All language subtitles for MasterClass LeVar Burton Teaches the Power of Storytelling - 03 Connect With Your Audience

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I never connect
with an audience.

No, I'm kidding.

WOMAN: Oh, good.

I was gonna say, but you
just connected with all of us

and all of us [INAUDIBLE].

[LAUGHS] I try to avoid
people whenever possible.

No.

[LAUGHTER]

What does it mean to
connect with an audience?

What it means to me is
that you are consciously

creating a moment of communion,
that that connection,

your ability to reach out,
right, and draw someone

in with the story you're
telling and with your instrument

literally drawing them
in with everything

you've got, with the words,
with the silence, right?

That's the whole
point of storytelling.

You want to make that
connection with who it is you're

talking to.

When I'm doing
like, say, when I'm

doing a hosting gig
like "Reading Rainbow,"

it was important,
it was necessary,

for me to learn how to
relate to the camera.

Because as an actor,
you're taught never

look at the camera.

Don't look at the camera.

The camera's not there.

But if you're communicating
through the camera lens,

you need to be
comfortable looking down

the barrel of the lens.

And one of the things
that really helped me

in terms of working
for the camera

in delivering a speech
or something like that,

not when I'm doing a character,
a narrative, one of the things

that helped me was to
imagine the face of someone

and talk to one person.

Make that imaginary
connection with one person.

I used to visualize
my son Ward when

I was doing "Reading Rainbow."

And I would address
everything to him.

And in sort of
narrowing my audience

down when talking to the
camera to one person,

it made my task
really digestible.

I could talk to one person.

I can successfully make
contact with one person.

And in doing that, I was
able to speak to thousands.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Now, when you're addressing,
say, a room full of people,

one of the things
that I like to do

is to make eye contact
with different people

in the audience, maintaining
contact with the text.

But when you look up,
look specifically.

Meet eyes with someone
in the audience.

And that's a surefire way to
make sure they're engaged.

Because if the audience
sees you looking at someone,

the thought going
on in their mind is,

he may be looking at me
next, so I want to be there.

I want to be present.

I want to make sure that I'm
able to meet his eyes should

he come to me.

So engagement can take
place on so many levels.

And I think one of the--
the most recognizable,

one of the things we recognize
most as human beings,

is that eye contact.

Just look at people.

Just acknowledge them.

Everybody wants
to be seen, right?

And it's no different when
you're in the audience.

You want to make sure
that they're with you.

And the easiest way
to do that, the best

way to do that, I believe,
is to take their temperature

visually, you know,
and include them.

Make sure that they
feel included in what

it is you're delivering.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

In terms of-- of what it means
to bring a character to life,

it's--

I'd like to think of it
in terms of animation.

The word animation
comes to mind.

You are animating the character.

When you are
realizing a character

or performing a character, you
are literally breathing life

into that inanimate object.

And so one of the most important
things, I think, to remember

is that storytelling
requires energy.

You got to bring energy
to the moment, energy

appropriate to the
character or to the story

or to what it is you're
trying to-- to communicate.

Energy, energy,
energy is important.

You've got to show up in the
moment with enough energy

to make sure that you are able
to tell the story that wants,

that needs to be told.

Don't leave your energy
on the side of the stage.

Don't leave your energy
in the dressing room.

Your energy needs to be
front and center with you

when you take stage.