Budget Ids

Budget Ideas (Instructional Design, E-Learning and things I love)

DIY Video Set Up

If you’re trying to set up to film for classroom instruction, use a conference room.

  • Set up a backdrop – use a solid color background. You can purchase seamless paper from a photography store. Grey is a great color, but you can get any color you want. Savage Paper is a great supplier.
    • Can put it on a stand or cut out and tape to wall.
  • Use studio lights, block as much outside light as you can by turning out overhead lights, they cause shadows on the face. Bring in video light.
  • Shooting in empty room causes echo. Deaden up the room. You want to dampen the sound.

IPhone

  • Grab an app that lets you control your camera better and lock things like focus, white balance and exposure. A good app is FilMICPro.
  • Use good lighting, like studio lighting if you have it.
  • Record good audio
  • Keeping the camera still, use a tripod
  • Pay attention lighting, audio and framing

Where to put your mic

  • Get the mic as close as can to sound trying to record
  • When it’s too far away, it sounds bad.

Makeshift Teleprompter

  • Use laptop and chair, prop up laptop and zoom in.
  • Break script into short pieces
  • You can also use an IPad with a teleprompter app.
  • Read over many times and talk as if you’re talking to a friend

Lighting

  • Scoop shape light
  • Daylight color balancing CF light bulbs
  • Spring clamps
  • Clothes pins
  • Extension cords
  • Diffusion paper, like wax paper or parchment.
  • Stands
  • Put light above eyeline, so you can get flat light, place about 3ft away from lens.
  • If you’re shooting against a flat background, three lights are necessary.

Ring light

  • Diva ring light, from Stellar Lighting Systems is a good ring light.
  • Used for soft and flat light, removes shadows, creates halo in light, good for interviews, music videos, portable, good to move around, bad for glasses, camera placement difficult because will need to shoot through, it is very bright, harsh on eyes

Lighting for web cam

  • Elevate computer so above eyeline
  • Use a program to help you control some of the lighting, Mac (iglasses)
  • If you have lights, use them. If not and you have a second monitor, turn it on, open word and turn the brightness all the way up. The light will brighten you up.

Scripting Tips

  • Some videos need a script, everything except interviews should be scripted
  • Start with a questionnaire like:
    • What is the point of the video? Why is being made? Who is the target audience? What are the key takeaways from the video? Where will the video be housed?
  • Pass the questionnaire around the office, make sure it gets in front of folks well-versed in the topic/content
  • Find tone of script and good tone of video
  • Create first draft and share and let people review with comments
  • Keep it conversational, avoid buzzwords, it clouds message
  • Use natural sounding phrases
  • Do a table read before shooting, mMess around with inflection

Video length matters

  • Shorter videos are better
  • Break story into pieces, easier to get message across
  • Don’t cram stuff
  • Each video should have it’s own message and concept.
  • Speak in specifics, and make it simple
  • Take more chances with content, live action, screen casts, etc. Find style and change accordingly
  • Easier to produce when smaller

Concepting

  • Focus on one message – too much information can distract viewers
  • Cut the fat! – write down story and cut out what you don’t need
  • Walk before you run – okay to combine, live and screen cast

Tip for speaking

  • Hands out of pocket
  • Shake it up
  • Get loose
  • Smile on face, laugh at mistakes
  • Multiple takes are OK!
  • Encourager
  • Keep it light

Shooting for the edit

  • Rehearse before you record
  • Set camera and find shot, get stablized
  • Add buffer at beginning and end (1…2…3)
  • Mark clips (for good takes), use hand to cover lens so when you go through is good take
  • Shoot b-roll (suppliments master), gives opportunity to show rather than tell, helps with crafting story and deliver a message visually, hide edits, show web cast, people using product, can use second camer
  • Anticipate edit points, break script into one or two sentences at a time.

Music

  • Finding right music is IMPORTANT
  • Can help set tone and audience connection

Shooting on mobile

  • Shutter 1/30 – 1/60, aperture F2.8, manual focus, 50mm worked fine, turn brightness down, shoot at slight angle, mix wide and close shots, set up on tripod, Place It by Breezy, trello

Clothing

  • Wear neutral clothing, nothing busy, sparkling, fancy or stripes.

If you’re interested in more information, view this free course from Wistia video hosting at Udemy online learning.

These are my personal notes and not intended to be used as a training.

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