If you’re on live TV, there is always the chance that something can go horribly, horribly wrong. Which was bad enough a decade ago when the video clip of your screw-up would end up on a few web sites.
But in this day of instant social media infamy, a mistake on live television can be viewed by millions of people within hours. While there are a seemingly endless number of ways to make a mistake on live TV, here is a look at three of the most common mistakes:
1. You’re Not Prepared
This is live television, so there is no chance for a do-over. Which means that you need to have everything prepared ahead of time. What are you going to say? What is your goal and what are you planning to do while on camera? The better prepared you are, the more likely you can survive forgetting a line or accidentally dropping something.
2. You Don’t Roll With The Mistakes
If you spend any time on live TV, there are going to be times when you make a mistake. Mistakes are a normal part of live television, but what matters is how you react to them. There’s nothing worse than watching someone make a mistake on live television and then having them freeze on camera. That “deer in the headlights” look isn’t a good one for anyone. The best way to roll with a mistake is to either ignore it completely or make a joke while you move past the moment. Any other response is ultimately a mistake.
3. You Try And Be Too Clever
The other big issue people have on live TV is that they try to be too smart for their own good. Their live shot is too complicated or they just try and show off by doing something that is likely to fail in a spectacular fashion. Rather than keeping it simple, they try and show off and that increases the likelihood that it will all go horribly wrong.
