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Guidance to help you prepare for delivering your presentation via video in 2021.

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Guidelines for online FameLab participants 2021

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Each year, scientists across the UK develop their communication skills while engaging and entertaining audiences with current research.

Are you interested in:

improving your communication skills?

talking about your research with a public audience?

joining a global network of researchers who enjoy talking about science?

Here's what you need to do...

Register here!

1. You will be contacted by the organiser in your region with further details. In the meantime, use our top tips to prepare a 3-minute talk on your research.

2. Attend the training session and heat in your chosen UK location

3. If you win your heat, you will need to prepare a second talk and attend your regional final!

You can take part in FameLab as many times as you like, and keep improving each year until you become a UK finalist!

Prizes

If you win your regional final, you will be invited to:

A masterclass with a professional science communicator in May 2021 (either in person or online, tbc)

Participate in the FameLab UK final at Cheltenham Science Festival in June 2021

Receive up to £1000 prize money

If you win the UK final, you will be invited to represent the UK at the International FameLab Semi-Finals, and possibly the International FameLab Final in November 2021!

"Becoming part of the FameLab family is the ultimate prize!"
FameLabber

Please contact famelab@cheltenhamfestivals.com if you have any questions.

"100% of the International Finalists in 2020 would recommend FameLab"

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Skip To Content Skip To Primary Navigation Skip To Secondary Features Each year, scientists across the UK develop their communication skills while engaging and entertaining audiences with current research. improving your communication skills? talking about your research with a public audience? joining a global network of researchers who enjoy talking about science?

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Videos | Science Communication | Jamie Gallagher

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Short videos made by or featuring Dr Jamie Gallagher.

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A few tips for presenting to camera - not just useful for FameLab but other videos/interviews you might do!

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Video interviews, live-streamed speeches and social media videos are becoming more and more common. What do you need to consider when communicating on camera? Theatre director Paul Bourne has some advice.
Today, we are all movie stars. We continually find ourselves in front of a camera. Whether we are Facetiming loved ones, being video-interviewed for a job, or being filmed in front of a live audience, it's important to remain clear and connected when communicating on camera.

The camera is your friend, but it can also capture a version of you that might appear a little strange or off-balance. Here are some of the things to think about when you find yourself preparing for the spotlight.
Emphasise your personality
I always advise people to add a 'little more' when they are in front of a camera. That could mean being a little more serious, a little warmer or a little more confident. The 'little more' means emphasising the chosen aspect of your personality by about ten per cent. Think tactically about which part of your personality you want to move into focus. It will vary depending on the scenario and your audience.

Check out this video where I talk about how to step forward and use your personality to its full extent.
Think positively about being in front of the camera
The camera picks up on a great deal of detail. If you do start to twitch, mumble or lose focus, the camera will pick it up and multiply it. You have to want to be in front of the camera, to appear confident, energetic and engaging. Before you start recording, think 'I love this - I can make the camera my friend'.
Frame your narrative
'Framing' is essentially a technique for structuring your thoughts. A simple way of framing might be to structure what you are trying to say into past, present and future. For example, if you wanted to talk about how you created a positive change, you could explain how things were before the change, how they are now, and how they will be in the future. Another way of framing could be to talk about the problems that exist, followed by the solutions and the benefits.

For each frame, think about three or four points you wish to make. As the subject comes up, think of those frames and it will be easier to recall the content. Defining the frames of the story will help you remember the core content and give the story a natural quality. Instead of searching for lines or specific sentences, you are recalling general aspects of the structure.

Take a look at this speech. It looks like I am improvising, but I had frames of the story that I knew I was going use. I establish one story, but I don't close it, I keep it open so that I can come back to it.
Be bold. Be the hero.
When I speak on camera, I put forward the 'heroic' version of myself. I've structured what I am saying and, most importantly, I've thought about who I want to be. Paul the hero knows what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. This doesn't always mean being forceful. I often shift into a softer voice and ask some open questions, but it is always done with purpose and intent.
Think about your body language
I use my hands a lot when I'm speaking, even in interviews. But be aware of how much you are moving as too much can be distracting for your audience. If you have a lapel mic, moving too much is also likely to distort the sound.

