How to add a little silliness into video conference calls during the Shelter-in-Place Order?

The global Coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to change the way they communicate on a daily basis. As more and more states institute stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, more and more people have made the switch from in-person meetings to video conference calls to maintain day-to-day work and productivity. But wait, these are not your regular old meetings that many teams are experiencing to improve communication in today's new reality. There is new trend as a way to add some fun into the mix — by changing and customizing your background that ranges from "classy" to "silly" and everything in between.

But first, let’s back up: Zoom, the video conferencing platform that is exploding in use while many companies work from home during the coronavirus crisis, has helped teams such as Alation collaborate and stay connected. One of its useful features offers an option to give yourself a green-screen-style background that other users see instead of your actual setting. Some people use the virtual backgrounds as a way to avoid having to let others see their actual living spaces, while others are using them as a way to inject some fun into what might be an otherwise monotonous meeting.

As schools remain closed and students continue distance learning through the rest of the school year, teachers and professors are getting in on the trend too, inserting the backgrounds into their remote lectures—both live and pre-recorded. Some are using the backgrounds to give the look and feel of a real classroom, while others are going for comedic effect with out-of-the-box settings.

Many people are utilizing Zoom because it makes communication so accessible but they are also embracing the virtual backgrounds and filters that can make it look as if they are calling in from the moon or have transformed into a video game character as a way to bring a little levity. Zoom's virtual background feature provides users a wide variety of default backgrounds to choose from and it comes loaded with options such as the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and scenes from outer space.

The Zoom virtual background feature is also customizable where users can create backdrops that make it appear that you are in a pineapple under the sea with "SpongeBob SquarePants" or in an episode of “Bob’s Burgers” or with the crew of "Star Trek" or even in a scene of “Star Wars”. The options are virtually limitless.

The next time you are in a Zoom meeting, follow these steps to change your background: 

Change your Zoom background on the desktop app 

1. In the Zoom app, click your profile in the top right corner, and click Settings. 
2. On the menu to the left, click Virtual Background. 
3. You'll see a few default background options provided by Zoom, including San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, blades of grass or an outer space scene. You can choose one of those by clicking on it, and it will automatically change your screen as well. There's also an option for if you have a green screen and want to use that. 
4. If you want to upload a photo to use as your background, on the same Virtual Background Page, click the + icon next to where it says Choose Virtual Background. A box will pop up allowing you to upload a photo from your computer. Click on the option you want, and it will appear alongside the other pictures as an option for you to choose from.
5. To get rid of any photos that you uploaded, tap the X in their top left corner. 

Change your Zoom background on the mobile app 

1. When you log into your account and join a meeting, tap the three dots at the bottom right of the screen to open the More menu. 
2. Tap Virtual Background. 
3. Select a background from the default options, or upload your own. 

Do you have an upcoming Zoom call? If so, it is time to get creative and try changing your virtual background for your next team meeting. The coronavirus has forced us to rethink the way we work together but this cool feature makes for a fun way to express yourself or just an innovative way to hide the cluttered room behind you - have fun and show off your individuality. 

What creative ways have you used the Zoom’s virtual background feature? I’d love to see your (Rated G) inspirations that you've come up with! 

Edward Avila is the Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Alation, a startup that is the pioneer and leader of the Machine Learning Data Catalog market. To learn more about our global job opportunities like nowhere else, please click here www.alation.com/careers.