interviews she's done that are dated no later than 5 years old. She hasn't always been a master media manipulator, it's taken years of practise for her to come into her own and reach master status.
-British Prime Ministers David Cameron. - Political leaders face constant criticism, but must always keep a calm demeanour. The Prime Minister is regularly grilled during what is called Prime Ministers Question Time. If you don't live in the UK, search it on Youtube and see how they use witt & often humour to get around difficult questions. It's very useful viewing.
- Prince William ( son of Princess Diana) - Love the royals or hate them ( and I personally hate them) they are always well spoken & William especially knows how to charm.
7) Be firm but not defensive.
Sometimes you'll get asked difficult questions. Do not be afraid to say no to answering them.
Saying 'I'd rather not comment on that' or ' that's a private matter I would rather not discuss' in a polite tone usually does the trick. If they persist keep calm & repeat the phrase until they back-off, but never show emotion like our friend Charlize Theron here and watch your choice of words.
God that woman is venom, seriously watch her body language, those eyes. She wants to eat that guy alive. She was torn apart by the media for saying she felt 'raped'. Every word that comes out of your mouth will be dissected, so be careful.
8) Send a thankyou e-mail afterwards.
If you have a publicist have them send a thankyou e-mail afterwards, or if you don't, do it yourself.
Let them know you are grateful they made the time for you and you're open for interviews in the future.
I can guarantee you so few people do this, it will make you stick out in their minds and next time you need some press, they'll be all too pleased to have you...provided you've followed all the other rules above. I think is is only necessary for the beginning of your career, don't worry so much when you're established, but always thank the interviewer as you're leaving.
9)....With that said, remember journalists are not your friends.
Don't get too cosy with journalists. Rest assured, should you ever get involved on a scandal they'll be the first to jump on your shit! The person you thought was your friend will be gossiping about your woes in their magazine column, TV spot, radio show ect.
There's also the real shady types like Martin Bashir. Micheal Jackson famously gave him access to every corner if his life, allowing Bashir to follow him while shooting the documentary ' Living With Michael Jackson'. When the final cut that aired, Jackson accused Bashir of distorting much of the documentary to make him look bad.
9) And if your interview is written....
Sometimes with print, the publication/website will send you a list of questions and ask you to type your responses.
If it's a written interview, make sure to spell check, have someone else read it for consistency or find a cheap proof reader on a website like People Per Hour to check it for you.
Also make sure to have a stock of up-to-date fabulous pictures of yourself to send along with your answers.
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Well that's all, I haven't booked any more TV interviews lately but I'm doing well with print. TV is typically harder.
Comment below and let me know anything else showbiz related you'd like me to discuss.
Later gossip bitches
Luna.
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