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Tips for Producing Great Video

Quick tips for successful video

The University of Chicago is a compelling backdrop for just about anything you might want to record. With architecture ranging from gothic gargoyles to modern atriums of glass and light, it is no wonder that campus has been the set for mega budget feature film productions. With some forethought and creativity, any venue on campus can shine. We’ve assembled this guide for event planners to provide some assistance in choosing and arranging rooms with an eye toward capturing high-quality, visually engaging video. While, most of these are not hard, fast rules, they are guidelines we’ve compiled after years of experience recording on campus and will undoubtedly improve the overall outcome of your media.

Room choice

With enough planning, just about any room on campus can yield good video, however, there are certain lecture halls and event rooms on camps that have built-in facilities that improve the aesthetics and/or audio quality of a recording. Furthermore, how a room is arranged and lit will make a significant difference in production values. Here are some guidelines:

Qualities of a video-friendly room:
  • Choose room that fits the expected audience size:
  • if a room is too small, video equipment will be in the way, it will be too warm and generally uncomfortable
  • if the room is too large, an amplification system may be necessary, yet unjustified for a small group. Also, an empty room does not look appealing on video.
  • Use rooms with great lighting that illuminates the speaker’s face without harsh shadows (overhead or natural, avoid both)
  • Look for rooms with acoustic dampeners like carpeting and heavy curtains help soften reverberation
  • Avoid rooms with loud ventilation, hallway or traffic noise.
  • Some rooms have house sound systems that allows for XLR, 1/4” or 1/8” input. This is especially important if there will be more than three speakers who need to have microphones for recording.
  • If PowerPoint presentations will be projected and lights dimmed, individual light control is recommended to keep light bright over the podium.
  • Be sure there will be access to room at least 30 minutes prior to event start time—ideally one hour. Be sure room is not booked too close to start time.
Room recommendations
  • Large groups:
  • International House Auditorium
  • Social Science 122 (do not rely on house sound system for an audio feed to the camera).
  • Max Palevsky Cinema (requires auxiliary lights and WIRED microphones only. Camera should be set in center, first tier walkway.)
  • Law School Auditorium (needs light on podium if PowerPoint is to be used and lights will be low)
  • Biological Sciences rooms (2) *
  • Rockefeller Chapel
  • Bond Chapel (sound system is problematic, must use microphones)
  • SSA Lobby—very important to arrange room with speaker opposite windows.
  • Court Theater
  • SSA 1a (overlooking the midway)
  • Small groups:
  • Classics 110
  • Rosenwald 405
  • Upstairs divinity room*
  • Interviews:
  • Controlled light:
  • University Theater (1st and 3rd floor theaters)
  • Practice room
  • Black Box
  • Stage at Reynolds Club
  • Oriental Inst. Gallery
  • CMIG office studio
  • Natural light:
  • GSB Winter Garden (noise can be an issue)
  • GSB Student Lounge, Study Lounge
  • Social Sciences Tea Room
  • Outdoors: GSB courtyard, Quad, Botany Pond
Rooms to avoid (unless you are supplying lights):
  • I-House homeroom
  • Oriental Inst. Breasted Hall
Some tips for room set-up:
  • If there are windows:
  • Room needs to be oriented so that windows are facing, NEVER behind the speaker
  • Be wary of using a room with windows that will act as the primary light source if the event is scheduled for more that a couple hours and during times of day when the light is likely to change significantly
  • When relying on overhead lights, try to place speaker/podium beneath light source.
  • Minimize all extraneous noise—traffic, ventilation, hallway sounds by closing windows, turning off air conditioning or heat, and even posting signs in the hallway. If the primary door for ingress/egress closes loudly, post someone at the door to help ease it shut quietly.
  • Determine a location for camera set-up that does not block the audience’s view but is close enough for decent framing (less than 30ft from the presenter):
  • Camera location should be as close to center as possible.
  • If camera must be placed off-center, off-set podium in opposite direction so that speaker will look across audience toward camera
  • “Dress the set” by providing a water pitcher and glasses instead of water bottles.
  • Provide a tablecloth to cover folding tables used for panel discussions.
  • Minimize background clutter—the more visual noise, the larger the file size when compressed for web.

* Visit http://rooms.uchicago.edufor a listing of rooms that are available for use on campus.

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Introducer’s role

The introduction is often valuable to capture because it provides context for the lecture or talk and yet, is often missed due to audio problems or timing. Here are some tips to ensure proper recording:

  • Confirm the podium has a working microphone to ensure the talk is amplified (if needed) as well as recorded.
  • Please call the audience’s attention and give a warning that the event is about to begin and then wait 30 seconds or so for recording to start
  • Please ask audience to completely shut off cell phones and pagers as the signal can interfere with wireless microphones even when silenced.
  • Please inform the audience that the lecture/event is being recorded and how it will be made available.
  • Instruct audience how Q&A will be handled.
  • If the event will be recorded and sent to WBEZ for inclusion in Chicago Amplified, introducer will also need to read the statement provided by WBEZ.

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Speaker delivery

There are a few things speakers can to that dramatically affect the overall quality of the recording. While most of them are fairly intuitive, it’s wise to remind the speaker ahead of time anyway.

