On Tuesdays, we watch talks or interviews with artists and designers and discuss how to present our work clearly and with confidence. This week we’ll hear from Nikon European Ambassador, Joel Marklund.
As you watch this interview, consider these questions: Does the artist speak clearly and with confidence? Does he use gestures and intonation to emphasize his points? Does he smile and look at the camera? Does he use professional vocabulary?
What does Marklund do well? He speaks with confidence and has good posture. He has good eye contact with the interviewer and gestures a little. His speed and volume are good, and he is easy to understand. He avoids filler words, and he uses good intonation when he speaks.
What could he improve? The only thing I would suggest he could do to improve is to relax his face and smile a little more. He looks like he is scowling slightly through much of the interview. I don’t know if this is because he is very serious, or because the light is bright outside. Either way, it gives him a slightly annoyed or cross appearance.
What professional vocabulary does he use? He answers a lot of the questions that are typical for a short interview. He begins by telling us about how he first got into the media and became a reporter, then an intern, and later a staff photographer. Then he describes his approach to sports photography, and how much time he invests in shooting every day. Next, he talks about his inspiration, and how he incorporates other art influences into his work. He mentions his goals and the challenge of competing against other great sports photographers to get the best images. Finally, he describes his own graphic style, and how he attempts to capture the peak action of the moment, as well as the emotion.
As I mentioned before, these kinds of questions are very common for an art or design interview, so it’s a good idea to think about and prepare your answers in advance. Taking the time to write a good artist statement or about page or a short talk can help you to find these answers, so you’ll be ready anytime you’re asked. These are all projects we work on in my Artist Courses. I can help you give a great interview too!
What do you think of this interview? Do you agree with my comments? Do you have questions about the vocabulary? Do you want to suggest an artist or designer for me to discuss next week? Leave a comment below!
I’ve chosen 5 words or phrases for you to focus on today. They are in bold. If you don’t know them, look up the meaning, synonyms, antonyms, and other forms of these words. You can find links to Merriam-Webster dictionary sites at the bottom of this page.
To see the original video, posted by Nikon on January 24, 2018, click the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlsZgEHqg5Y