On the other hand, there's a danger of moving too little, which can stiffen the body, reduce your energy and mean that you are less engaging to your audience.

Find a balance. You need a good energy level to appear confident and communicate your messages effectively. Record yourself before your speech or interview to test it. Ask yourself: 'What does my body language communicate?' Think about how much you are smiling and what your hands and eyes are doing.
Speak clearly, and don't speak too fast
Communicating with high energy is important to engage your audience, but don't get carried away. You risk being misunderstood if you speak too loudly or too quickly. Remember, you are speaking into a microphone when you are on camera, so use your natural speaking voice.

You can manage the pace of your speech through controlled breathing. Take deep breaths before you go live and continue to breathe in a controlled manner throughout your time on camera. If you find yourself breathing or talking too quickly, take a deep breath and reset.
Practise any difficult words or phrases
Before you start an interview or speech, make sure you have practised anything you might find difficult to pronounce. You could also have those words or phrases to hand on cue cards. This will make sure that you don't stumble and disturb the rhythm of your speech.

If you are reading from an autocue, make sure you read it in advance and annotate it where possible. It's good to think about where you want to pause and which words you want to emphasise. Reading from an autocue is a specialised skill, but the key to it is to practise!
Be prepared... for anything
You should prepare for any questions that your audience might ask, but you also need to prepare for any unexpected questions or topics. Don't try to answer a question with a prepared answer that you have written for a completely different question. Be ready to adapt in the moment. Of course, the key to this is to listen to the question.

Take a moment to think about the answer, and frame your thinking before you respond. Think about the problem or the topic they are asking about, and make sure to talk about it in your answer.
It's all in the eyes
You might be looking at the camera or the interviewer, but the viewer is looking straight into your eyes. Think about your facial expressions, and focus on your eyes in particular.

Your eyes will elicit reactions from your audience. They will feel warm if your eyes convey warmth. They will feel serious if your eyes look serious. Brighten your eyes and the viewer will engage with you.
Think about 'costume and make-up'
Put a bit of effort into choosing your outfit. You'll want something that is right for the occasion, but that you also feel comfortable in. Imagine what your audience will see and how you want to come across. Looking the part can help you feel confident in front of the camera.

In terms of make-up, don't use too much or too little. You want to shine on screen, but not literally. Consider this when you carry out your practice run in front of the camera.
Get the cameraperson's opinion
If you are working with a cameraperson, ask them for their advice. They can see what the viewer will see, so ask them how you look and how you come across on camera. You can also ask them to do a short recording before you begin, so that you can see and hear yourself.

Each time you make a recording, take a look at it afterwards and review it. This will develop your personal awareness and allow you to improve your performance for next time.
Practise at home
You will find that all of the tips in this article will come naturally to you with practice. Try practising in front of the mirror at home or record yourself and watch it back. Think about how you are framing your narrative and how your voice sounds.

The best way to deal with nerves is to practise. It is normal to be nervous before speaking on camera, but if you have thought through your material and practised, you have nothing to fear.
Enjoy yourself
Being in front of a camera can be nerve-racking, but it can also be exhilarating. Embrace the opportunity you have been given, and enjoy it.
Paul will be running workshops on communication skills for aspiring policy leaders as part of our Future Leaders Connect programme at Cambridge University this week. You can join our Future Leaders Connect members and ask your question to a group of world leaders in our live-stream on Monday 23 October, 19:30 UK time. Follow the hashtag #FutureLeadersConnect.

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How to engage an audience when you are on camera

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Video interviews, live-streamed speeches and social media videos are becoming more and more common. What do you need to consider when communicating on camera? Theatre director Paul Bourne has some advice. Today, we are all movie stars. We continually find ourselves in front of a camera.

