Dazzled by Jane Harvey-Berrick Page A

girly than usual. I wondered if mascara was appropriate for media training and figured in for a penny, in for a pound. It felt weird wearing makeup in the daytime.
    By the time Miles returned, I was feeling as tense as he looked, but I tried very hard to act chilled. I ran down and jumped into the back of the car. Thankfully, Miles wasn’t driving.
    “How was the lesson?”
    “Okay, I guess. I’ve done nearly all the practice hours and I’ve watched Drivers’ Ed videos and that. The learner’s permit should be here any day.” He sighed. “It’s pretty easy driving out here, I think. Compared to London anyway.”
    The instructor raised a plucked eyebrow and glared at me in the rear view mirror.
    I didn’t know what to say to that, having never bothered about driving. Even if I bought a car for a few hundred quid, I couldn’t possibly afford the insurance.
    The driving instructor smiled insincerely and dropped us at the offices of Lemon Inc. Time to find out what media training was all about.

    Miles

    “Hi! My name is Gayl Lemon and I’m here to show you how to do awesome interviews! Yay!”
    Next to me, Clare stifled a laugh and suddenly I was glad she was here after all. The studio had sent three other actors on the course and there were some money types in suits. Altogether there were eight of us, including Clare.
    Ms Lemon was pencil thin and wearing the kind of pale green power suit that I thought went out with Jackie Kennedy. Although apparently not. It looked a bit odd. Her face said forty, but her hands said sixty.
    “You’ll learn the art of meeting the press: how to talk to reporters and to give them what they want, including sound bites; we’ll practice different kinds of interviews, including junkets with multiple questioners; on- and off-the-record comments; and for those of you in the moviemaking business, how to handle the Red Carpet.”
    She said ‘red carpet’ in a way that clearly demanded Capital Letters.
    “We’ll start with some basic principles: firstly, and most importantly – prepare, prepare, prepare. Don’t wing it, people, even if it’s a subject you know well – and don’t assume an audience will know the subject at all. Practice those sound bites. Now, you might get someone trying to provoke a reaction out of you: well, make sure you set the tone. Don’t vary your message because the questions are hostile or provocative. Decide what you want to communicate – and keep that in mind throughout an interview. If questions don’t lead you there immediately, take a detour in your answers – this is what we call ‘bridging’. And golden rule time, people: nothing is 100% off the record. Ever.”
    By this time, Clare’s eyes were as round as billiard balls and I could see her glancing at me anxiously. I knew why – she thought I couldn’t hack it. That really pissed me off, especially because I knew she was right. How the hell was I going to learn all this corporate bullshit?
    “Okay, lovely people: media training 101. When dealing with journalists – and this fact is true for the general public, too – try to use their names once in every sentence. It makes them feel special. Always remember to ask at least one question about them. For example, if they’re wearing a wedding ring, ask how long they’ve been married. If they mention they’re a mommy or a daddy, ask their child’s age or name. And never, ever underestimate the value of a compliment. Everyone loves a compliment, and if you’re the one handing it out… everyone’s going to love you. Make them feel good about you.”
    This was so un-British. I knew if someone gave me a compliment I’d just try and turn it into a joke. But this was serious. Gayl was serious.
    “We’ll start off easy and fun: practice that Red Carpet moment. The four key things you Must Remember about the Red Carpet are: answer every question as if you’ve never heard it before – even when you’re answering for the fiftieth time.