Documentary captures the fear factor of public speaking

Dread public speaking? You are not alone. In fact, it is the world’s leading fear. It stands to reason, then, in the age of reality shows and celluloid competition, that it would not be long before someone would document a public-speaking competition on film.

PAUL GALICHIA, who graduated from Stanford in 1996, and fellow filmmaker BRIAN WEIDLING created a documentary simply called Speak, which follows contestants in a national competition sponsored by Toastmasters International, a speaking and leadership organization.

In an interview in Stanford magazine, writer Sam Scott interviews Galichia about the process of making the film, how to stay neutral during the competition despite the inspiration and heartbreak that comes with being up close and personal.

“My producing partner heard a story about a woman who was very shy and who couldn’t look anyone in the eye and who volunteered to give a speech in front of all these executives at American Express, where she worked. A couple of months went by and all these people she worked with were like, ‘Oh, God, this is going to be a disaster, she can’t even talk to us,’” Galichia said.

“And the woman went up there and she did a great job and ended up getting a promotion. They asked her, ‘How did you do that? Because two months ago you couldn’t even talk at a meeting,’ she said, ‘I joined Toastmasters.’

“We just started showing up to [Toastmasters International] meetings and filming and then we heard about the World Championships and so we just decided to go for it.”

Read the full story online on the Stanford magazine website.