Camera and lighting for video interviews.

By the Ace Coach team · Updated October 2026

Why setup matters

Before you say a word, the interviewer sees your face and hears your voice through whatever your setup gives them. A dark face, a camera pointing up from the desk or an echoey room won't decide the interview, but it makes you harder to connect with. Most of it takes ten minutes and no new equipment to fix.

Camera: at eye level, an arm's length away

• Raise the laptop. Put the lens level with your eyes. A stack of books works fine.
• Sit back. About an arm's length away, your head and shoulders fill the frame with a little space above your head.
• Center yourself. Your eyes should sit about a third of the way down the frame.
• Wipe the lens. Laptop cameras collect fingerprints, and a smudge makes everything look soft.

Light: in front of you, not behind

• Face a window. Soft daylight from in front of you is the most flattering light you have.
• Avoid a bright window behind you. The camera exposes for the bright background and turns your face into a silhouette.
• Add a lamp after dark. Put it behind your screen and aim it at the wall or ceiling so the light is soft and even.
• Watch the overhead light. A ceiling light alone can cast shadows under your eyes. Balance it with a lamp in front of you.

Background: simple and tidy

A plain wall or a tidy shelf is ideal. Remove anything moving or distracting. Virtual backgrounds can blur the edges of your head and hands when you move, so a real, neat background usually looks better.

Sound: closer is better

• Get the mic close. Wired earbuds with a mic or a dedicated microphone beat a laptop mic across the desk. The farther the mic is from your mouth, the more the room echoes.
• Pick a soft room. Curtains, a rug and a couch absorb echo. A bare kitchen doesn't.
• Silence everything else. Close other apps and turn off notifications. A ping in the middle of your answer distracts you both.

Run a test the day before

Make a short recording with the exact app and room you'll use, at the same time of day as the interview, because daylight changes a lot. Play it back and check that your face is bright and even, your eyes are near the top third of the frame and your voice is clear without echo. Fix one thing at a time and record again.

Once the setup is right, the next thing to work on is where you look. See how to make eye contact on video calls.

Your voice matters as much as your picture. Record a practice answer and run the transcript through the filler word counter while you're at it.

Ace Coach checks your camera height, light, framing and mic as part of every practice session, so you can fix them long before the real call.