In the heart, that is.

It is not accepted that the time becomes hectic.
But these days every hour is filled with activities.
All related to the project “The most beautiful people in the world” .
This is because the photo book was recently published and is now being distributed.
And gratefully the press is jumping on the situation.

Yesterday was an interview for a very popular program on National Dutch Radio together with the designer of the book, Mr. Teun van der Heijden.
And today the program “Outlook” of the BBC Worldservice is dedicated to the project “The most beautiful people in the world” with the background story, interviews with participants in China and France, as well as with the pioneering photographer.

This is seen as part of being a photographer who has a mission.
The project “The most beautiful people in the world” is about promoting empathy among the people.
To suggest that a choice can be made in life that betters the personal and communal social environment.
A choice for optimism, positivism and bliss.
To chose to be beautiful.
In the heart, that is.

It is no trouble at all to explain this message in an interview.
In the career many interviews have been experienced and the result is that there is not a feeling anymore of intimidation.
The knowledge that thousands and thousands of people are watching and listening does not make nervous or insecure.

An interview is seen as part of the job.
A professional activity.
It is nothing personal.
Not even the journalist who is mainly the person helping to transmit and promote the message.

Therefore the focus can be very much on how to give the interview.
Because an interview for radio or TV, it goes very, very fast.
Somehow the attention span of the viewer and listener is considered to be very short.
Hence, 10 minutes is seen as a very long time on radio and TV.
The reality is that in total maybe 10 questions are asked and each question can be replied to with max 3 sentences.
It is therefore vital to have very clear, very short but very impressive answers ready.
This is studied beforehand and even written down on a paper put in front during the interview.

A good strategy is also to have on another paper the essential points that want to be made.
Because what the journalist wants to know is not always to the benefit of the message and the project.
The main line is to get people interested in the concept of the project and to make them so curious that they go to the website http://www.themostbeautifulpeople.org.
To see the pictures, read the texts and to order the beautiful photo book.

The interview on Dutch radio yesterday can be heard on:

http://www.radio1.nl/podcasts/31-met-het-oog-op-morgen/feed_items/436783


The interview on “Outlook” of the BBC Worldservice on:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/2010/11/101117_outlook_true_beauty_photos.shtml



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