The power of staging and scenery.

Unfortunately my side of the desk in our study gives me the book shelves as background. Thankfully the books on the visible shelves are reports, photocopied articles in carboard boxes, and a mix of books standing on edge as they are too tall for the shelves, interspersed with rather worn secndhand books whose titles are illegible from a distance.

DH has the fireplace beside him that has been fitted with deep shelves containing document boxes with no labels on them, so we are supplied with backgrounds of suitable gravitas, but no one knows what any of the books are or what is in the document boxes - could be empty.

DS1, who works from home two days a week, had to remember to hide a raunchy calendar his two teenage children had given him the Christmas before last, before taking a Teams meeting.

I used to know a seller of second hand books who sold them by the metre to interior decorators - just one step from there to the bookshelf wallpaper!

Sorry Folks, but I find those flags just a bit sinister. Remind me of Nuremberg Rallies.

I have fond memories of my antiquarian book dealer friend sorting worthless books into colour bundles. He sold them by the metre 30 plus years ago.

Mostly they went to decorate upmarket show-homes - but once he sold loads to a "new money" person who had just acquired a big library in his traditional home but hardly read anything! He obviously didn't want it to feel empty.

During a classroom zoom lesson my attention often wanders off due to a students dad usually in his pj's and dressing gown in the background and their cat perched on a stand just doing cat things. It's as if I've never seen a cat before!

My own faux pas was joining in a zoom school assembly from home with the bottom half of Pink Floyds Back Catalogue poster behind me. A row of artistically painted bottoms sitting in a row.

Theoddbird

There is a company that hires out books for theatre and film. They are now hiring to people who want to give a certain look on zoom interviews....

That's an enterprising company Theoddbird. I guess anyone wanting to "manage" their image might well buy into that.

ExaltedWombat

Peston's room 'scruffy'? That's a bit harsh! Just because it wasn't contrived.

Apologies, I was probably comparing it with the tidiness of The Queen's in the same sentence!

I always zoom from a dimly lit space so that wrinkles, double chins and other horrors are hard to see.

Peston's room 'scruffy'? That's a bit harsh! Just because it wasn't contrived.

Zooming from the sofa reveals the bottom half of a print on the wall behind me. Skyping from the dining table is in front of a bookcase in which no titles have been specially placed for effect, but which includes half a shelf of matching volumes. If asked, I admit that they are Goethe’s collected works, but add hastily that they are not well thumbed.

I always have a bland background. Usually a white emulsioned wall. People are so curious and sometimes even rude. I don't encourage that and, as someone has previously said, it can be a huge distraction from what is being said.

There is a company that hires out books for theatre and film. They are now hiring to people who want to give a certain look on zoom interviews....

I agree with lots of you that it's really important that the setting is right for the circumstances and, in the same way that you dress for work or any other occasion, the background should reflect the image you want to portray.

I've been holding lots of client meetings over Zoom, Teams or on Facetime over the last twelve months. My clients and other associates have all commented that they love seeing my home as I've been to most of theirs several times over the years.

Quite a few have become more relaxed and even more open than previously as they now see me as a person and not just a professional that they have to deal with.

I did start off with a corporate background back in March last year but felt it was more distracting as it made my hands and hair too shimmery. I decided I'd have to settle for the room behind being neat and tidy instead so my untidy DH is now putting things away rather than leaving them out. Bonus!

Any time you are on public display, you are likely being judged. Turn up at the Dr's looking like you've never done a days work in your life and don't intend to there is an unconscious bias against fast treatment. Turn up looking like you are professional and desperate to work, you'll get more traction. Research has been done to back this and I am sure it is the same in other areas of life too.

ixion

Does the presence of the Union Flag add a certain gravitas to the pronouncements of Cabinet ministers addressing us from their homes??‍♀️
Perhaps MH hasn't got space in his red downstairs loo?

(Can anyone recall when this addition became a feature?)

I think it’s a subtle reminder of the Union, and as a counterweight to Sturgeon’s pro-independence, anti-English stance

There's a funny clip today of David Cameron having a serious parliamentary committee discussion with his cotswold stone fireplace, table lamp and books behind him, and his teenage son just saunters past with a glass in his hand!

"fraid I'm usually trying to read the titles of their book, and feel we should be given a guided tour of the room in use!!

OH and I moved in together just before lockdown. My furniture was mostly tat and was thrown out. His is good quality, much loved pieces, so was kept.

But I’m very conscious that my background is not representative of me. I actually have to keep telling people that the way the house looks is not my choice, because of the assumptions they’ll make about me from what they can see.

I try to zoom from the kitchen if I can, which we’ve had redone to me.

If setting did not matter, all theatrical performances and films would be played against a medium grey background!

Most of us if we were going to an important function, or even just to work, chose our clothes, shoes and make-up to suit the occasion. Now with zoom we are doing the same.

It is all part of the professional image.

How many of you invited visitors in the days we could do so, and let them see an overflowing dirty clothes basket, a not very clean toilet and hand basin and yesterday's washing up in and around the sink?

I doubt any of you did and probably felt embarrassed if people who just popped in saw any of the above.

lemsip! I too get distracted by the Union Flags behind Hancock, or Johnson.. .. I keep analysing the slight discrepancy in the folds of each flag! now everyone will start looking!

I am not easily impressed by backgrounds, and really, really not interested in Harry etc.. but of course the photos are put right under my nose (as it were!) and comment I read about his shoes.. so I got to look at them. other than that..

no not easily impressed by backgrounds, though of course, not wanting to look at anything "yucky"¬ !!

My DD was in a zoom meeting last week and was asked to move her head to one side. When she did so, the comment was ‘OMG L***a - is that a Summerhouse in your garden!’

So, yes - people must notice the background.

Prof Jason Leitch, Scotland's National Clinical Director, interviewed one morning recently, admitted, IIRC, that he received as many queries about his Tanzania zebra painting on the wall behind him as questions about the virus.

To me those huge flags behind politicians just look ridiculous. How many people really do have one in their own home.

I feel we have become far more tolerant of people's home background settings and their personal appearance over the past year. There's no need for a polished, well scrubbed up image any more because we've all become accustomed to each others' scruffy hairstyles and dubious decor. There's almost a sense of security and togetherness in seeing these scientists, politicians and even royals in their own homes. I quite like it.