As we are all staying safe at home for the foreseeable future, online video calls, or video recording from home may become the norm. But how can we upgrade that video and sound quality to make the experience more enjoyable? Watch the video below to find out.
1 Lighting is everything
Sit near a window, facing a natural source of light for the best lighting. If it’s the evening, turn all the lights on!
2 Use your best camera
It doesn't matter who’s got the best phone or digital camera, ask ahead of time to make sure you can use it. Sometimes borrowing someone else’s stuff can make a huge difference in filming in challenging conditions.
3 Clean the lens
For smart phone in particular, give the lens a quick clean with a safe cloth - you’d be amazed how much difference this can make.
4 Shoot in landscape
There’s nothing worse than portrait-style video for viewing on YouTube or on a laptop. Be considerate to other users and secure your phone in a landscape position.
5 Get the best angle
Get that camera off the desk! Either locate a tripod, or stack some books. Whatever it takes, try to get the lens as close to eye-level as possible.
6 Get multiple angles
If you’ve got a tech guy putting your footage into a sequence - you can try filming two angles simultaneously. It’s a quick way to give a professional look to your footage when they’re synced-up together.
7 Keep it steady
As I mentioned before, tripods are an essential bit of equipment. Unless you’re doing a guided tour of your home, your viewers will appreciate a steady shot. So either ask someone to film you, or attach your camera/phone to something steady. Also, turn off the vibrate function to avoid any nasty surprises…
8 Any mic is better than no mic
If you don’t have access to a separate mic (recommended), then you can always use earphone-microphones, and record the audio separately (most phones have built in apps to do this). Your sound guy/girl can layer this up in post production.
9 Speak up
Don’t whisper, let the world hear your message!
10 Test everything
Finally, check your footage, the whole way through, and shoot again if you have to. Test everything and don’t stop until you’ve got something you’re proud of.
If you’ve got any questions, get in touch with Matt:
