I've been working from home for years, and until this week, the invitation to hop on a video conference would have left me scrambling to find an appropriate background, find something to distract my dog, turn off the air conditioner and drag every lamp in the house into the room with me.

By the end of this week, folks were lucky if I remembered to put a shirt on.

Take a moment to think just how much your work experience changed over the past week. (If that involved lost work or reduced hours, please know that my heart is with you, and definitely reach out to me at the email address below in case there's anything I can do to help.) For many of us, life largely soldiered on, albeit in strange and disorienting ways.

I probably spent upward of 15 hours on video calls this week, which is bananas. And part of me wonders if it's just going to increase. 

So if you're like me and thinking that it might be worth stepping up your videoconference game, I've got great news. Adweek video guru Nick Gardner created a clear and super helpful guide to upgrading everything from your camera to your lighting. 

Best of all, none of his suggested products costs more than $100. 

So now you can take all your newfound on-camera comfort levels and go full professional vlogger (or at least look really good when you're invited onto the BBC for a live shoot—unrestrainable toddlers optional).

Wishing you a videoconference-free weekend of mental recuperation and mindless binge-watching,

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com

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