PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS  FIRST

CHOOSING YOUR IDEAL SHOOTING LOCATION

●     Find a location that is well-lit with natural sunlight or plenty of indoor lighting

●     Choose a quiet location with little background noise (street sounds, music, other people)

●     Avoid spaces with lots of echo

●     Turn off air conditioners and heaters to avoid fan noise

●     Provide a seat for yourself that is stationary and quiet

SETTING UP YOUR PHONE / CAMERA

●     Set your phone, or camera on a tripod or steady surface (please do not hold your camera while shooting to avoid shaky footage)

●     Shoot horizontally (use landscape mode and avoid portrait mode)

●     Position camera at eye level (if you can, avoid angles where the camera lens is looking up or down on you)

●     Choose a non-distracting background (avoid windows, showing other people, posters/signs that can be read etc)

LIGHTING

●     Shoot in daylight if possible

●     Position yourself so windows or your main light sources are facing you, not behind you.

●     Avoid overhead lights

CAMERA PRESENCE

●     Look directly into the camera lens when speaking

●     Stand/sit up straight

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES TO AVOID

●     Clothing with colors that blend in with your background

●     All white or all black clothing

●     Noisy accessories that could interfere with your audio

A FEW OTHER HELPFUL HINTS

●     If you can, ask a friend/family member to assist you while you record

●     Do a short recording test to make sure you can see and hear yourself clearly

TECH SPECS

●     Check your video camera settings to make sure you are shooting one of three formats: 1080p at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps, or 1080p at 24 fps  and 4k is fine too.

○     On Android phones, the settings are usually in the main camera app behind the gear settings wheel

○     On iPhones, the camera settings are in the main settings icon in the photos and camera section

●     If you are unsure, no worries, your camera’s default setting should generally be ok.