VIDEO STYLE GUIDEFor Students

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RECORDING VIDEO FROM YOUR CAMERA, LAPTOP, PHONE OR TABLETA STYLE GUIDE FOR STUDENTS

Lighting

Try to emulate lighting direction from the sun. Make sure you are well-lit, from the front, and from a little bit higher than your eyes.

Do not light yourself from below. Do not light yourself from the blue glare of a computer screen. Avoid relying on dim ambient light as the camera will compensate

exposure, resulting in lost color and fidelity. Any type of light is ok (incandescent, spot, LED, halogen, etc.)

o Even daylight from a large window in front of you will work.

Background

Prefer plain over clutter. As a general rule, it should not be too busy. Avoid any background objects (poles or other stick-like objects) that makes it seem that it is

growing out of the top of your head. The background should not be so bright that the camera attempts to properly expose for it,

rendering you in shadow. o Again, a large daylight-emitting window should be in front of you, not behind you.)

Best results are with a background that it lit similarly to you.

Camera

What Camera Should I Use? Generally cameras built into the computer chassis are not good. You might be better off using a decent quality smartphone. Separate webcams might be ok (if you paid some decent money for

it), or they might be terrible (if you got it for free, or like $20). If you are using a dedicated camcorder, you should be ok.

Camera Support Built-in and external webcams are usually located or hanging on the monitor bezel. This is not

always good because the camera lens is often too low, especially with laptops. If you are using a smartphone, you should find some way to support it in a fixed position at an

even level with your face/eyes. You can just prop it up if you have to. If you have a camcorder, any tripod would obviously be best.

VIDEO STYLE GUIDEFor Students

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Camera Focus You can generally trust your camera’s auto-focus. When shooting faces, a pro photographer ALWAYS

focuses on the eyes.

Your Focus Try your best to look directly at the camera.

o At typical webcam distance, if you are watching the monitor, you won’t appear to be looking at the camera.

If you look directly into the camera, you make a better connection with your viewers.

You should not be reading a script. It will sound like you are reading a script .

Audio

A separate external microphone is the best option, but it’s a luxury not many of us have a general need for.

If you are recording with a smart phone, the audio quality should be fine.

The more background noise present in your setting, the closer you want to be to your microphone.

Turn off fans, radios, etc. Shoot in a larger room to avoid hollow echoes.

Framing

1. Make sure your camera is recording in landscape mode, not portrait mode.

2. Do not get too close to your camera. For a more flattering image, you should “zoom in” rather than “zoom out.”

a. Zooming out creates a wide angle perspective that stretches features outwards.

3. Your head should fill 1/2 to 1/3 of vertical screen space. Allow for a little bit of relief for your upper torso.

4. Your eyes should be on the upper third of the screen.

5. Your head should NOT be in the dead center of the frame.

VIDEO STYLE GUIDEFor Students

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Clothing/ Wardrobe

General PolicyIn most cases, a safe bet is to wear what you would wear to work if important people were touring your workplace. Avoid sleeveless tops or bring suit jackets or sweaters to cover the shoulders.

ProprietyPlease use common sense when selecting your attire. HR-friendly is a good starting point, but adjust conservatively if in question. Please refrain from clothing that someone could interpret as risqué or revealing. This includes issues of exposure, tightness, or transparency.

LogosPlease refrain from wearing any clothing that contains trademarked images, such as Major League Baseball logos or product names such as Coca Cola or The North Face. Don’t worry about shoes.

PatternsSome patterns are problematic for video or photography. Specifically, avoid fine high-contrast patterns. This includes tight pinstripes, weaves, and small low-contrast textures that reflect light differently.

ColorsSome colors or tones can be more flattering than others. Generally, dark colors have a slimming effect. Whites have an enlarging effect. Broad vertical stripes will elongate, while broad horizontals will widen. Pastel colors are more forgiving to skin complexion. Bright colors can reflect an unflattering color cast to the chin.

General Hair and MakeupConsider an unadorned neutral appearance versus one that is stylized or personalized. Hair color should appear natural. Hair should be conservatively styled, including facial hair. Jewelry should be understated, including rings, necklaces, bracelets, and piercings. Tattoos should not be visible.

The default level of makeup and styling would be your appearance at work if important people were going to be touring your workplace.

VIDEO STYLE GUIDEFor Students

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EXAMPLES

Good. The background may be a little boring.

Bad. His head is framed towards the center of the screen. He should position his head in the upper-half of the screen.

Bad. The light behind her is brighter than the light pointing towards her (backlit). Otherwise nice. Perhaps a bit close to camera.

Bad. He is leaning in too close. Leaning into camera creates a wide angle distortion. Plus it’s creepy and unflattering.

VIDEO STYLE GUIDEFor Students

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Good. Very nice!

Bad. Something appears to be coming out of the top of her head. Not enough lighting (underlit). Camera is compensating for lack of light and it results in strange coloration (muddy image).

Bad. He is not looking at the camera. The camera’s position is too low. He should raise the camera to eye level and look at the camera when he talks.

Not great. Dirty red shirt in background. Light placed in front but should be more elevated to avoid the shadow. Composition is nice.

VIDEO STYLE GUIDEFor Students

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Bad. The light behind her is way brighter than the light pointing towards her (backlit).