Her days as an MTV veejay may have been long gone but Denise Keller is still very much a recognisable face on television.
The Singaporean-German TV personality has gone from playing music videos for viewers to leading them on a journey across Asia via Discovery Channel travel shows.
Now, 34-year-old Keller will be taking viewers on a brand new journey to Los Angeles for the Oscars red carpet event on Feb 27 as a social media correspondent for HBO Asia.
In a phone interview from Singapore, Keller tells us that she’s nervous but is not too worried about it.
“I don’t want my nerves to go away because that’s the exciting bit about having an experience. I don’t look at it as something bad. It keeps you on your toes, on your edge. I love that feeling. It’s a little bit of adrenaline. You get butterflies. Your palms are sweaty. But whatever you do, don’t lose your cool,” she says.
1. How are you preparing for your red carpet assignment?
I’ve had experience on the red carpet before when I was a veejay so I know things can get crazy on the red carpet. You don’t know what to anticipate.
So, just keep calm and be on standby with your questions. It would be a highlight to get all the nominees, like, hello Ryan Gosling!
Then again, this is also an event for everyone and anyone in Hollywood … so you don’t know what kind of gems you’d get.
2. Back when you were hosting, you’d take requests from viewers who sent in nice artworks. Now, if people want a music video, they just go online. Was it easy for you to get used to social media as part of your TV job?
I was definitely raised in the traditional sense of TV viewing. Back then as a veejay, we used to get everything by snail mail.
Then we started playing around with social media and that kind of happened when I was in my last year as a veejay. I didn’t know which direction the next generation was going into.
I’m not against social media. But when I first learned about it, I was a little bit afraid. Everything is out there. A lot of it can be augmented and filtered.
How do you retain that authenticity and integrity in your messaging? I think it’s a battle for everyone. Plus the technical know-hows of what millennials are doing. There are so many things to learn!
Instead of making myself feel anxious about it, I prefer to shift and keep an open mind. Like, not be too serious about it.
As Meryl Streep said, take your work seriously and allow yourself to have fun at the same time.
3. I like how your Instagram (@denisekellerofficial) is filled with Oscar trivia and you even raved about Titanic. What social media updates can people expect from you at the Oscars?
Because I’m new to this experience as well, my treatment would be giving people a window to my journey.
I’ll be flying to LA a bit earlier, so, people will get what it’s like as if they are coming to LA with me.
I also choose to post about movies and (past) winners that mean something to me. I do so with hopes that I could connect with my audience on a personal level as well.
4. Of course, everyone wants to know what you’ll be wearing. So, how do you decide on something that will make you stand out, look glamorous and be comfortable at the same time?
I’m not the star of the red carpet … though I wish (I was)! I’m just going to be parked there for a few hours.
I remember when I did the red carpet for a music award, I thought I’d look really cool in this dress and that heels. Then, I couldn’t feel my ankle two hours later. So, yes, the trick is to find the balance between looking glamorous and being comfortable.
I just did the second fitting for my dress. I decided to go with an Asian designer. It’s somebody that I’ve raved about. I think this person is up-and-coming. I like unsung heroes. So, when they become famous, I can say I wore it first (laughs).
5. If you could be a presenter at the Oscars, who would you like to have as a fellow presenter?
Hang on, let me brain scan… Benicio Del Toro! I love his look.
I’ll be drooling all over him and say nothing so he could just talk all day long.
Follow Denise Keller on her journey to the 89th Academy Awards ceremony by checking out http://ift.tt/1sy6d6A or Instagram @hbo_asia.