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Swansea University's UK finalist Rebecca Ellis starts her talk at around 47:30

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FameLab UK Final - Wednesday 3 June 2020, 7pm

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PowerPoint slides from FameLab training and information session

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PowerPoint slides from FameLab training and information session

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Here's a copy of Sharon's slides with information about the competition.

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Swansea University's UK finalist Laura O'Dea starts her talk at 38:11

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Amy Cuddy: Your body language may shape who you are

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(NOTE: Some of the findings presented in this talk have been referenced in an ongoing debate among social scientists about robustness and reproducibility. Read "Criticisms & updates" below for more details as well as Amy Cuddy's response.) Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves.

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This video gives you advice on how to use gestures mindfully in your talk.

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Find out more about the competition.

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FameLab is a science communications competition designed to engage and entertain. Contestants from around the world take part armed only with their wits and a few props - the result is an unpredictable, enlightening and exciting way to encourage your curiosity.

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Check you meet the eligibility criteria to participate in Famelab

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A really useful guide to preparing and delivering a short public science talk.

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Why practise communication?

Whether you are applying for funding, telling a family member about your research or engaging the public, your success will depend on how well you communicate.

Persuading people that your research should be prioritised and funded relies on being a solid negotiator and developing political nous; but these skills are also rooted in communication.

One way to do this is by challenging yourself to summarise your research in a short, sharp, three-minute elevator pitch, or 'flash talk'.

What is a flash talk?

A flash talk is a challenge in which you have just three minutes to present a scientific concept or idea in an accessible manner. They are aimed at non-specialist audiences and usually happen in front of a live audience or a group of colleagues. There are lots of competitions for flash talks that you can get involved in, such as FameLab and Three Minute Thesis.

By convention people don't use PowerPoint; all you have is the stage, your voice, and perhaps a prop or two to liven up the presentation.

In those three minutes, your aim is to inspire the listener and help them to learn about the area of science that you are presenting. There are a number of ways to do this effectively.

The following are my top ten tips for delivering a flash talk that is clear, concise and charismatic. See if you can spot some of these features in the videos included in this guide.

SciDev.Net joined researchers from across Latin America at a Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) event, run by USAID's US Global Development Lab. Researchers from this programme participated in a short flash talk competition in March to develop their science communication skills. In this video, Djuke Veldhuis identifies the key features of an outstanding flash talk, using footage from the PEER forum in Lima as examples.

Know your audience

Observe your audience while giving your talk

React to them. Are they laughing and engaged, or yawning and looking bored? If they seem uninterested or unhappy, can you modify how you are speaking to get a better reaction?

How is your research relevant to the audience? People will be more interested in your talk if you've made it relatable.
Some ways of achieving this:

Human interest

Make your audience care by bringing out how your research impacts on people. You can reference a person's story or use a powerful quote.
Example: This story from SciDev.Net asks local women from Colquencha, Bolivia, how food security initiatives have affected them.

Application

Perhaps you can give specific examples of how your research will be used in a real, tangible way in the future.
Example: T his story from SciDev.Net explains how big data will help coffee farmers adapt their practices in response to climate change.

Involve the senses

Your talk will be more relatable if you can involve the audience's senses or daily experiences. Tactics include giving an inanimate object a personality or feelings, or describing what it is like to touch, feel, hear and smell something or to be somewhere.
Example: Asking the audience to rub their hands together to explain how friction generates heat, or talking through particle physics by visualising the movement of particles in the preparation of a cup of tea.

Think of your favourite film or book. How do they captivate you? Stories are enormously powerful and introducing some of their elements into your talk can make it more effective.

The following is advice from some of the finalists at USAID's PEER forum in Lima in March 2015. Nearly 50 researchers prepared and delivered flash talks. The researchers themselves chose the finalists, based on talk content, clarity and charisma. An external panel then judged the six finalists.

Before your talk

Feeling nervous? Build confidence by faking it or even taking on a 'power position' beforehand. For example, standing for two minutes with your hands in the air or on your hips has been shown to decrease stress hormone levels and increase testosterone, which is associated with confidence. Breathing exercises, tensing and relaxing muscles, and meditation are also recommended.

