I am currently pre-recording lectures for a second course, having done one last term as well.
I thought I would share my set-up, offering you a chance to imagine the magic taking place.
Desk/equipment configuration
The first here view of the desk and equipment from an angle.
The first thing I would point out is that I have raised both my laptop and the monitor behind up on boxes and books.
The aim of this is to make sure that the camera is at eye-height.
As the camera is at the top of the laptop, having the second screen peering over it means that I don't have to look too far from the camera to view the information on the monitor.
Basically, I've got my script/prompts directly above the camera.
Screen configuration
I put the PowerPoint slides on the laptop and the presenter view in a window on the right side of the second screen to indicate what the next slide will be. To do this I start the presentation, then in the presenter view there is an option to 'swap screens' which puts the slides on the laptop and the presenter view on the monitor. Then I take the presenter view off full screen so that I can make it smaller and move it to the side.
I like to have the Panopto/Replay window on the left-hand side of the monitor. Then I can press record and see the time recorded and the image of myself to make sure it is working.
After pressing record on Panopto I then get the document to the front, get the cursor down to the presentation and click on that so that it will respond to my clicks thereafter.
Then I make sure I am smiling at the camera before welcoming everyone to the video.
Setting it all up in these ways is a bit of a faff of course. It takes a little while to get everything in place, but I think it is worth it. Once it is all set up everything is right where you need it and you can just go through your presentation without too much difficulty.
So that is it! That is the way I've been setting up for my lecture recordings.
What do others think? Does anyone have any thought, suggestions, tips or tricks?
