8 Tips for Video Recording

Want to make a video or selfie-video about your ministry? Here are some tips to improve the quality:

Consider your purpose. What do you want to accomplish? To gain supporters? To update your church on your ministry? To explain your vision?
Plan where you will film. Be aware of background noise and the lighting. Try to have the sun at your back, if possible. If not, avoid harsh overhead light.
Decide what you’re going to say before you begin filming. Make an outline of your important points. Practice a few times before you begin filming.
Keep it short, not more than 2 minutes. Cut out long pauses and “umm”s.
Don’t wear a hat, which will cast shadows or obscure your face.
As you film, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, with knees and elbows bent so that you will be steady.
Count to three before speaking. Allow a few seconds after you are finished as well.
After filming, watch what you’ve captured. Is the sound loud enough? Are there any distractions happening in the background? Do a second take.

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Adapted from “11 Must-dos for Video Recording” by D. Jernigan and J. Griesse, Journey Beyond, May 28, 2013 and June 12, 2013. (c) TeachBeyond.

Video Production Guidelines

Presentation:

Think about your audience; tailor your presentation to their needs.
Before filming, consider the following questions:
- Why is this content important to the listener?
- What impact do I want this to have on them/ on their community?
- What excites me the most about this content? How will I convey that to my audience?
- What is the most important sentence I will say in this presentation? Where will it have the most impact?

the way

Where are you looking?
What does the tone of your voice convey? Your facial expressions? Your gestures?
Do you want to/need to include photographs to illustrate your content?
Is there a need to pause to let something sink in? How long do you want to wait?

Remember, ultimately our stories are not about us or the work that we are doing; they are about giving the glory to God! So relax, and let the Holy Spirit inform your words as you share the work He is doing around the world.

Sound:

Clear, audible sound is critical.
Please speak slowly and annunciate clearly.
Minimize background noise and, if possible, use a microphone to amplify your voice.
Remember that our audience includes non-native English speakers.

Background & Lighting:

Backgrounds that reflect your cultural context are great; however, be aware of potential distractions such as passing traffic, loud animal/bird sounds, etc.
Consider the contrast between what you are wearing and the backdrop. Minimize distraction if at all possible.
Pay attention to lighting. It’s best if the light source is behind the camera.
Use something to stabilize the phone or camera if possible (ie: set it on a bookshelf or chair rather than just trying to have someone hold it stead for 3 minutes!)

Video Composition:

Video should be filmed horizontally rather than vertically (esp. important if using a smart phone to film)
Rule of thirds: point of focus should not be dead center
- Draw a # across the screen of your computer. Try to make the center of focus one of the four points of the center box.
- This effect can also be accomplished by having the speaker focus his or her attention to one of those points as if he/she was speaking to another person sitting in that space
Camera should be at speaker’s eye level or slightly higher
To help cut down glare (esp with backdrops or glasses) consider a camera angle 10-20° to the side
Be aware of where the speaker is looking. Shifting eyes (as if the speaker was reading a script) are distracting as are eyes that look over the audience or those that are looking down (so you can’t see they pupils).
“Talking head” videos are fine; it is better to be able to clearly see the speaker’s face than to get a feel for the backdrop of the video.

Other factors:

To ensure smooth delivery, presentation should be rehearsed several times prior to filming. Multiple takes may be necessary to end up with a quality final project.
Ensure that there are not awkward pauses, multiple verbal distractors/fillers (“like…” or “uh”)
Consider what is in the background; clutter and busyness should be minimized or eliminated.
Keep distractions such as fidgeting to a minimum.
Help may be available to edit videos (including super-imposing photos over the audio) if it is coordinated in advance with communications. However, the more you can do on your own, the better.

Sending the Video:

Once completed, videos should be saved in an MP4 format.