How To: Create Better Video From Home

If you've watched any late-night TV lately (Jimmy Fallon, SNL, or literally any other show producing remotely), you know that creating quality video from home is NOT easy! Even for TV veterans.

Video blogging pioneer and "Get Seen" author Steve Garfield of SteveGarfield.com shares some tips for creating better video from home. 

We'll talk about audio quality, getting your background camera-ready, lighting tips, and more!

#Marketing Profs PRO video live stream interview with MarketingProfs' Kerry O'Shea Gorgone, and StoryLeader's Chris Brogan, about How To Create Better Video From Home.


AUDIO

Q: What's the most important part of video?
A: Audio

I've done research. If the video quality is less than perfect, but the audio is good, and the content is interesting, people will keep watching your video.

If the audio is bad, they will leave.

If you are recording with a smartphone, the closer you are to the device, the better your audio will be. 

- Know where the microphone is, and talk into it. 

To get better sound, add an external microphone, for a smartphone, video camera, or computer. 

You can use a set of headphones with an attached microphone, or a standalone microphone. 

One tip is to get a floor stand, and swing the microphone around to where you are sitting. That reduces any noise you might make by tapping on your desktop. 

LIGHTING


For lighting, be aware of the light around you. If you are inside and near a window, have the window facing you instead of behind you. If the window is behind you, and you are using a webcam, it probably has auto exposure, and it will set exposure to the light behind you. That's not good. 

In the above photo, I sat in front of the window to make sure this location was perfectly bad to start from. 

The webcam is at desk level, looking up at me. The light is behind me, screwing up the auto exposure of the webcam.

This is the shot that lots of people use from their laptops webcams.

DO NOT DO THIS. 

TIP: Raise the level of the webcam in your laptop camera to meet or line up just above your EYE LEVEL. You can easily do this with a stack of books. 



In the above photo I've added light from TWO SOURCES, a MAIN light and a FILL light. 

The main light is an LED light just to the right of my webcam. The fill light is my desk lamp with an LED bulb. 

I also added a small LED light pointed up towards my bookcase as a back light to allow the webcam to see added depth, but it's small, and not too big to screw up the auto exposure of the webcam. 

BACKGROUND

Set up your webcam and take a photo of where you will be sitting. 















Look at the background. How do you think you might be rated by Room Rater on twitter? Take a look at his twitter feed and see what comments he makes on how to make backgrounds better. 

In this example, after looking at the photo, I decided to move the webcam towards the left to allow more of the bookcase to show up on both sides of me, rather than having the black bookcase look like it was growing out of the top of my head. ;-)

Click through to Steve Garfield's Ultimate Video Gear List: Cameras, Microphones, and Lights to see a list of gear I use.  

2020 is the Year of Live Videoblogging

16 years ago I was one of the first video bloggers. I figured out how to combine the ease of use of blogging with the power of video, to help people easily share stories.


Now, when many people are self-quarantined at home, to help flatten the spread of COVID-19, they are looking towards video to feel connected.

It makes sense.

Video has the power to help people connect through storytelling.

A lot has changed since 2005, when I made my first videoblog post. Five years later, I wrote the book on videoblogging for Wiley, Get Seen. Now, a good portion of that book is history. It's a history book. ;-) Containing many cameras, video making tools, and software that aren't around any more.

Now there are new tools.

Let's take the lessons learned from 15 years of online video making, and apply them to today, to give you the tools and techniques that will help you share your stories with video.

Includes Step-By-Step Guide on How to Get Started on Zoom.

TOOLS

Use the camera that you have on you. please do not get intimidated by feeling like you have to have a professional set up. You don't. The quality of today's smartphones are amazing for both video and audio.

Smartphone: iPhone. You can use either the front or back camera.

Webcam: Logitech C920. Tis is the camera I use. It works great. For a higher end webcam, look at the Brio.

Microphone: Audio Technica ATR2500x-USB. Good audio is more important that good video. Have you ever joined a Facebook live stream where you can't hear the speaker because of audio problems? See? This microphone is great. You can also get a floor stand for it, so that it is not disturbed by any noise you might make on your desk.

Lighting: This is the light that all the cool kids are using, LED Ring Light like the Neewer 18-inch White LED Ring Light with Silver Light Stand, that you can find online. If you don't have that, a desk lamp, positioned to one side behind your camera is good, also good is natural light coming in from a window. DO NOT, have a window behind you!

Tripod: Use a tripod to get a steady shot.

TECHNIQUES

1. Make your camera lens a little above eye level. If you have a laptop, DO NOT leave it on your desk. Raise it to eye level by placing some BOOKS UNDER it. PLEASE DO THIS.

2. Look into the lens when talking and not at the screen. This gives the impression of eye contact which enhances your connection with the viewer.

