====== Video recording ======

===== Live video lecture recording environment =====

We set up some equipment for recording video lectures that students can watch online.
This is a brief summary of the equipment that we are using and our process.
==== Room ====

Choose a //quiet//, well-furnished room with very little echo.  If that is not possible, prefer a large, //quiet// room rather than a small, //quiet// room.  (In all cases, "quiet" is very important.)

==== Presentation equipment ====

^ Equipment      ^ Example that we use at KUAS-E                                           ^
| Large monitor  | KUAS standard Panasonic “information panel” mobile monitor              | {{:video-recording:dsc03159.jpg?direct&200|}} |
| Lectern        | KUASE standard “standing desk” in front and to the side of the monitor  | ::: |

==== Video equipment ====

| Any video camera or DSLR	| Pentax K1-II, 50mm standard lens, 256GB SD card | {{:video-recording:dsc03163.jpg?direct&200|}} |
| Tripod	                | Manfrotto MK055XPRO3-3W | {{:video-recording:dsc03172.jpg?direct&200|}} |
| Key and fill lights	        | FOSITAN L4500K | {{:video-recording:dsc03160.jpg?direct&200|}} {{:video-recording:dsc03161.jpg?direct&200|}} |

==== Audio equipment ====

| Wireless microphone system	                                    | RØDE Wireless Go | {{:video-recording:dsc03165.jpg?direct&200|}} |
| Clip-on lapel microphone	                                    | RØDE SmartLav+   | {{:video-recording:dsc03179.jpg?direct&200|}} |
| USB charger (2-port) for wireless	                            | RavPower RP-UC11 | {{:video-recording:dsc03162.jpg?direct&200|}} |
| Headphones connected to camera (if desired, for monitoring audio) | 	Sony MDR-7506  | {{:video-recording:dsc03166.jpg?direct&200|}} |

==== Editing equipment ====

| Computer 	                        | PC, Mac, or Linux                            | {{:video-recording:dsc03169.jpg?direct&200|}} |
| Video editing software	        | Shotcut (powerful, easy for beginners, free) | ::: |
| Headphones for editing (if required)	| Sony MDR-7506                                | ::: |

==== Process equipment ====

| Tablet or computer running count-down timer	| iPad                      | {{:video-recording:dsc03171.jpg?direct&200|}} |
| Whiteboards and “QUIET PLEASE” signs	        | KUAS standard whiteboards | {{:video-recording:dsc03158.jpg?direct&200|}} {{:video-recording:dsc03176.jpg?direct&200|}} {{:video-recording:dsc03177.jpg?direct&200|}} |

       
==== Process ====

With the monitor off, determine the best lighting conditions for the room that do not cause reflections in the screen.  Turn the monitor on, check the presenter’s brightness relative to the screen.  The ideal is to have the presenter's face as bright and as clearly visible as the monitor contents.  Use any combination of natural light, room lights, and if necessary a "studio" key light (in front and to the left of the presenter) and fill light (far right, to light the presenter if they are looking at the monitor).  Set the colour temperatures of the lights to match the colour temperature of the monitor.  (Our lights and monitor are all set to 6500K, which is close to daylight temperature.)

Clip microphone to presenter, then into the transmitter; connect receiver to camera.  **Turn off automatic gain control** in the camera.  Ask presenter to speak very loudly and check that the levels on receiver and camera just reach into the yellow zones.  Check audio sounds loud, distortion-free, and centred (equal volume in left and right ears) in the headphones.

Connect laptop to monitor, show first slide, focus camera on slide, **turn off auto-focus**.  Select “fluourescent” white balance on camera.  Adjust exposure if necessary and then **turn off auto-exposure** (or enable auto-exposure lock if using a DSLR).

Check camera position: presenter and slides should be visible, and fill the frame.  Make sure presenter knows the limits of movement in both directions.

If there is a time limit, set the timer.  Deploy “QUIET PLEASE” signs outside the room.

Count down with fingers from 3 to zero; turn on camera between 2 and 1, point to presenter at zero, make and record presentation.  Start timer if required.  If presenter makes a mistake: stop and restart recording from a point just before the mistake.  When presenter indicates the end of the presentation, wait one second then turn off the camera.

Transfer recording to computer.  Check audio and video quality.

Edit video.  E.g., for Shotcut: Create new project in video editor.  Load clip(s) into timeline.  Trim excess silence from start and end of clips (leave about 1.5 seconds).  Trim overlapping part from ends of clips with mistakes.  On first clip: add “fade in audio”, “fade in video” filters.  On last clip: add “fade out audio”, “fade out video” filters.  If audio levels are not good, or fluctuate, select entire track and add “Normalise: one pass” filter (our usual settings: 10s averaging, 1dB/second max gain change rate, -20LUFS target level).  If exposure is not good, select entire track and add “brightness” filter.  If the colour is too strong or too weak, select entire track and add “saturation” filter.  Export the video using default 1080p or 720p presets, which generate good quality and relatively small files.

At the end of the day, plug wireless transmitter, receiver, and camera battery into charging cables/devices.

Create a checklist of your particular process, print it out as large as possible, and fix it to a whiteboard next to the recording equipment.  Until you have memorized your process, have someone read each item and tick it off on the whiteboard.  Remember to include “clear ticks from whiteboard” as the last checklist item.