Before you connect to the control room, read through these quick tips. We will walk you through all of this when you connect, and we may ask you try a few different options before we start your interview. Please be patient as we want to ensure you look and sound great before we begin.
Audio Tips:
-Find a quiet environment, preferably a room with carpet or some soft furniture.
-Avoid rooms with hard surfaces such as kitchens and tiled floors as there will be too much echo.
-If you have an external USB microphone or headset, try that first.
-Headphones are not required, use whatever you are most comfortable with.
-Turn your speakers up just loud enough that you can hear others clearly, but don't crank them up all the way as it will feedback into your microphone.
Camera Tips:
-Try and get your webcam up to eye level. If you're on a laptop, this may require putting a few books underneath it to raise it up.
-Ensure you have plenty of light IN FRONT of you and not too much light BEHIND you. Do not sit with your back to a window. Facing towards a window is okay.
-If possible, try not to mix warm incadescent light bulbs with cooler blue light bulbs or sunlight.
-When sitting in front of a computer screen, you may find it casts a blue light on your face. Turn down your screen brightness to minimize this.
-Sit close enough to your camera that you fill most of the frame. Don't leave too much empty space above your head.
-When speaking, try and look straight into your camera as much as possible.
-If possible, avoid sitting right in front of a flat wall, and instead sit somewhere that has some depth and open space behind you.
How to Connect:
To connect to the virtual control room, open Firefox or Google Chrome browser and go to: www.crownpointvideo.com/controlroom
Please note that we may ask you try connecting from two devices (a smartphone and a computer) to see which one has the best camera.
Click on your name or assigned seat to enter the control room immediately. You should now see the control room feed fullscreen, with a self-view in the top left corner. Note that the self-view can be resized and moved by clicking and dragging on the edges of the box.
The menu at the bottom of the screen contains the following buttons from left to right:
Disconnect
Click this to leave the control room
Show/Hide Chat
Use this text chat to communicate with other participants
Show/Hide Camera
This button enables/disables your camera
Mute Mic
This button mutes your microphone
Screen Share
This button will start screen sharing from your end
Toggle Camera Preview
This turns the self-view on and off
Fullscreen
Toggle fullscreen view
Settings
Click this to access audio and camera settings
Open the settings menu and ensure that your correct camera and microphone are selected. For example if you are using AirPods or a USB microphone, that should be selected on this screen. You may need to click "reconnect" or refresh the page after making changes to your settings.
Your internet connection to the control room is critical, so if possible get a wired connection instead of using Wi-Fi. If you're at home, ask others to avoid using your internet connection during your interview. If you're having trouble on your home internet connection, try tethering your device to your smartphone for a faster connection.