3. Know where you mic is, and talk into it.

4. If you are in a shot with multiple people, like in an interview, make your framing match the interviewer.

5. Don't leave extra headroom.


Image: BEFORE - Too much headroom


Image: AFTER - Extra headroom removed. ;-)

6. Use software to make your videos more interesting, see the next section.

SOFTWARE

iMovie: When I wan to do more than a one-shot, where I record and post, I use iMovie on the iPhone or Mac.

This allows you to shoot multiple segments, and add them together to make one video. For exaple, if I was making a video that had three points I wanted to make, I could shoot five videos and then combine them.

Introduction, point 1, point 2, point 3, and conclusion. That way you can focus on one small thing at a time, rather than thinking that you have one shot to get all five video right. It gives you a way to shoot each segment multiple times until you like it. Also, you don't have to memorize anything. Plus, you can use different camera angles for each video. That provides interest to the viewer.

HOSTING

Facebook, Instagram and YouTube make it easy to share video online. When you decide where to put your video, you'll want to share it where your audience is. Do you have a lot of friends on Facebook, that's where you can post. Are you an Instagram 'Influencer'? You can post video there, or to your Instagram story. If you choose YouTube, you can also share the link to that video on Facebook and your other social media accounts.

LIVE STREAMING

FACEBOOK

Facebook as a button that you can click to go live in the posting options, LIVE VIDEO.


Image: Facebook Live

ECamm Live and Streamyard are tools that you can use to present a more professional presentation with using Facebook live.

ZOOM: Step-By-Step Guide on How to Get Started on Zoom.

To get started on Zoom, go to Zoom.us, sign up, and follow the prompts to download the Zoom app on your device.

When you join a Zoom video chat, you need to allow your MIC and CAMERA to be shared. When you join, you may be prompted to " Join with computer audio", do that.

Here are some screens you might see when joining your first Zoom chat. They are presented to you so that you can CHOOSE and TEST your CAMERA AND MICROPHONE:


Image: Click 'OPEN zoom.us.app' if you are presented with this dialog box.


Image: Join with Video. Yes! Join with Video, CLICK THAT!


Image: Check your position in the frame and your lighting.


Image: Test your computer speaker. See how the dialog box displays "Speaker 2: Built-in Output (Headphones)", that shows which speaker you are using. if that doesn't work, make sure your speaker works by playing something, otherwise, choose another speaker using the greater than/less than, on it's side drop down window selection tool.


Image: Test your microphone. My AT2020 USB mic is selected in tis dialog box.


Image: CLICK "Join with Computer Audio"

Then when you are in a chat, for example, on a computer, if other people are complaining that THEY CAN'T SEE YOU, look for an image of a camera with a red line through it at the bottom left of your screen, click on that to allow zoom to access your camera.


Image: No video on ZOOM? Click Here.

It's easy, my mom, Millie (94) uses it!


Image: Ask Millie On Zoom

TEST: Join this TEST ZOOM MEETING to check your camera and microphone.

HELPFUL ARTICLES AND SITES

Mitch Joel, How To Rock Zoom Meetings In 10 Easy Steps.

Live Streaming Pros: Luria Petrucci

People to watch live:

Joseph Jaffe: Live every day at 2:00 PM EDT on Facebook: https://facebook.com/jaffejuice

Laura Gassner Otting: Live every day at 10:00 AM EDT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.gassner.otting

Chris Brogan: Live every day at 10:00 AM EDT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/broganchris

The Carol and Steve Show. Podcast. Audio. Radio.

Carol and Steve discuss the history of podcasting, iPodderX, RSS 2.0 with media enclosures, the first video video podcast, The Marketing Companion podcast hosted by Mark Schaefer and Tom Webster, and what to call this show.

First Look: Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker

After my nephew told me that the little speaker I had in my dining room to play music 'sounded mono,' I decided to upgrade the speaker so that the next time he visited he wouldn't be able to have any complaints.

I did a little research on speakers and the consensus seemed to be that the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker was the best choice.

I ordered the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker on Amazon.com for $199 and it arrived in two days via Amazon Prime. Gotta love it.


Image: Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker

POWER
The Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker had a base that it sits on. When resting on the base the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker's battery gets charged, and also runs off the plugged in power.

BLUETOOTH
To connect to Bluetooth, you turn on Bluetooth on your device and press the Bluetooh button on the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker. The click to pair.

I first tried it with my iPhone.

Then tried it with my iPad.


Image: Bose SoundLink Mini playing Pandora via Bluetooth from wall mounted iPad

Both worked without any problem.

THE SOUND
Not mono sounding at all.

This speaker sounds great. It's the best sounding little speaker I've had in the house in a while.

You can buy it on Amazon.com (affiliate link):



Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker

Bonus:

BLUETOOTH CONNECTED BETWEET FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR
I turned on Bluetooth on my MacBook Air and it discovered the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker, on the first floor, when I was on the second floor.



