Becoming a Shooting Star E-Book

Michaela Hennig

• Herausgeber: Michaela Hennig
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Becoming a Shooting Star – Mastering Digital Meetings, On-Camera Presence, and Workplace Excellence. This pioneering guide for leaders, lecturers, professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, and online course creators is an invaluable resource. If you aspire to elevate your speeches, performances, and presence – in front of a camera, in a meeting room, or on stage – these pages will show you how to deliver powerful presentations and give you the tools to succeed.

Becoming a Shooting Star is a transformational toolkit with innovative, cutting-edge strategies and insights. In addition to integrated videos, this book also carefully and creatively uses symbols and color coding linked to each main chapter to help organize and simplify in a practical way what you have learned.
Michaela Hennig – a Swedish filmmaker, actor, and educator – utilizes a concise yet comprehensive approach to share essential skills and strategies. The book covers everything from technical and digital expertise to body awareness, stage presence, and mental and physical recovery. It also provides practical ways for improving well-being at work and explores universal psychological and professional philosophies that have direct bearing on how you communicate and present yourself.

Becoming a Shooting Star is for anyone who wants to continue growing – both mentally and physically – and work in a more conscious and intentional way.

Recommended e-reader: Thorium Reader or any EPUB 3-compatible reader with video support.

Leseprobe

Becoming a Shooting Star

Michaela Hennig

Cover: Michaela Hennig

Photographer: Rex Brådhe

Icon Illustrator: Marinette Petersson

Copyright 2025 Michaela Hennig

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-91-531-4138-9 1. Ebook Edition

Format: EPUB

This book is protected by copyright.

Reproduction for purposes other than personal use is only permitted with the author's consent.

This book is published through Hennig & Illustra film, Illustrafilm.se

Recommended ereader application: Thorium Reader Apple Books, or Kotobee Reader.

Please note: Videos require internet access, and if subtitles don't appear automatically — select English from the CC icon. After watching, simply return to your reading app to continue.

BECOMING A SHOOTING STAR

- Mastering Digital Meetings, On-Camera Presence, and Workplace Excellence

In this handbook, you'll get the tips and guidance from me – as an actor, filmmaker, and director – on how to become successful.

You can feel confident to appear your best in video meetings.

You will improve your skills in making presentations and lectures.

You will acquire and be able to use the tools in this handbook; they will strengthen your concentration and presence and allow you to be more creative, productive, and focused during digital meetings.

For the best reading experience, I recommend using Thorium Reader (Apple Books or Kotobee Reader)!

You can find more information on downloading and installing the "eReader application" page at the end of this book.

Please note: The videos require internet access. If subtitles don't appear automatically, click the CC icon and select English. When you click a video link, it will open in your web browser outside the e-book. After watching, simply return to your reading app to continue.

Hi!

Becoming a Shooting Star is a comprehensive guide to help you feel more comfortable in front of a camera, to gain better control over how you appear in digital meetings, as well as perfecting how you conduct online meetings, webinars, and courses.

It's common for people to appear less than perfect on video screens. Sometimes people are filmed from below, and you look straight up their nostrils. Other times, their faces are too close to the camera and out of focus. Occasionally, their image is so dark that it's difficult to see their eyes properly.

This doesn't have to be the case. With a little more knowledge and practical know-how, the result can improve significantly.

It's often just utilizing simple webcam solutions that will enhance image quality.

In addition to the technical aspects, it's also about being aware of how you position yourself in front of the camera, the design of the room or background, and how you deal with the sound. Dressing in colors that highlight one's personality and being aware of body posture, voice, speech, and facial expressions are also crucial. Conscious breathing can help you relax as well as create focus and presence.

Technical factors, like a suitable camera and microphone, naturally impact how you appear on the screen. Your ability to handle this technology as well as how you present yourself in front of the camera also plays a role.

Mental preparation is essential – your intention, mood, and the type of energy and clarity with which you interact in online meetings all play a vital role.

You'll gain insight into how to create routines and habits that will bring you into balance; emphasizing the importance of maintaining your integrity and self-care throughout the working day.

This guide offers concrete advice and knowledge on handling these different aspects, helping you become more comfortable and confident in front of the camera.

It also provides guidance on how to avoid negative stress and create boundaries between work and free time, activity, and rest.

This knowledge will equip you with tools to better manage interactions with colleagues and contribute to good habits during meetings.

To make the contents of this book easier to remember, I have given each chapter a specific color and each section a symbol. Embedded video sequences illuminate and enrich several sections.

You don't need to read the book in chronological order; you can go directly to the chapters that interest you the most.

Additionally, at the end of the book, there's a glossary of words and terms that may need further explanation.

You'll also find additional guidance on how to remember and absorb the content of Becoming a Shooting Star – using the colors, the symbols, and the simple memory techniques.

My hope is that, after reading Becoming a Shooting Star, you will be your true, authentic self and excel in every digital meeting!

Michaela Hennig Filmmaker, director, actress & author

OVERVIEW

CHAPTER I - TECHNICAL DEVICES

1

CAMERA

- Deal with this first!

To become a "Shooting Star", improve the image quality by connecting your smartphone, an external webcam, or a digital system camera.

2

SOUND

- Audio recording and the necessary gadgets

Bad audio is worse than a bad image. Having good sound is crucial; a not-so-perfect image can be acceptable at times, but poor audio, where people can't hear you properly, is far from ideal.

