What is the peculiarity of preparing the room and appearance?

The specificity of preparing the room and appearance may not seem difficult at first glance due to the fact that the viewer will only see a small portion of the office or audience. However, the process requires a special approach - the image must be perfect, as online listeners often focus on details. Therefore, it is essential to approach webinar preparation responsibly:

1. Isolated room or space - such a choice will allow you to work without interference, there should be no noise, conversations, etc. If this is not possible, then be sure to consider such nuances as:

• Silence - turn off phones, warn colleagues about the start of the webinar broadcast, during which it is important to avoid distracting sounds, conversations.
• Use of headphones - headphones and a microphone are considered the most convenient and correct devices for conducting online classes.
• Focus on the presenter - be sure to check the image that will be broadcast, it is necessary to position yourself correctly so that other employees do not get into the frame, for example, do not sit near the entrance door used by surrounding personnel.

2. Background image - full compliance with the corporate style, absence of small details.

3. Lighting - good lighting will make the overall picture more high-quality. In case of insufficient lighting, even a good camera will not provide a normal image, so if there is no professional equipment, it is sufficient to use a regular desk lamp or bright light from the window.

4. Dress style - it is recommended to follow three pieces of advice:

• Solid colors - the webcam transmits them much better compared to colored ornaments.
• Exclude small patterns - checks or stripes can create interference during the broadcast.
•  Face and shoulders - these parts are most often in the frame, so they should be given special attention.

This preparation ensures a professional appearance and optimal conditions for conducting a webinar.

What is involved in technical preparation?

There are 4 conditions to follow for your online lesson to proceed smoothly, without interruptions:

1. Availability of a reliable browser, stable internet - the network must be secure, Wi-Fi in cafes is definitely not suitable. High speed - at least 1.2 Mb, and in the presence of a large number of listeners, it is best to use a wired connection. Google Chrome is the recommended browser.
2. Headset device - an external wired one, consisting of headphones and a microphone, and a webcam supporting HD, can provide the viewer with excellent image quality and will not unexpectedly discharge during operation.
3. Charger - it is best not to disconnect the laptop from the power source during the broadcast to avoid force majeure situations.
4. Display of materials - it is necessary to check the prepared files in advance by uploading and testing them.

What is the peculiarity of speech preparation?

Speech clarity and conversational skills are a special concern. During the webinar, the voice is the main tool of the presenter. Before going on air, it is important not only to rehearse your speech but also to consider the following factors:

• Avoiding monotony - create an emotional background by varying intonations, aiming for bright moments in your lecture. Determine points in the narrative where it is better to speak calmly or, conversely, faster, and where admiration may be required.
• Pauses - everyone perceives information differently; some find it easy, while others need time to achieve a clear understanding. The instructor must make pauses during their speech to ensure that everyone can absorb the material; otherwise, interest wanes, and the audience's concentration decreases.
• Gestures - open gestures help make the lecture more interesting and livelier. Before conducting, mirror your movements; they should not extend beyond the screen boundaries.
• Systematic voice work - perform mandatory warm-up exercises for your vocal apparatus before going on air. It's better to spend 10-15 minutes warming up; otherwise, during the performance, your voice may sound unnatural, too high, and you may experience quick fatigue.

How should an instructor prepare to record a video lecture?

Selection of Background

During the broadcast, no factors should distract the listeners. Therefore, it is essential to have a static environment and a subtle background. When selecting a location, it is crucial to choose a place that will look perfect on air without attracting viewers' attention. Before conducting the webinar, the following requirements should be met:

1. Room - the best option is a separate room or auditorium without unnecessary noise and sounds. If this is not possible, a small area where it will be as quiet as possible will suffice. Be sure to inform surrounding colleagues about the broadcast time and ask them to turn off their phones. A headset with headphones and a microphone is the best option for work. The positioning should be clear, avoiding intruders in the frame during online broadcasting. Assess the overall appearance - avoid being near, for example, the entrance door.
2. Background - conformity to style - corporate or business, excluding small details.
3. Chromakey - the standard is a green screen used in video recordings. It is processed in a special program beforehand, cutting it out and replacing it with your own image. The essence of technology lies in combining several frames or layers in one composition. If a person is considered an object, the main skin colors are red and yellow, and the hair is not green, so the green screen allows the editor to quickly identify everything that is not green as the object. The most popular color is green, but our experiments have also been conducted with red.
4. Lighting fixtures - to achieve the highest level of video quality, proper lighting is necessary. In the absence of professional equipment, a bright desk lamp or natural daylight will suffice. A ring light is currently a very popular device that is easy to install and use.

Thanks to the ring light, photographers can take high-quality photos without using special equipment. They simply purchase this device with normal parameters (diameter, power, quality), thus capturing content for various websites.

