Recording yourself with a laptop

Record button iconYour WFU issued laptop has the tools to let you lot make a basic, talking-head style video.

  • On a Windows PC, you can open the Camera app and record from the built-in webcam and microphone. Information technology volition save the video equally a .mp4 video file in the Camera Roll binder in Pictures.
  • The MacBook can employ Photo Berth to tape from the built-in webcam and microphone. It will salvage the video in the app and you can export information technology as a .mov video file

In one case you have those videos made, you can distribute them via the cloud or maybe email (retrieve Google Drive or MS OneDrive for sharing in the cloud). You can also add them to a bigger project using video editing tools such equally Camtasia, Adobe Rush, or Adobe Premiere (all of which WFU kinesthesia and staff have access to via software.wfu.edu).

Below are two demo videos I fabricated. The starting time is on a Windows 10 laptop using the Camera app. The second i is on my MacBook, using the PhotoBooth app.

Youtube link (new tab)

Windows

  1. Open up Camera app (search the Starting time card
  2. Select the video push on the right side if necessary
  3. Click the video push button to showtime recording
  4. When the video thumbnail shows up, click it to open up it.
  5. Under the iii dots More menu, choose open folder to locate the .mp4 video file on your difficult drive.
  6. Upload that file to your Google Drive.
  7. Share the file with the advisable settings

Here is the mac version using PhotoBooth

Youtube link (new tab)

MacBook

  1. Open PhotoBooth app
  2. Select the video push on the lower left
  3. Press the large ruby-red button to start recording
  4. When the video thumbnail appears, you can consign it as a .mov file
  5. Upload that file into your Google bulldoze
  6. Share the file with the appropriate settings.

Note that I used a headset with a mic. Generally you become amend sound results with a dedicated microphone. I detect the laptop'southward built-in microphones frequently selection upward too much ambience noise.

Full general Recording Tips

  1. Detect a tranquility spot to tape and try to employ a dedicated microphone to capture the best audio that you lot can.
  2. Try to have good natural lite. If that isn't available, brand certain the scene is lit the best you can. Take a few test videos to come across how lighting from unlike angles impacts the product.
  3. Try to have a minimal background behind you, if possible.
  4. Going back to point one. Apply a dedicated mic if you have one. In most circumstances, bad audio is really worse than bad lighting. If your audience can't clearly hear you, you lot're probably killing your video.