The Twitter account @ratemyskyperoom will be provide some commentary tonight for CNN’s live coverage of the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC.
The account — which awards a numeric rating to the settings that appear behind notable names during virtual appearances on cable news and other television programs — started off as a series of funny exchanges between a dating duo separated by an international border during a pandemic.
Months later, the account, which has gained responses from the likes of Hillary Clinton and followers like Jason Bateman and Ava DuVernay, is the unofficial authority on the art of the video call background. As Hollywood sets the stage for a major virtual event with the Emmy Awards, it’s also more relevant than ever.
Emmy producers have said they’ll have as many as 140 live camera feeds from the homes and other locales where nominees will be “attending” the show.
Claude Taylor, the chair of a left-leaning political action committee called Mad Dog, and his girlfriend Jessie Bahrey, who lives in Vancouver, never intended to become experts in background design. But with almost 300,000 followers and scores of high-profile fans, the influence wielded by the, in Taylor’s words, “fluffy Twitter account” is undeniable.
Taylor offered these tips on creating an award-winning background:
- Create balance, complexity and depth: To avoid the dreaded flat, blank wall, people should place themselves in rooms with depth and that have different eye-pleasing elements peppered evenly throughout the video frame.
- Get some plants: He said plants are “a way to add character and color and personality to a room,” but acknowledged that not everyone has a green thumb. He recommended flowers as a nice alternative.
- Display books: Incorporating books seems like an easy way to add class to a shot, but Taylor said they should be used with finesse. People should also avoid too many horizontally stacked books.
- Lighting is key: Lamps are a tricky element in that Taylor prefers to see them on when featured in shots, but to avoid being backlit, proper balance should be reached by having a light off camera — such as a ring light.
