PreachingHelp.org I have sat on this article for several weeks, but with the encouragement of my wife, I’m going to go ahead and publish it. Let me first make a disclaimer. I am not an expert in video production. In fact, I have very little experience doing it. However, as the commercial says, “I have slept in a Holiday Inn” (and if you don’t get the reference, you’ll have to look it up).
While I’m not an expert, I do believe I am able to discern between what is distracting and what is well done. So, since many of us are preaching and teaching online, I want to share four common mistakes we should avoid. I believe that if these mistakes are avoided, it will help us make produce better-quality videos.
- Camera Angle. Don’t shoot your video looking up at your face. Most of us use a laptop camera with which to record. Thus, we find ourselves looking down at our screen. There isn’t a more unflattering view of one’s self. No one wants to look at a camera angle that shoots up our noses! Plus, looking downward forces our chin closer to our chest and highlights our “double-chins.” If you’re seeing your ceiling or ceiling fan in the background, your angle should be adjusted. If you use a laptop camera, place your laptop on a stack of books so that you look directly at the camera or even slightly up at the camera. It will make a world of difference!
- Backlighting. Don’t shoot your video in front of a window. If you have a bright source of light behind you, it will wash out your image and degrade the quality of your picture. Avoid bright lights behind you.
- Headroom. In these videos we’re shooting, we are the focal point. Therefore, fill the screen. Get your camera close enough so that you’re the focal point and not the room. When you’re no bigger than the props in your background, you’re zoomed out too far. Make it so the top of your head reaches or nearly reaches the top of the screen. You should not see a lot of headroom above your head. Look at how a scene is shot on TV.
- Lighting. Make sure that you have adequate lighting, so your image is not dark. If you’re like me, you don’t have professional lights on a stand, but you can set up lights/lamps just behind your laptop and lighten up your shot.
As I said, I’m not an expert, but as a viewer, I do know the difference between what is distracting and what is well done. I think if we’ll consider these four points, we can make our videos more appealing and less distracting.
Do you have other suggestions? Leave them in the comments.
Some LED lights from hardware stores (or Walmart) that can be used to brighten the space, some with clips, or the “construction” style that’ll take up floor (and closet) space … or screw in bulbs, with those metal shades “heat lamp” clamp lights… pay attention to “color temperature” and try to use similar values as other lights in the room. Avoid “cool white” or “warm white” but try for “daylight” …. mixed hues will look weird or even sickly!
Brother, those are all good, as I have learned bit by bit as I’ve gone along. One other thing I learned is to cover the monitor’s face on a laptop. A sheet of paper, notched to allow the camera to work, will cut the light reflecting off of eyeglasses. Of course in that case you cannot see yourself, but it makes the resulting video better.
Excellent. 1. One thing I have to add is making sure your audio is clear and strong, but not distorted. Blaring audio is distracting and hinders the message, 2. Use an app to privately test your set-up before going “Live” or sending out a pre-recorded video, and make necessary adjustments. Pretend you are looking at someone else so you can critique your own video objectively.
The paper trick sounds good in theory, however, it can be more problematic than its worth. If you are streaming live, you can’t interact with your audience. Also, if your audio or visual or both become compromised during the stream or recording, you may not know it and you could waste a lot of time. Better to improve the forward lighting to reduce screen glare.
Great thoughts (as usual). Looking straight into the camera is always good, otherwise we appear distracted. When backgrounds (or visuals) become a distraction, or if they compete with the message, then we need to make adjustments to keep the listeners attention focused on the message, especially if we are doing the job we intend…that is, showing them the Savior. Thank you, Steve, for all your encouragement and direction in His kingdom. Love you, brother!