Tommy Kramer Tip #136 – The Door is Open

A concept that gets bandied about a lot these days is being “transparent” on the air. I understand what that’s intended to mean, but “transparent” is not a term I use.

Rather than telling air talent to be “transparent”, I tell them to simply be Open and Revealing. Being TOTALLY transparent is not always a good idea, actually. Some things shouldn’t be shown. Some things about you might be too revealing. Some might be negatives. Some might be boring.

Even the so-called “reality” shows on TV are highly edited. (Indeed, to me, “Survivor” is the best-edited show in television history. An editor’s clinic, really. Think about it: they shoot 24/7 to get one hour—and that’s with commercials.)

I’d sum it up this way: Anytime you’re on the air, the door is open, but remember, it’s a door to an entertainer’s life; not a door to an accountant’s life. I’ll bet nobody’s ever asked to come over to your house and watch you fill out your tax returns.