MediaSpace: Optimizing Online Video Capture: Best Practices for Microphone, Webcam, and Lighting Setup

Step-by-Step Guide to Best Practices for Screen Recording Lectures and Demos

Creating high-quality screen recordings for lectures and demos using MediaSpace tools involves paying attention to several best practices related to lighting, audio, and video/camera use. Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to help you achieve professional results:

Prepare Yourself

1. Apparel
   • Dress in solid colors that contrast with your background.
   • Avoid overt non-Mines logos, stripes, checked patterns, or green apparel if you are using a green screen.

Set Up Your Recording Environment

2. Choose a Quiet Space:
   • Select a quiet room to minimize background noise.
   • Place a note on your door or inform others in your department or household that you are recording to avoid interruptions.
   • If you work on campus and do not have a private office, consider reserving a meeting / conference room within your building.
3. Organize Your Space:
   • Ensure your workspace is clean and clutter-free.
   • Position your materials and equipment so they are easily accessible during the recording.
4. Background Contents
   • Avoid featuring non-Mines brands, logos, products, or trademarks within your recordings unless they are specifically related to your content.
   • Avoid featuring content that could reasonably be considered offensive.
   • Remove sensitive information from your backgrounds such as graded papers, posters with private Mines data, etc.

Optimize Lighting

5. Use Natural Light When Possible:
   • Position yourself facing a window to utilize natural light. Avoid having the window behind you to prevent unbalanced backlighting.
     
6. Supplement with Artificial Lighting:
   • Use soft, diffused lighting to avoid harsh shadows. Ring lights or softbox lights are excellent choices.
   • Position lights straight-on if you own a ring light or at 45-degree angles to the left and right of your face if you own a pair of lights.
     
   • Desk lamps work well if you're on a budget but reasonably priced lights can be purchased that are designed specifically for video recording.
     • Search for terms such as, "recording lights", "video lights", "Zoom lights" etc. on your preferred electronics retail websites.
7. Avoid Overhead Lighting:
   • Overhead lights can cast unflattering shadows on your face. Use side lighting to enhance your appearance.

Set Up Your Camera

8. Position Your Camera at Eye Level:
   • Place your webcam or camera at eye level to create a natural and engaging perspective. Use a tripod or stack books to elevate your laptop if needed.
     
   • Ensure the camera is stable to avoid shaky footage.
9. Frame Yourself Correctly:
   • Position yourself in the center of the frame with your eyes about one-third from the top of the screen.
   • Leave enough space within the shot so that you can speak and gesture naturally while staying in the camera frame.
10. Check Background:
    • Ensure your background is not distracting. A plain or professional-looking background works best.
    • Consider using a virtual background if your recording software supports it and your actual background is cluttered.
11. Camera Resolution
    • Set your camera's resolution to the highest quality possible:  Ideally 1080p (1920 x 1080). 720p (1280 x 720) is also acceptable. 
      

Ensure High-Quality Audio

12. Use an External Microphone:
    • External microphones (USB or lapel mics) provide better audio quality than built-in computer microphones.
    • Position the microphone close to your mouth.
      
13. Test Audio Levels:
    • Perform a sound check before recording to ensure your audio levels are appropriate. Speak clearly and at a consistent volume.  You may need to adjust your microphone levels or adjust your microphone placement.
14. Minimize Background Noise:
    • Close windows and doors to block out external sounds.
    • Turn off noisy appliances like fans, air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. during recording.
    • Silence your cell phone and other personal devices so that notification chimes are not heard during your recording.

Prepare Your Screen and Content

15. Organize Your Desktop:
    • Close unnecessary applications and browser tabs to avoid distractions and improve performance.
    • Set Microsoft Teams to Do Not Disturb mode so that notifications and messages so not pop up in the lower right corner of your screen during recording.
      
    • Arrange your presentation materials in an orderly manner for easy access during the recording.
16. Use High-Resolution Settings:
    • Set your screen resolution to the highest setting your monitor supports to ensure clear, crisp visuals.
    • Zoom in on important content to make it easily readable for viewers.

Recording Best Practices

17. Plan Your Recording:
    • Outline your lecture or demo to stay organized and ensure you cover all key points.
    • Practice your presentation to improve your delivery and timing.
18. Record in Short Segments:
    • Record in shorter segments rather than one long session. This makes it easier to edit and re-record sections if needed.
    • Pause and resume recording as necessary to maintain a smooth flow.
19. Engage with Your Audience:
    • Speak directly to the camera as if you were talking to your audience.
    • Maintain a conversational tone to keep viewers engaged.
20. Use Visual Aids:
    • Incorporate slides, diagrams, or other visual aids to enhance your presentation.
    • Use annotation tools in Kaltura Capture to highlight important points on the screen.

Edit and Review

21. Edit Your Recording:
    • Use MediaSpace’s editing tools to trim unwanted sections.
    • Ensure your video is concise and focused on the key learning objectives.
22. Review the Final Product:
    • Watch the entire recording to check for audio-visual quality, clarity, and content accuracy.
    • Make any necessary adjustments before publishing.
23. Captions & Media
    • Add captions, and include any additional media.

Upload and Share

23. Upload to MediaSpace:
    • Follow the steps to upload your recording to MediaSpace.
    • Add appropriate metadata such as title, description, and tags to make your video easily searchable.
24. Share with Your Audience:
    • Use the sharing or embedding options provided by MediaSpace to distribute your video to your audience.
    • Provide any additional resources or materials to complement your video content.

By following these best practices, you can create high-quality screen recordings for lectures and demos that are engaging, professional, and effective.