LIGHTINGFilming in a bright space is one of the most important steps to creating a beautiful video, especially if you’re using a smartphone. A well-lit video communicates professionalism, enhances the subject, and helps ensure that the video quality is clear and not grainy.

Find a place in your home near a window that receives bright, natural light and film during the time of day that the light in that room is brightest. Artificial light should be avoided unless you have professional studio lights. You may need to play with angles to achieve the best lighting; sitting perpendicular to or facing the window helps ensure that your face is lit from the front and not behind (if the light source comes from behind, your face will be in shadow). Be mindful of glare or reflection on book pages. Harsh, direct sunlight should also be avoided.

WARDROBEWhen choosing an outfit to film in, consider how you would normally present yourself for work. Choose a library-appropriate outfit with solid colours or subtle prints. Loud prints, logos, graphic t-shirts, and large pieces of jewelry that jangle and make noise should be avoided. Appearance should be neat; remember certain elements can prove distracting on camera. Review how your outfit looks on camera and adjust it if need be.

CHOOSING A LOCATIONFind a calm, clean space to film in that puts the focus on you, the subject. Avoid cluttered rooms and distracting backdrops like messy shelves or colourful artwork. If you are filming yourself, ensure that the space behind you is neat and free of unnecessary objects. A tidy space with minimal, neutral décor is fine. If you do not have a space like this, clear a spot in front of a blank wall to film — but do not stand or sit directly against the wall, as this will feel unnatural and stiff. Leave a few feet of space between yourself and the wall.

TIPS FOR FILMING YOURSELF

NOT IDEAL: CLUTTERED SPACES IDEAL: A CALM, CLEAN SPACE

FINDING THE RIGHT POSITIONIf you are filming a storytime or rhyme, find a sitting position that allows you to move naturally but also looks good on camera and ensures that the viewer can see everything going on. Maintain good posture but try to relax your shoulders and arms to avoid looking nervous or stiff. Even if you feel nervous, just fake some confidence with a smile! Be generous with your facial expressions, look directly into the camera lens, and your nerves won’t come across at all.

SETTING UP YOUR CAMERASetting up a camera or smartphone at home for filming can be tricky if you do not have a tripod, as we want to avoid camera movement. Try balancing your camera or phone on a window ledge, a bookshelf; anything that ensures it won’t fall but can still capture a good angle. You may need to get creative! Experiment with different height levels and objects to place it on top of. If you have a good camera with filming capabilities, please choose this over a smartphone. Be sure to film on the setting with the highest resolution for good video quality. Note: our videos are usually viewed on YouTube and Facebook, so please film horizontally rather than vertically.

BAD ANGLE

WAYS TO SET UP YOUR CAMERA

BAD LIGHTING BETTER ANGLE & LIGHTING

VOICE AND VOLUMEBuilt-in camera and smartphone mics aren’t great, so it’s important to speak clearly. Use warm, friendly tones and enunciate. Re-watch your video and pay attention to the sound — are you easy to understand and loud enough to hear without having to turn the volume all the way up? Make sure that there is no ambient sound, such as children’s voices, heat turning on, dogs barking, doors closing, etc. You should be the only sound in the film.

THE FILMING PROCESSTry to film everything in one take if you can. However, if you make a mistake and need to restart, we can edit the video for you, so don’t worry too much about getting it perfect the first time — just keep rolling and start your routine over. You may need to film a few different takes, but you may find that your routine looks more relaxed and natural with each take. Additionally, be sure to leave a short pause before and after your routine for editing purposes.

AUDIO RECORDING (NO VIDEO)If you are creating an audio recording (no video), there is an important step you should take before recording. In your voice memos or sound recording app, please ensure that you are creating a lossless file. On iOS, this is achieved in the system settings for the Voice Memos app. If you are uncertain whether you are recording a lossless file, export a test file. A lossless file always ends with either a .wav or .aiff suffix. Lossy files such as ones that end with .mp3 and .m4a are compressed, meaning they cannot be edited as easily as their lossless counterparts.

NEXT STEPS: DELIVERYAfter you have finished filming/recording, re-watch/re-listen to your footage and select the best takes. Import your files to a desktop computer using your phone’s charging cable (or camera cord as applicable), and send them to bryce.maruk@calgarylibrary.ca via an online file transferring service such as WeTransfer (free option available), PCloud (free option available), or Microsoft OneDrive (available through your calgarylibrary.ca work account or other City of Calgary accounts). Please include a separate document with the file transfer that has a list of the books, songs, and rhymes you included in your videos.