Shooting Best Practices

There are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when recording your Lightboard Videos.

• Stay close to the Lightboard. Moving too far away from the lightboard may cause you to plunge into darkness and also appear out of focus for the camera which is sharpest at the glass.
• Identify the Lightboard edges in the Preview monitor before you start. The camera frame may not be able to capture edge to edge of the lightboard.
• Try to keep your face in an open area while explaining things you’ve drawn. This allows students to engage  with you the instructor and ensures they can clearly see the writing.
• Point to your written content from off to the side of it. This will give students the best perspective to see what you’re talking about.
• Look at the camera. Think of the camera as your audience and engage directly with them whenever possible.
• Don’t cap the marker throughout the presentation. This can be louder than you think on the recording and may be distracting to viewers.

Things to remember

• Slow down. If you think you’re talking too slow, that’s probably perfect.
• Editing is inevitable. Don’t feel like you have to do the whole presentation perfect from end to end. If you stumble just pause for a few seconds and start from where you left off. You can edit out the slip ups in Panopto when you’re done.
• Practice ahead of time on a regular whiteboard to get the spacing of your layout sorted before you start.
• There’s lots of examples out there online so search for some ways people have used the lightboard in your discipline before for some great ideas.