Filming & Production
Set dressing
Also called: dressing the set
Everything the camera sees behind the subject is a decision, whether or not anyone made it on purpose. Set dressing is the version where somebody did: the shelf of books, the plant, the lamp that gives the corner of frame some depth. For a talking-head setup, depth does most of the work, so push the background well behind you and let it fall softly out of focus. Choose objects that say something about the channel. Then stop early. A busy background competes with your face at thumbnail size, and on a phone screen everything is tiny anyway.