Filming Recommendations & Examples

Keep it Short and Simple- Think about it, when was the last time you sat down and fully watched a 10 minute or longer research video? Probably not often! That is why we recommend that, especially for the Phase I- Questionnaire Video, that you stick to a short, 5-8 minute video length. Collecting your thoughts and organizing them into a condensed, but powerful presentation will help keep viewers engaged and ensure that they grasp the most important aspects of your video.
Be Articulate and Speak with Enthusiasm- Speaking clearly with confidence and enthusiasm will help you effectively convey your message and will also keep viewers entertained. It's a win win!
Be Creative and Craft a Guided Experience- Several free websites and a range of phone apps and editing softwares are available online which offer resources to allow you to add titles, lower-third footers, and embed text directly into your video presentation (i.e., iMovie, Adobe Premier Pro, etc.). For example, to show each question in the video, to embed an image of your research, etc. We strongly encourage you to take full advantage of such free creative opportunities to edit and "spice up" your videos to make them look great before submission. Do consider also reaching out to the GEOSET Studio group since one of their team members can assist you with editing if needed!
Background Environments Matter- The content you are presenting is one thing, but having an interesting background with appropriate lighting is also very important to keep in mind (i.e., artificial vs natural light). Feel free to go outdoors and film on campus or in your lab. Whatever makes you feel most comfortable in front of the camera!
Keep your Eyes and EARS Open- Identify and stop any pesky/noisy audio disturbances that could be lingering in the background (i.e., white noise, TV sitcoms, dishes being put away in the kitchen, etc). It pays off to be sure that you are in the best filming environment prior to recording.
Cinematic Techniques to Control the Shot - Screencast-O-Matic is an easy-to-use free web capture software for screen capturing, but if you will be using your smartphone to record the video, we recommend filming it horizontally in landscape mode as most videos filmed vertically on cell-phones do not upload to the best visual quality and format on YouTube. Please make sure the device is placed around your eye level as this would be the best angle. Also, it helps if you avoid (or try and reduce) the dreaded "shaky cam," so please keep the camera/cell-phone stationary while filming. *NOTE: for the highest quality video, it is ideal to film on a smartphone as it doesn't rely so heavily on specific software.
Don't Forget to Be Yourself- Please remember, not all of us are professional actors/actresses, so just be natural, be yourself, and really let your personality shine through the video. Above all, have fun!