3

LIGHT

- Consider the type and source of your lighting

Your light source can be the daylight falling in through a window. If, however, natural light is insufficient, use artificial light sources to enhance visibility.

4

APPS & SOFTWARE

- Identify the apps you need and uninstall the others

If you hold webinars and courses, a webcam app, teleprompter app, or an app for live streaming can be quite useful. Close unneeded apps to avoid distraction.

5

MEETING SOFTWARE

- Feeling a bit lost amongst all the digital functions?

Create accounts for the most common meeting apps and download them. Then, keep track of the major functions and configure the computer and meeting programs settings to suit your needs.

CHAPTER II – IMAGE

6

FRAME

- How do you position yourself in front of the webcam?

In order to project "through the screen", you must be conscious of how you sit or stand in front of the computer's internal camera, the smartphone camera lens, or the external digital camera.

7

ROOM

- Where you place yourself sends a message

Make sure that you are comfortable in your workspace. Pay attention to arranging the space before the video meeting.

8

CLOTHES

- The importance of curating a style and communicating with color

Be intentional with the colors you wear in order to strengthen your on-screen presence. Choose colors that match your face, hair, and eyes.

CHAPTER III – MIND & BODY

9

MNEMONICS

- A technique for remembering anything more easily

By learning mnemonics strategies, you will get better at conducting presentations, lectures, and meetings.

10

SELF-TALK

- What you say to yourself about yourself

How to take control of your mind, overcome negative self-talk, and deal with the fear of failure. It also provides tools that will help you get comfortable in front of the camera and boost your confidence.

11

BODY

- Your posture and body language say it all!

Be conscious of your body and your physical expressions, and how to consciously communicate. How do you stand? How do you move? How is your upright sitting posture? How do you move your arms and hands? Your head and eyes?

12

RELAXATION

- Are you tense or relaxed?

A relaxed body and posture contribute to a vibrant body language, presence, and charisma.

13

BREATH

- How often do you give your breathing a thought?

Correct breathing – a soft deep breathing starting in the diaphragm – oxygenates our cells and contributes to good health, inner peace, emotional balance, and clarity. Good breathing is also a prerequisite for a good and sonorous voice.

14

MOOD

- Are you emotionally, mentally, and physically energized or depleted?

Our state of mind doesn't just affect ourselves, we project it onto our surroundings and onto our relationships. It also influences our perception and interpretation of situations and events.

15

VOICE

- Your most important communicative tool!

Use your voice consciously, and you will get people to listen.

16

INTENSITY

- What kind of energy do you convey?

Your body, your physical expression, and your overall "energy" creates the impression you have on others. Find role models; you want to be nuanced in your way of communicating and expressing yourself.

CHAPTER IV – PREPARATIONS & DAILY ROUTINES

17

RITUALS

- The importance of not plunging headlong into meetings and tasks

Simple rituals prepare you for your workload and set boundaries between tasks and rest. They help you get ready mentally and contribute to being present, focused and in a positive state of mind.

18

ROUTINES

- Doing things at the right time

An axiom says, "First you create your habits, and then your habits create you." Create well-functioning work routines and habits. Try using a timetable instead of infinite "to do lists." Make sure you have a distraction-free space for deep concentration during your workday.

19

CLEAN UP THE MESS

- Identiy what creates negative stress

To achieve focus, energy, and space for creativity, try to get rid of things that distract you. Make your workspace nice, clean, and tidy. Even a stuffed inbox or too many open folders on your desktop can contribute to a mess in the mind.

20

SUN

- Why not go for a walk when the sun is shining?

In addition to strengthening your immune system short spells in the sun can rejuvenate your energy. Try finding a walking partner!

CHAPTER V – INSIGHTS

21

INTENTION

- Communicate and work with purpose

Your intention brings clarity to what you want to convey and guides you in various circumstances and encounters.

22

INFORMATION

- Distinguish what is essential and share what is relevant

Become more aware of how the flow of information affects you mentally and impacts your ability to work. Useful tips on how to reduce information overload.

23

INTEGRITY

- Take care of yourself, your space, and your time

Learn how to build integrity, set boundaries between work and home, and make room for recovery.

CHAPTER VI – ALL THE OTHERS

24

INTERACTION

- How do you communicate and interact with others?

How you can contribute to creating more mature interactions where we benefit from our different personalities.

25

PEOPLE

- How we complement each other

Our diverse characters, backgrounds, skills, and competencies enhance our ability to solve tasks and drive the group's growth.

26

MEETING CULTURE

- How to achieve and cultivate good meeting habits

Creating meaningful and engaging meetings, clear agreements, guidelines, roles, and responsibilities is essential.

27

THE MEETING

- Composing a meeting and "musical dramaturgy"

This chapter presents a unique method to help you set up video meetings, presentations, and webinars, making them more dynamic and engaging.

CHAPTER VII – THE RECOVERY

28

SLEEP

- Your best source of recovery

Sleep is the most important prerequisite for vitality, performance, and creativity – something we may sometimes forget.

29

MEDITATION

- A power source to discover

Meditation helps you calm down and find inner peace. Make it a daily ritual!

30

A ROOM TO BREATHE

- Giving yourself "silent time" and the importance of recharging

Silence allows for recovery, reflection, and the development of creative ideas. Make space for respite and silence in your daily work, and let these elements be part of your meetings as well.

* * * * *

GLOSSARY

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE BOOK

– How to remember and work with the content

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