These are some simple tricks to ensure that the video you are creating will be of an acceptable quality for publishing. I am not an expert, but I have come to these conclusions from experience. I realize that these simple tactics are often the most neglected in the harder to watch videos. With these tactics, your video will be more credible and professional.
How To Record
- Landscape Mode:
Assuming you will be using your smart phone for recording, please make sure your recording in Landscape Mode as opposed to holding your phone vertically. Landscape Mode is simply turning your phone horizontally. By recording in this way, you ensure that your video will fill the whole screen of the viewer. By shooting with your phone vertically, your video will not fit most screens, and only fill a phones screen if it is being held vertically.
- MP4 File type – NOT .MOV:
Do not record with an I-phone, or if you must, please make sure your settings are adjusted to not save your recording in an .MOV file type. the .MOV file type is the standard video file type for Apple products, which makes the video file you save as such unsupported by any other software or device, and therefore unusable. Please make sure your I-phone is set to save the video in MP4 or some other file type other than .MOV or use another device.
- Stability:
Please be sure to keep your camera stationary. Avoid holding your camera in your hands as you record, because the motion is distracting for the viewer. Try placing your camera in front of you on something still and stable. Be sure that your camera is level too.
- Background:
Please do your best to avoid a lot of motion and clutter in the background of your video, unless that is what you are intentionally going for. Try for a stationary background without a lot of activity happening around you. Look for a clean background like up against a wall, corner, or other setting that does not have a lot going on. This encourages the viewers focus to be on the recording target instead of being distracted by the background.
- Framing:
Please be sure that you are (or your recording target is) well placed within the video. Whether you want to be centered or not, you will at least want to make sure you are positioned in a way that accomplishes the right view of you or your target. It is all too often that we see videos of people with their heads cut off and a really great view of their ceiling, or we can see more of their wall/background than we can see of them!
- Noise & Sound:
Please make sure that there is no (or at least very limited) background noise while recording. Remember, if you can hear it while you are recording, than so can your camera. That background noise will be very distracting for the viewer later.
Also, you may have to do some troubleshooting to ensure your camera records your voice and other desired sounds well. Depending on the setting, your voice may come out loud and clear, or muffled and distant.
- Lighting:
For the best image quality, make sure you have most of your lighting in the front of you shining on you. If most of your light is coming from the side or behind you, it will create at least a partial silhouette. It may take some troubleshooting to make sure your lighting is sufficient, so be patient. It is worth it!
Ready, Set, GO!
Once you are all set up and ready to go, I encourage you to take a quick test video. Jump in front of your camera set up and do a few seconds of talking and moving around. Then check your test video to see if it looks and sounds acceptable, and adjust as needed. A test run of your recording will ensure you do not waste any time later. It can be so frustrating to run though a recording just to watch it later and discover that you need to re-record due to quality issues!
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