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Research Guides@Tufts

EE-31 Junior Design

Recording Settings

Prior to recording, review all of the settings in your recording device. Where applicable, change settings to the following recommendations:

  • Recording quality. Before recording video on your phone, check your recording settings. The ideal resolution is 1920x1080. Going lower than this can result in poor quality video and higher can create larger files that may be hard to transfer to another device or edit.  If working with a smartphone, you can adjust your settings:  Apple l Android

  • Space. Make sure you have enough space available for your recordings. If working with a video camera that means making sure you have SD cards with plenty of space.  If working with a smartphone, make sure to clear space on your phone. Check available space on your smartphone: Apple l Android

Recording Techniques

Be intentional. Paying attention to your surroundings, monitoring the volume of your recording, and considering mic placement are all important steps to take when recording quality video regardless of device or application. Below are some techniques to consider prior to recording.

 

Camera Choice

If using a phone with a front and rear facing camera, make sure to select the rear facing camera as the front facing camera usually records lesser quality.

Camera and Mic Placement

If working with a smart phone, you want your video to fill your monitor without black bars on the side. Make sure you are recording with your phone in landscape mode.

 

Know where your mic is and make sure your hands are not covering the microphone.  To prevent shaky images and rustling sounds, place your mic down on a stable surface, e.g. use a mini tripod or make a makeshift support for your phone from paperclips or books.  Make sure the microphone is pointing at the subject.

Types of shots

Consider how far or close your camera will be from the subject and how that impacts your story.   Having a variety of shots will orient your audience to their location in the space.

                            Establishing Shot                            Wide Shot                               Medium Shot                                 Close-up

                      

 

Rule of thirds

Another strategy for creative framing is to divide your frame into thirds. Some devices include this overlay as a feature. This encourages you to pay close attention to where you subject is in the frame. If you are conducting an interview, have your subject sit in location with a visually engaging background.

 

                         

Lighting

Pay attention to your lighting setup.  Setting up near a window can provide great lighting. If you are indoors, set up house lights to create additional lighting in rooms that may be under-lit.

                                                                    Daylight                                                                                   Interior 

                                                            

 

Exposure

Depending on your application and device your ability to control your exposure may vary. The goal is to make sure everything that is in your frame that is important is clearly visible. Make sure your subject isn't sitting in front of a light or window that is extremely bright as this will force your camera to properly expose either your subject or the backdrop.

 

                           Too Dark                                    Good exposure                               Too Bright                                         Backlit        

                                   

https://photographylife.com/underexposure-and-overexposure-in-photography

Focus

Make sure your subject is in focus and that your lens is clean! If your subject is moving, pay attention to how your device is auto-focusing. If possible, lock your focus on your subject by selecting your subject on the screen and holding your finger on them for a few seconds.

Listening

Prior to recording listen to the space. Is the heat on? Are you near a window with heavy traffic?  Quality audio is just as important as good video. Find a space with minimal background noise to minimize undesired background noise.

  • Turn your phone on Airplane mode to avoid text messages and calls interrupting your recording.

  • Record at least 30 seconds of the space without dialog.  This will allow you to continue the presence of the space between edits without having the track drop to silence.

Test test test

After you record a file, play it back and listen through headphones for any interference, check your audio levels and your framing.

Backup

Once you are finished recording, backup your files to Box, Google Drive and/or an external hard drive.  It's never a bad idea to your files stored in two different locations, one location where you are editing and another somewhere else in case you experience damage to equipment or accidental deletion.