Lecture Capture at the FMC

Place Your Camera at Eye Level or Slightly above Eye Level

Placing your camera at this level, will make it feel more natural for you to look into the camera. This will give the students the feel that you are looking at them, making it more engaging. It is also more flattering for your camera to be at this position, so as not to be looking at you from under your chin.

Pay Attention to Your Background

Zoom does have the option to use a virtual background. However, if you cannot do this or are using Panopto, you want to make sure that your background is clutter free. Remove any items that could be distracting or that you don’t want anyone seeing. The more simple it is, the better it is to keep the focus on you.

Lighting is Key

Natural light is always best if possible. You want to make sure that the light is in front of you, as not to create any harsh shadows on your face. Never sit in front of a window because the light will be too bright and will darken you and your room. If there is no natural lighting, making sure to have lighting that illuminates your face and that there is a background light of some kind to give your room some lighting.

Check out this video from CDL Video with helpful tips for lighting, camera placement, and more.

Check Computer Desktop

Since you will be recording your desktop, it’s best to make sure that you don’t have any information on your desktop that is sensitive or private. You can create a folder on your desktop to keep everything.

Repeat Questions

Because some of your students will not be physically in class, it’s important to always repeat questions or any pertinent dialogue spoken in class. It can be frustrating not to be able to hear information spoken in class.

Be Aware of Your Microphone

While some classrooms may have a mic to clip onto your shirt, others will have a mic that sits on the desk. If you are recording with one of these mics, be aware that you do not want to stray too far from the desk so that your voice can be heard loud and clear from students online.

Be Aware of Camera Field

You want to be familiar with how wide of a view the camera shows. This is mostly important for anyone that walks around while teaching. It’s important to do your best to stay on camera for better engagement with students.

Don’t Use Whiteboards

With live video lectures and recordings in a classroom, it’s best to try and use the computer or doc cam. Anything on a whiteboard is not easily captured from a camera, therefore online students will not be able to see what is written.