Follow these tips to create a quality recording environment.
- Framing -
- For in-class presentations, ensure that you capture the entire presentation area, including any on-screen slides.
- For teacher observations, position the camera to capture the widest possible classroom area. However, ensure you can still obtain quality audio.
- For self-recording, ensure your head, shoulders, and elbows are within the picture frame. You should allow a little space above your head, below your elbows, and on the sides. This also ensures that your hands are not cut off at the frame edges when you sign.
- Background - If possible, stand in front of a solid-colored background. Note that some cameras do not record bright white backgrounds well. Remove clutter and ensure nothing inappropriate is visible.
- Lighting - Ensure adequate lighting. Particularly, try to have more light in front of you than behind you. Otherwise, your face may be badly shadowed. Household lamps may help if self-recording.
- Clothing and appearance - Wear solid, contrasting, and appropriate clothing. Keep hair away from your face, and lose the gum or candy.
- Audio - Speak from the location where you will be presenting, and check the audio bars in the lower-left corner to ensure you are receiving sufficient audio (green, not red or yellow).
- For self-recording, ensure you sit at an appropriate distance from the camera. Being too close can result in garbled / poor audio.
- For in-class presentations, ensure that presenters project their voices clearly and face the microphone. You may wish to try a remote mic.
- For teacher observations, using a camera such as the Logitech Orbit, designed for room recording, will usually be better than a desktop webcam for audio quality. Alternatively, you can use a remote mic.