CAMERA
Adjust your laptop/computer/phone so that the camera lens is at your eye level or above
Adjust your laptop/computer/phone so that the camera lens is at your eye level or above
This will make you look more natural and more how people are used to seeing you. Do whatever you can. Stack books, use stable furniture, use tape, turn the living room upside down.
Other tips
Try not to go closer than a metre to the camera. Keeping some distance looks more natural. Webcam / phone lenses are wide angle lenses so the closer you go the more distorted your face is.
Where to look? Normally when we video chat we look at the other person’s face or the screen. This is ok for one-to-one conversations that aren’t being recorded. However, for an audience, it’s actually a lot more engaging if you can look into the camera. This means the audience feels you are communicating directly to them.
If you feel comfortable looking into the lens, great! If not :
I suggest practicing on your own and getting used to it. You could place a little bit of coloured tape next to the lens to remind you where to look
OR if you find it too weird, try shrinking down the video chat window of the person you are speaking to and drag up or down to sit as close as possible to your camera.
A quick tip on framing -
Try to keep your head taking up the top third of the screen and shoulders/arms the bottom two-thirds. Keep a little bit of space above your head and the top of the image. Not too much.
- A fist size length is a good guide.
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LIGHTING
Place light sources in front of you & behind the camera. This can be a lamp or two, or soft window light. If it’s a super bright sunny day, I recommend closing the curtains to avoid any sudden changes in light and using lamps or other lights as your source.
For a more flattering look, also place the light sources well above your eye-line with a 1-2 metre distance in front of you, and out to the left or right. ( ie. not direct into your face - but still bright enough that you’re lit up! )
BACKGROUND
To keep people focused on you and not exploring your home, keep the background tidy and simple.
Avoid using very bright back-grounds ( like windows ) as this will under-expose the web-cam and make your face darker..
SOUND
Turn off any air conditioning / heat pumps / dishwashers, washing machines, TV’s and phones (on silent). Close windows. This will help the little computer microphones make your voice stand out clearer.
Ideally find a room that is "dead" ( has furniture in it ) and not loud & echoey.
If you have a separate microphone, do a test before any recording to make sure the level is strong and clear (without overloading/distorting) Count 1 - 10 using your on-camera speaking voice.
The closer you can set your microphone up to you the better. ( without blocking your face)
That's it for now.
Hope you found this document helpful. Any comments/feedback/suggestions welcomed.
MORE: These short and helpful videos offer more tips and in greater depth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMex-9FyljU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQwanxQmFnc
Help with editing -
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