MediaSpace: Best Practices for Recording a More Professional Video

Question: As I begin creating course videos in Kaltura Mediaspace, what best practices should I consider?

• When recording a presentation, what steps can I take to deliver a more professional video?

Answer: Consider your planning, preparedness, and performance.

• These best practices apply to video creation for all desktop-capturing media programs.

• Prepare your computer desktop for recording.
  • Only record what you want students to see.
  • Do not include distracting backgrounds.
  • Close all programs you are not using.
  • Turn off all notifications that may pop up on your screen.

• Test your camera and microphone.
  • ​​​​​​​When using video, check that you have adequate lighting. 
  • Check your background since learners will see it too. 
  • The camera should be at eye level so it will look like you are looking directly at the learner. 
  • Use a USB microphone (headset or desktop) for better-sounding audio. 
  • Avoid choppy or inconsistent audio.

• Find a quiet place.
  • ​​​​​​​Beware of your surroundings. 
  • Turn your phone volume down or off. 
  • Avoid spaces close to noisy heat vents, doors that are opening and closing, and spaces where people are talking.

• Write a script or outline.
  • ​​​​​​​Scripts help you organize what you will say and keep you on track. 
  • Scripts make captioning your videos easier.

• Perform practice runs.
  • ​​​​​​​Completing practice runs will show if your video flows well. 
  • Practice runs will ease any nervousness before your “real” run.

• Avoid mentioning dates, times, chapters.
  Dates, time, and textbooks may change from semester to semester.  To avoid constantly editing/recreating videos, leave out date/time-sensitive information and references to page numbers and chapters. 
  • Examples:
    • “Welcome to week 7.”
    • “With spring break starting March 11…”
    • “Refer to Chapter 7 page 101”

• Keep videos short or divide long videos into “chunks”.
  • ​​​​​​​Research suggests that six minutes is the optimal length for instructional videos. 
  • After six minutes learner engagement drops. 
  • Research also shows that most learners won’t watch a video that is more than 15 minutes. 
  • Instead of one long video, create multiple short videos.

• Ensure readability of all recorded content.
  • ​​​​​​​Presentation slides should contain key points and not be wordy. 
  • Learners should see ‘everything’ in images. 
  • Documents should have a large font size and dark text on a light background.
     
• Speak like yourself.
  • ​​​​​​​Speak slowly, clearly, and naturally.

• Show a headshot and smile.
  • ​​​​​​​The video should include a balanced headshot. 
  • Smiling releases endorphins which make us happy and lowers stress levels. 
  • Especially in online courses, learners want to put a face with the voice.

• Pause if needed.
  • ​​​​​​​Pause the video if you need to make adjustments. 
  • Announcing a transition in the video gives you and your learners a mindful break. 
  • Relax, take a deep breath, and smile before continuing.

• Get feedback on your videos.
  • ​​​​​​​Feedback from learners and colleagues will tell you if your video is clear. 
  • If creating videos for weekly course material, feedback will tell you if it contains the information necessary for learners to achieve learning objectives.

• Conduct a final cleanup.
  • ​​​​​​​If you have time and the know-how, cut out mistakes in the video. 
  • Trim extra footage at the beginning and end of the video.

• Caption your videos.
  • ​​​​​​​Videos must be accessible to all learners regardless of them having a disability or not. 
  • Captions benefit all learners. 
  • Caption your videos today!

• Share your video.
  • ​​​​​​​Decide where you want your video to be stored. 
  • Do not upload or store videos in D2L. 
  • Upload “active” media to your Kaltura Mediaspace account instead. 
  • Decide how you want to share your video with others.