After your talk

Good speakers follow all the points listed above. Great speakers are always asking for honest feedback from talk organisers or trusted colleagues. They add, delete and tweak their presentations based on feedback. This might be the use of a single word or turning the order upside down. The rap artist Baba Brinkman nicely illustrates this while communicating some concepts in evolution.

Don't alienate your audience with technical language

You will lose your audience instantly if you fill your talk with highly specific technical terms normally used only between experts in your field. Only do so if absolutely necessary.

For example, use:
Best instead of optimum
Make clear instead of elucidate
Part instead of proportion
In a test tube instead of in vitro
It was tested on a mouse instead of mouse model
Mixing of genetic material instead of hybridisation

Plan how you will say it

Your voice is a powerful tool. You can modify lots of aspects of your speech: pitch (high/low), intonation (variation in pitch indicating emotion and attitudes, or the difference between a statement and a question), pace (fast/slow), volume (loud/soft) and emphasis. Using these will ensure you avoid a monotone delivery.

Using a prop or object can help

A prop can be anything from an enlarged model of a molecule or classic science demo to an object, animal or piece of technology relevant to your talk.
This might help make it more memorable.

a) Make sure the object is large enough to be seen by the whole audience, if not use a hand-held camera and screen to show it.
b) Only use a prop if it adds to your talk, not as a gimmick.
c) Cover or hide the prop when not in use, otherwise your audience might be distracted by it while you want them to be listening to you. Having it covered before using it might add suspense.

Final piece of advice

I hope you will find the above points useful, but this advice can only get you so far. As Fergus McAuliffe, FameLab 2014 winner points out: "It's all about good honest practice and honest feedback."

My advice is to run your talk by a family member or close friend with no specialist background in the topic - people who will give you frank advice about how understandable and engaging it is.

Useful links to help you develop your flash-talk

Telling Science Stories - Carnegie Mellon University

Materials and resources on how to make scientific ideas compelling. The seminar includes audio and video examples.

Practical information - The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement

This site has a wealth of practical advice for a wide range of public engagement formats, including flash-talk-style presentations.

Presentation skills and voice exercises - University of Leeds

Online course taking you through a series of exercises to develop your presentation skills with a particular focus on speech. Each section has videos to illustrate the exercises.

Using props in presentations - Manner of Speaking blog

Ten pieces of advice for how to use props effectively in a presentation.

FameLab International

FameLab is a communications competition designed to engage and entertain by breaking down science, technology and engineering concepts into three-minute presentations. Contestants from around the world take part armed with only their wits and a few props that they can carry onto stage. The result is an unpredictable, enlightening and exciting way to encourage curiosity and find out about the latest research. Visit their page to see examples of these presentations.

Three minute thesis

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) celebrates the exciting research conducted by PhD students. Developed by the University of Queensland, the exercise cultivates students' academic, presentation and research communication skills. The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate for a non-specialist audience. The site has a wide range of examples from participants.

And the winner is...

Julio Cañon's flash talk was chosen by the judges as the most complete in terms of content, clarity and charisma during a regional science symposium in Lima, Peru. The meeting was convened by the US Agency for International development (USAID) in March 2015. His talk was one of six short-listed for the final by other researchers taking part in the forum.

Djuke is a Marie-Curie-COFUND research fellow at Aarhus University in Denmark where she looks at human adaptation to stress. She has written for New Scientist and worked across Southeast Asia as editor of ResearchSEA magazine. Most recently she was FameLab Manager at Cheltenham Festivals working alongside the British Council and NASA to discover charismatic, up-and-coming scientists who can inspire people to see the world from a new perspective.

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Whether you are applying for funding, telling a family member about your research or engaging the public, your success will depend on how well you communicate. Persuading people that your research should be prioritised and funded relies on being a solid negotiator and developing political nous; but these skills are also rooted in communication.

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Swansea University's Amy Jenkins starts her talk at 1:00:40

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Swansea University's Carol Glover (UK runner-up) starts her talk at 00:25:30