Rose Tirotta, Ed.D., Associate Director of Teaching Excellence

Video has been a constant part of our lives for over a year now, and being on camera for many hours throughout the day can be stressful! Here are some tips for synchronous sessions or recorded mini-lectures to improve video quality without purchasing expensive equipment. 

Computer Tips:

• Raise your webcam/laptop to eye level when recording. You can use books, an empty box, or anything else that gives it a little extra height. 
• Keep your webcam/laptop about an arm’s length away from you when you record so you are not too close or too far from your camera. 
• In Zoom, go to Preferences > Video and check off: HD (to improve video quality) and Touch up my appearance (to soften your video).

Your Surroundings:

• Try to place yourself in front of a neat background that is not distracting. While you want to keep it neat, try not to use a blank white wall. 
• If you prefer to use the Zoom background option, try to choose one that is static and not distracting. Zoom now has a blur option (try updating Zoom if you do not see it on your list of virtual backgrounds). 
• Sit (or stand) with the light in front of you (not behind!) 
• Try to use a room without (too much) ambient noise. 

Before the Session or Recording:

• Test out everything! Record a segment so you can hear the audio as well. 

During the Session or Recording:

• Look into the camera
• Use a headphone (with a microphone if you have one!) 
• Speak clearly and naturally
• Don’t worry about small mistakes! 

A few other questions to keep in mind if you are recording mini-lectures:

• Where do you want to segment your videos? Keep them short so students can easily find the topic they would like to rewatch.
• Do you need to be on camera? If you are sharing your screen, think about whether or not you need to be on camera the whole time. 
• Do you need a script? Scripts are helpful not only to plan what you need to say, but can also be used as transcripts afterwards. 
• Sigh…I’m tired! Don’t record too much at one time! You want to have a good energy level for all videos so…take a break! 

Being on Zoom synchronously all day can be exhausting as well! Be sure to schedule breaks! Also, watching yourself can be emotionally draining! If you can’t turn your camera off, you can turn off your video on your own screen while still being visible to the other participants. 

Do you have any other tips? Leave a comment! Or, if you would like to chat further, email us to set up a consultation.

References

DailyCandy Video. (2012, November 15). How to Look Good on a Webcam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMex-9FyljU&feature=youtu.be 

educause. (2020, July 24). Make Super Simple Videos for Teaching Online. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfhRpfUi9GY

LLmediaVideo. (2012, February 28). Video Tips: Using Your Webcam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr5tHm040C4&feature=youtu.be

Putting Your Best Self Forward: 6 Keys For Filming Quality Videos. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2021/2/putting-your-best-self-forward-6-keys-for-filming-quality-videos