So I added the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker as an audio device, and when I hit play on Spotify, on the second floor, the music played on the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker on the first floor.

Sweet.

[Audio] Talking Video on The Tonya Hall Radio Show

I had fun talking video with Tonya Hall on The Tonya Hall Radio Show.

Here's the archived audio: Tonya Hall Radio Show 12/7/12. [mp3]



Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series)



How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro

Video: New Media Tools you can use to tell your story RIGHT NOW!

Steve Garfield's "New Media Tools you can use to tell your story RIGHT NOW!" session from the Social Media Jungle: Boston.

Thanks Jeff Glasson for taping and posting this!

Audio Pod Chronicles: Conversation with Steve Garfield

Audio Pod Chronicles: Conversation with Steve Garfield - Originally uploaded on flickr by stevegarfield.

Len Edgerly interviewed me for Audio Pod Chronicles: 53 Conversation with Steve Garfield. Listen.

Len describes the interview:

Video evangelist Steve Garfield met me this morning at Sweet Finnish at 761 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, where each month for the past two years he has hosted Boston Media Makers in a back room filled with fascinating media creators, artists, and gadget freaks who have a chance to meet and share enthusiasms and info. BMM meets the first Sunday of the month at 10 a.m. for two hours. In this interview, Steve remembers how he first got into blogging, then video blogging, a genre he pretty much invented, and now live mobile "storycasting." Steve shows how a playful, experimental, happy engagement with new technology can yield results far beyond a mere effort to "monetize" internet innovation. He does talk about the nuts and bolts of moving toward making a living in this space, as well as what he's learning right now about the new frontier of mobile live broadcasting.

I enjoyed talking with Len. I hope you like the interview.

More Info:
2004: The Year of the Video Blog - First Video Blog post
Yahoo! Videoblogging Group
Vloggercon 2005 - First Vloggercon NYC
Meet the Vloggers - NYC SoHo - June 2005
Boston Media Makers - Meets in Boston on the first Sunday of each month
Steve is a DJ - My old playlists from WZBC
Spices of Life - Food, Health, Lifestyle videoblog
Boston City Councillor John Tobin
Steve Garfield, Mobile Video Journalist - Experimenting with mobile broadcasting. ( N95, AT&T, Qik )
Momentshowing - Jay Dedman's Video Blog
iJustine - Lifecaster
Jim Long - Exploring new media
My technology bucket list for 2008
The UpTake and Veracifier - News by us
Mogulus - A TV station on your Mac

Boston Media Makers: Next Meeting 01/06/08

Boston Media Makers 01/06/08 - Originally uploaded on flickr by stevegarfield.

Boston Media Makers

Next Meeting:
Sunday January 6, 2008

Sweet Finnish
761 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130

Mingling 10:00 - 10:30
Roundtable Discussion 10:30 - 12:00

Topics for the meeting:

LIVE Twitter: We go around the table and talk about what we are do, ask questions, present a show and tell. All within a 3 minute time limit. It’s fun.

Steve Says:
I’ll be doing a demonstration of LIVE broadcasting from a cellphone. Very cool technology.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Please register at upcoming.
upcoming.yahoo.com/event/349350/

Presidential Candidates aren't Blogging

TechPresident just came out with their TechPresident's 2007 Campaign Web Index:

"TechPresident presents our 2007 Campaign Web Index, a year-end study of which campaigns are best at using the various elements of the web. For the survey we've tapped the very brightest minds working in tech and politics, who happen to be our own bloggers and other friends (some respondents have asked to remain anonymous). Check out their votes and opinions for who's best at online video, advertising, social networking, rapid response, and much more. Some of their responses may surprise you, and some may be entirely predictable.

Our panel judged Ron Paul and Barack Obama to have the best overall web presences, and they also led their respective fields in the most individual categories. Mike Huckabee and John Edwards followed, with each earning strong support from our panel. But while these four campaigns were the leaders, there were many surprises in specific categories. For example, Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney scored the most points for their online rapid response work."

As a contributor to TechPresident, I contributed to the study, but my most important comment about blogging was lost in the compilation of responses.

Here's what I said:

"I visited every blog for each candidate and took a look at the first post.

Sam Brownback was the only candidate that had personally written the most recent post.

http://www.brownbacker.com/

Although team blogs are great for getting campaign news out there, the personal blog gives the candidate the opportunity to talk directly to website visitors. Candidates should take advantage of the power of blogging."

I hope it's not too late for hte presidential candidates to contribute to their own blogs. They can write a blog post, record an audio or video... There are so many tools out there that make it easy.

If you see any presidential candidates out there in the wild, making blog posts themselves whether it be text, audio or video. Let me know by posting a link in the comments... I'd like to see it.

Video and Audio Fundamentals

David Tames Sessions at Podcamp Boston 2.