Best Practices for Recording Video

On your phone

  • ALWAYS shoot video horizontally, NOT vertically. 

phone holding

  • Try to use a background that is clean and uncluttered. 
  • Be sure your battery is charged and you have enough memory to finish your recording.                                  
  • If you’re holding the phone in your hand, try and hold it so that the crook of your elbow can’t be seen in the shot. 
  • Make sure to leave room between the top of your head and the top of the screen. 

screen position

  • The bottom of your screen should be around your third shirt button, or the base of your zipper on a quarter-zip top, or the bottom of the placket on a polo shirt. 
  • Keep the phone between you and your primary source of light.

light source

  • If you’re outside, stay away from windy areas. 
  • If using a wireless microphone, put it inside your outermost layer of clothing to cut down on wind noise.
  • Wait two or three seconds to start talking after you begin recording.
  • Remember to look at the camera, not at the screen.
  • Hold still for two or three seconds after you stop talking, and then end the recording. 
  • Test your recording before uploading to make sure the audio and video are good. 

On Zoom

  • Be sure you have enabled recording in your Zoom settings.  
  • Try to use a background that is clean and uncluttered 
  • Don’t sit closer than 2 feet away or further than 3.5 feet away from your webcam.
  • In your Zoom settings, make sure your video settings have these boxes checked: Camera: 16:9 Widescreen, My Video: both "HD video" and "Touch up my appearance".
  • Keep the webcam between you and your primary source of light.

light source

  • Frame yourself so that the top of your head is visible, and the fourth button down on a shirt would be, too. 

screen position

  • Wait two or three seconds to start talking after you begin recording. 
  • Remember to look at the camera, not at the screen. 
  • Hold still for two or three seconds after you stop talking, and then end the recording. 
  • When you end your Zoom meeting and the video is done processing, it will pop up in a folder, likely titled zoom_0. This is the file you want to keep. You can rename it for easier reference. 
  • Test your recording before uploading to make sure the audio and video are good.
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