How to choose a ring light - main characteristics:

• Dimensions - the diameter of the outer ring is at least 45 cm or 18 inches.
• Power - from 35 to 96 watts.

Large models allow for convenient placement of the camera inside the ring and the microphone there as well.

Autonomous operation and batteries

An important aspect is the ability for the lamp to function autonomously. Is there an option to work on batteries or battery power to conduct a broadcast without a wired connection for at least a couple of hours? This type of operation is in demand for outdoor video shoots or home broadcasts. Also, remember that during the broadcast, you can easily get tangled in wires and accidentally drop the entire setup, thus interrupting the broadcast.

Selection of lighting during chromakey work

 Lighting fixtures are mounted in the direction of the chromakey from the right and left sides to achieve an even background. This type of lighting allows for sharp object contours, eliminates shadows, and folds so that there are no problems when separating from the background.

Preferences in Clothing

When choosing an outfit before the broadcast, consider 3 rules:

• Solid colors - the webcam perceives them most clearly.
• Check or stripe patterns - this type of ornamentation is contraindicated, as it may cause interference during the broadcast.
• Face and shoulders - the main focus during preparation is on this part, as they are the main components in the frame during the broadcast.

Sound

For proper sound recording, a lapel microphone is used. Simple recording through the camera is not sufficient - use the Audacity program to record on a laptop or smartphone.

 Overall Content of Lectures

For our videos, texts are prepared in advance, and recording takes place during the video broadcast. A laptop or tablet with the text is set at the same level as the camera, or rather the camera is placed directly on the laptop, so that reading appears natural, the eyes hardly move, and the gaze looks more natural, directed straight at the lens. If the text size is too small or not very clear, it is best to enlarge it. You can then see how webinars are conducted in the photos provided.

Microphone Selection

To publish a prepared course, it is necessary to correctly record the audio track, which should be reproduced through both speakers on two channels - the sound quality should not distract the learning audience. Under no circumstances should text-to-speech converters be used - students should and want to hear the real voice of the instructor. Communication between you and the listeners should be lively.

Among the most popular microphone brands that reproduce sound in accordance with minimal standards, the following are chosen:

• BOYA BY series;
• BLUE YETI;
• Razer Seiren X;
• Samson G-Track Pro.

The use of these types of microphones is not mandatory. There are plenty of other ways to reproduce sounds suitable for your course. If you have any questions, the specialists of the Tecedu.Academy team are always ready to help, finding the necessary answers.

Requirements for Recording Soundtracks

When recording video, it is necessary to connect an external microphone to obtain a clean audio track without interference and extraneous sounds. Before starting, make sure that all equipment is working properly and that sound recording is in normal mode.

Video Shooting

To publish your course, you need at least 60 (sixty) minutes of video content with mandatory HD quality resolution of 720p and above.

We suggest familiarizing yourself with various types of cameras that have been used to shoot published Tecedu.Academy courses. This will help you determine how to record your course. Among the most popular are:

• iPhone - iPhone 4 models and newer;
• smartphone camera recording video in HD format with a resolution of 1280 x 720 and above;
• HD webcams;
• many models of digital SLR cameras.

If you have a device ready for shooting, be sure to check the system settings and see if there is an option to shoot in 720p HD resolution or higher. To do this, simply go online, enter the model's name, find the available resolution. If the data confirms that the camera can shoot in 720p HD resolution or higher, then the video playback will fully meet our requirements.

Screen Recording

 If you are recording your screen for your own course or are looking for tools for editing and exporting videos, we suggest using the following programs designed for recording screen and camera images for Mac or PC:

• OBS Studio;
• Movavi.

Video Editing

Unfortunately, it is impossible to place instructions on working with a video editor in this article due to its very large content, but we have selected the most important points and offer you to use our tips for proper file processing.

For video editing and exporting, the following programs are used:

• OpenShot - it is free;
• Adobe Premiere Pro;
• Movavi;
• iMovie (only for Mac).

For audio and video synchronization at the initial stage of recording, make 3 loud claps on the camera while the audio track is recording. By claps on the video, it will be easy to adjust the sound by moving the track to the corresponding fragment of the recording.

Software content for working with sound:

• Adobe Audition;
• Audacity.

Recommended parameters for finished material:

• quality - maximum (if available);
• codec: H.264, HEVC, ProRes;
• resolution settings - from 1920x1080 and above;
• minimum resolution values - 1280x720 (lower values are rejected);
• aspect ratio - 16:9;
• image orientation - only landscape (never portrait);
• frame rate - from 25 to 60 frames per minute (modern standard - output data recalculation at 30 frames per second);
• multimedia container: MP4 or MOV;
• file size - maximum 100 MB;
• duration - no more than 10 minutes.

Using video editing software, you will need to export your recordings into a video file.