Higher production value whiteboard videos for college and university courses

In two previous posts, I shared about "quick and easy" whiteboard videos and "structured and optimized" whiteboard videos for higher education asynchronous instructional settings.

Here, I'd like to share some moves to increase the production value for both the "quick and easy" approach as well as the "structured and optimized" approach. Here are the three areas that will be explored:

• Workstation setup
• Quick and Easy Recording via your web-conference solutions
• Structured and optimized post-production with movie editing software

Workstation setup

All of this gear might seem like way too much to want to deal with, but I am certain that small improvements in video and audio make a huge difference to audiences (live or via recording).

I use Canon's EOS Webcam utility (PC or mac) to enable me to use a 3 year old SLR (Canon EOS Rebel T5 with a Canon Lens) as my webcam. I have it set to video mode, plugged in via USB to my computer, and plugged into a power source (my battery was not in great condition). It's sitting on a small desktop tripod. I also am using a Newer ring light (which was sent to me as a gift) on a regular tripod with a 'gooseneck' extension for the small bend.

I am using a Yeti Blue USB microphone set to the 'Cardiod' setting.

Here is what it's like before (desktop webcam, desktop microphone, no lighting).

And here is what it looks like with the external camera and mic and lighting

"Quick and Easy" Recording via Zoom

If I am making a quick and easy whiteboard video and I want to utilize my camera and microphone setup to the fullest, I'll do the following steps:

1. Launch a new meeting in Zoom (a one-person meeting)
2. Share my screen (EE in a browser or via my iPad)
3. Record the meeting to the cloud

I'll lose the ability to edit my whiteboard video if I am not also recording those interactions, but that's ok because I want it to be quick and easy. In the end, I'll post the link that Zoom generates for me on my LMS page (and not an Explain Everything Link).

Here is what the linked video file would look like:

Post-production with iMovie

If, as suggested in a previous post, you write out your script/talking points in full sentences, you can create two separate recordings. One will just be the whiteboard visual actions, and the other will be a 'talking head' video  where you look at the camera and read from your script. In a video editing tool like iMovie, you can cut to and away from your main video as deemed effective. This requires of course both additional time for recording and editing (and some basic knowledge of timeline editing in a video editing tool).

Below is a snippet of what the video output could look like.

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