STANDING UP AND TEAMING UP

Great tandem performance really is a kind of vocal and physical dance. Click on the image above for a Master Class on putting it together featuring ESPN anchors, Hannah Storm and Sage Steele.

Here are some thoughts on the things that make this team so effective on their feet::

They are relaxed and moving throughout the segment. Neither of these women ever gets locked into one position. They shift their feet. They change positions. It's one of the main reasons they look so very much at home.

They authentically split their attention between the camera and each other. Anchor teams often look stiff and unnatural when standing because they are unsure about where they should look and how often they should shift their attention from camera to coanchor. The answer (demonstrated beautifully here): You should manage eye contact the way you would in animated conversation with a couple of people. You are constantly making good eye contact with both -- and watching both for reaction to what is being said.

They are comfortable in close proximity to each other. The fact that they are constantly moving helps with this. Also, they never let the space between them become a barrier. Even if you are standing further apart from your coanchor, you should usually work aggressively into the space between you. Otherwise, it becomes a sort of invisible barrier that can make the shot look formal and uncomfortable.

They pick up their cues without talking over each other. The key to pacing a tandem sequence effectively is not always so much talking fast as it is picking up the cues as the conversation flows from one person to another. Instead of just taking turns speaking, you get the feeling that Storm and Steele are really listening to each other and enthusiastically building the conversation as they process what they are hearing and respond to it. When you are working with another anchor it should never feel like you are just taking your turn. It should feel like you are listening and responding and building on what you hear.

They ad-lib effectively because they are listening as aggressively as they are talking. They don't miss anything, and they let the things that happen spontaneously -- like Steele's juggling act with the script -- change what they say and do. Anchors that are glued to the prompter -- and so not really listening -- are prone to miss these opportunities.

Their volume and activity levels are compatible. Researchers call this "interactional synchrony." It's the way that physical and vocal levels flow from one person to the other.

They are on the same emotional page. Emotion flows back and forth between them as effectively as gesture and speech.

They can laugh at themselves and each other. Few things are as boring as a couple of anchors so preoccupied with achieving some kind of perfection that they take themselves too seriously. Storm and Steele would rather have fun together than be perfect, and it makes all the difference.

These anchors are having fun in these examples because they are doing sports, but the dynamics of great tandem performance would be exactly the same in the most serious of circumstances. As long as they continue to listen and respond so authentically to each other, this team will be great together whatever they are reporting.

A STAND UP ANCHOR

From a performance standpoint, the antidote to this is both mental and physical. Click on the image above to view a series of newscast clips featuring Memphis anchor, Greg Coy. They are a great study if you’re looking to make the most of your time on your feet.

THE PHYSICAL WORK

He is relaxed below the waist. The single most important thing most anchors can do to be more effective when standing is simply to relax enough to shift their weight and move their feet while they talk. When the knees are locked and the feet frozen in one spot, that stiffness usually finds its way into the rest of the body, and into the voice as well.

He keeps moving and gesturing. Research has shown that almost everything works better when you gesture. Your face is more expressive. Your speech is more conversational, And even your brain works better (Your memory is better and you use language more creatively.) In other words, you look and sound and even think better when you are moving, and this seems especially important when you are standing and out from behind the anchor desk.

The script in his hand does not impede his movement. He refers to it naturally when he needs to, and he does not grip and park it in front of him like a shield.

He keeps his body working toward his point of focus. When he addresses the camera, for instance, he leans slightly toward it. The effect is that he seems genuinely interested in gaining the viewer’s attention.

He moves his attention easily and aggressively from the camera to the monitor on the set. When he turns to address the monitor, he does it without hesitation or compromise. We often see anchors turn tentatively and incompletely when they have to direct their attention to something on set other than the camera. Instead of “owning” the space, they are owned by it. Instead of working with more authority, they have less.

He manages his volume well. It is higher at the top of the show, when he needs to meet the energy of the open and related production. Then, as he works into the show he shifts to a level that is more conversational and accessible.

THE MENTAL WORK

What you can’t see, of course, is how the anchor is thinking about what he is doing, and when you stand the mental work you do is just as important as the physical work. In our experience, these mental adjustments can be especially helpful when you are on your feet:

Relate the business of standing to the story(ies) you’re telling. In your mind, you should be on your feet because the story deserves it for some reason, not just because a producer has assigned you a different location on the set.

Think of the space as your own. The more at home you are there -- the more aggressively and easily you move in the space -- the more comfortable viewers will be watching you.

“Wear” your body proudly, however it’s shaped. Discomfort with the way you look can make you tentative or cause you to “pose” in whatever position you consider most flattering. To be your best, you need to be able to put those concerns aside, focus on the stories instead of yourself, and “bring it” passionately and unapologetically.

One last, important thought:: In the clips above, Coy seems to relish his role and like what he is doing. There are few things as compelling as watching someone who really loves what they are doing and is not afraid to let it show, and television news is no exception to that. He looks very much at home -- and very happy to be there.