Lecture/Discussion format:
  • Please be aware of the microphone placement and be careful not to brush against it with hands, clothing papers, etc.
  • Often microphones are for recording only and they will not provide any amplification, nor will they work with house audio systems.
  • If microphone in attached to the podium, please do not walk away during the talk or the Q&A period.
  • Try not to vary volume significantly or attempt to project.
  • Please speak forward, not over shoulder or with head turned to side (this often happens when speaking about slides).
  • Please repeat any questions from the audience if the audience members do not have access to a microphone.
  • Be aware that even if your voice is not audible to the audience, your voice may be transmitted to the microphone and what you say immediately before and after the start of the event may be recorded.

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Interview format:
  • Look at the interviewer when answering, do not glance at the camera.
  • Restate the question in your answer, using complete sentences.
  • Avoid looking down at notes or at another person immediately following an answer. Hold your gaze for a few seconds.
  • Avoid chairs that swivel. If that is all that is available, do not rock or swing.
  • Do “talk with your hands” and gesture as you would during normal, casual conversation.
  • Interviewer should pause after subject finishes answering, before asking the next question.
  • Interviewer should not interject, laugh, or otherwise vocally respond to a subject while he/she is answering.
  • Interviewer and all others must be very quiet—be aware that shuffling papers, jingly bracelets, squeaky shoes, coughs, sneezes, etc. are all magnified by the speaker’s microphone and will become a permanent (and distracting) part of the recording.

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Speaker wardrobe

Speakers often overlook wardrobe details because they are usually unaware of how clothing choice can affect the color and light balance of a recording. The following guidelines will help significantly when the camera operator/editor tries to achieve correct levels:

Avoid:
  • All white or large amounts of very light pastels
  • All black
  • Tight patterns like stripes, dots, herringbone, hounds-tooth of high-contrast colors
  • Large, very shiny jewelry
  • For darker skin tones, it is especially important to not wear all white as it is difficult to balance the light correctly
Do wear:
  • Darker pastels, tan, brown, red and other bright/bold colors
  • A shirt/sweater that provides an easy place to clip a lavaliere microphone at sternum height
  • A jacket or pants with a pocket in which a microphone receiver can be placed
  • Normal make-up, powder
  • Do wear contacts (if you have the choice) and can avoid glasses

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Handling question and answer formats

Question and Answer periods are very hard to record due to the size of most audiences and the difficulty in providing microphones that will pick up the entire group. Here are some tips for getting decent audio of Q&A sessions:

  • Provide a microphone on a stand in each aisle and require audience members to approach it to ask questions
  • Provide a wireless hand-held microphone that can be passed to an audience member wishing to ask a question and provide a “runner” who can facilitate the passing of said microphone
  • For very small groups, one can often capture the questions using the speaker’s microphone or an on-board camera microphone, however, there will be a significant difference in audio quality
  • With advance notice and for small groups, we can provide extra staff and a “shotgun” directional microphone that can be placed at the front of the room to help capture questions and comments from the audience.

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Adding visual interest

One easily forgotten method of drastically increasing the production values of your recording is to capture illustrative footage of the event or subject in their environment. This footage is often referred to as “b-roll” because it is used to cover the primary track or “a-roll.” It only takes a few minutes of this extra footage to cut into your piece to make it look like you used more than one camera.

Events/Lectures: footage of audience ingress and egress, reaction shots during the talk, mingling before and after the event. Do capture the audience shots at moments when the subject is not speaking—choose moments when audience is attentive during breaks, speaker changes or during the question and answer period if that is not going to be included in the final cut. Be sure camera movement has stopped by the time the speaker has begun talking. Hold each shot for at least 10 seconds.

Interview formats: If you are interviewing a faculty member, try to capture some footage of them working in their office, lab, interacting with students or fellow faculty. Ask for images or video clips that illustrate the topic. If there was a recent publication, capture footage of the cover, illustrations or pages. Other ideas include: Footage of teaching, experiments, writing, translating, artifacts, or artwork. Remember, the more active the circumstances of the shot, the better the video.

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Recording a great interview

Interviews require more time to prepare, set-up and edit but with some forethought, the entire process can be quick and painless for both you and your subject. Here are some tips:

  • Prepare questions in advance and let your subject review them ahead of time.
  • Lighting interviews is especially important, more so than for lectures. Try to use three-point lighting when possible. For detailed information on lighting set-ups, refer to Arri Group’s illustrated lighting handbook by Bill Holshevnikoff.
  • Take a minute to “dress the set” by removing clutter or adding visual interest to the background. Remove any trash, drink bottles, food, etc.
  • Try not to have CRT computer monitors in the background (LCD screens are fine) because you will have rolling lines on the screen in the video.
  • For framing, begin with a medium shot (head and shoulders), with a little bit of space above the subject’s head. Be sure they are framed off-center, looking across the open space as illustrated in the advanced production section.
  • Ask your subject to avoid scripting answers—it is better to let a natural conversation happen on camera.
  • Begin the interview with some chat and let the camera record during this time. It will help the subject warm up and give the videographer a chance to adjust the camera and microphones.
  • In order to edit seamlessly, your subject will need to answer questions in complete sentences, restating the question in the answer.
  • Do not ask questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no.”
  • Remind your subject to look at the interviewer, not the camera.
  • The interview should sit as close to the camera as possible without entering the frame.
  • Remind your subject to answer questions in editable sentences or “sound bites” that offer a complete thought in only a few sentences.
  • Prior to the interview, send your subject some guidelines for wardrobe. Most importantly, remind them to wear contact lenses instead of glasses if they have a choice between the two.
  • The videographer should change the framing and focal length of the camera occasionally, but only while the interviewer is asking questions, never during answers.
  • Let the camera record after the interview ends. Sometimes the best moments come once the subject has relaxed because the interview has officially ended.

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