Ever since I started volunteering as Emcee, I've developed this habit of keenly observing other MC's to learn how I can keep improving my craft. Since I've never had any formal training, what I like to do is learn from the best MC's: see what they do differently, and extract some inspirations and ideas of how I can adapt some of those techniques to improve - in the spirit of embracing the "Worthy Rival" concept from Simon Sinek's book Infinite Game.
So, whenever I attend formal events, I keep my eyes peeled for any particular MC's that stand out or excel.
To my pleasant surprise, this was one of them - Azmal from PCFK, emcee for the closing ceremony for Majlis Tilawah Al-Qur'an (MTAQ) PETRONAS on 1st December 2022.
Breaking it down, here are five aspects & traits of what I observed of why he stands out:
1. Cool Demeanor 😎
he has a very subtle, soft-spoken and calm manner of speech, but never monotonous or boring. What's interesting to note here is that he doesn't have the loud, bombastic tone of a TV personality or talk show host (which is what we typically think of when we think about "good Emcee"), but in spite of his subtle demeanor he speaks with an underlying confidence and still bringing a commanding presence.
For new MCs, If you really need to prioritize, this alone is good enough. Don't need to insert corny jokes or cheesy dialogue for mediocre fillers - Just say your lines well with passion and confidence. Sometimes it's better to be "average but effective" rather than having lame jokes backfire and people remembering you for all the wrong reasons.
So, he nails the basics. But of course, there's more..
2. Courage to intervene 💪🏼
This was the first thing that caught my attention. When one of the speakers - Fakhrul from UNIC - made a mistake in his speech (bacaan mad "2 rakaat"), the MC immediately intervened saying "2 harkat, ustaz", then the speaker - and everyone else - broke into laughter.
I looked at my wife and be like, "whoa.. Selambe je MC tegur penceramah" 😂.
It was a rare sight.. Most of us feel shy to speak up and correct others, and sometimes we feel inferior or disrespectful.. But actually when we do so tactfully, it elevates the whole gathering and gives it a sense of engagement and interactivity.
3. Humor done right 🤣
Uplifting others + self-deprecating humor
When little 8-year old Ainul Mardhiah won first place in her children's hafazan category, the MC said, "Masha Allah.. Hebat adik ni. Anak saya besar ni, nak hafal lagu Omar dan Hana pun tak lepas".
When announcing the winners for Quiz, he shared, "Masha Allah, hebat depa ni. Buat pengetahuan tuan2 dan puan2, saya ni pun pernah satu ketika jadi peserta kuiz. (pauses) Tapi saya kalah lah." (pause for the anticlimax plot twist to sink in, for comedic effect, then proceeds announce winners)
But the one that caught me off-guard the most, was when he announced prizes for hafazan dewasa category (my category). When he announced my name as the winner for 3rd place, just as I was about to receive my prize, he said something like, "satu-satunya peserta yang janggutnya lagi besar daripada janggut saya" 🧔🏻🤣.. I burst out laughing at the moment. Brilliant comedic timing, as if he was timing it just right for the photo.
I made an observation of what he was doing here: good old-fashioned self-depracating humor, while uplifting others. It's a technique that gets the audiences to laugh WITH you, while simultaneously making you more likeable AND interestingly enough, appear more confident, as you clearly don't mind poking fun at yourself.
🚫 Speaking about humor, what is worth observing is what he DOESN'T do.
One of the things I appreciate is that unlike other MCs, he doesn't make corny condescending jokes, sarcasm, self-promotion, pretentious pseudo-Praises, or too many pop-culture references that isolate audiences. This is a dangerous trap MCs need to avoid falling into lest we risk isolating or offending audiences.
The philosophy of humor should be: complement, don't compete. Focus on Enhancing the event, not impressing others.
4. Be present, Stay sharp👂🏼
I observed that a lot of his witty humor was said in context or callbacks to what was said by others in the same ceremony
E.g. "Beza markah dengan naib Johan hanya satu mata.. Silap sikit je. Barangkali kesilapannya tadi macam yang disebut oleh saudara fakhrul tadi, dia silap baca mad 2 rakaat, bukan 2 harkat".
It lended an vibe of cohesiveness, and almost felt like a reward to the participants who were paying attention.
This kind of sharp improvisational wit can only be obtained if you are fully present and listening throughout. A lot of people, what they tend to do is only focus on their part and wait for their cues, whereas the rest of the time they're off drifting away and browsing their phones.
If we want to be sharp and develop quick and nimble conversational ability to be making witty banters, we need to develop the habit of active listening by being fully present.
5. The sniper / "ninja" approach 👤
Overall, despite his effective humor, he actually uses it quite sparingly. For the most part, over 90% of the time, he plays the role of a solid MC. But when you least expect it - BAM - the sniper comes in with a bullseye, catching us totally off-guard like a ninja. That's what I think he does well. Despite his sharp wit and humor, as the MC, he never dominates or becomes a distraction to the ceremony or steal the show.
But when the punchline comes in, he delivers! 💥
At the end of the day, this is the fundamental role of the emcee: to effectively carry the event from.
enhance the ceremony, elevate it, bring out more from what would otherwise could have been pretty mundane proceedings.
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