Video Memories of Del

Tricks and Tips

Here is some useful advice on how to record great video to honor Del’s memory. You should send videos to DelVideos@NSScouts.org to share with other people who are remembering Del.

Some guidelines:

• Copyright: Please be respectful of copyright for images, video, text, and other intellectual property in your video. 
  • Generally, avoid music unless it is key to your message. 
• Recording: Most video is fine, but watch out for low resolution, or choppy video, muffled sound, and background noise.
  • Landscape 16:9: Record in landscape (wider than tall) in 16:9 format, at 1080 pixels or more wide.
  • Focus: Check the focus, especially if you are showing us an object, or you are moving during the presentation.
  • Tripod or helper: For a steady shot, enlist another person’s help to handle the camera, or put it on a tripod.
• Video: Most anything goes, but our target is 1080p to be shown on YouTube. 
  • Digital Camera: select 1080p or better if possible.
  • Phone Camera: generally the back camera provides better resolution. 
  • Webcam: host a meeting and record it, or use recording software. 
  • Watch: Make a sample recording and watch it.
• Audio:
  • Background Noise: minimize background noise.  Close doors and windows where appropriate.  Let others know you are recording.  
  • Your voice: Please use your own voice to tell the story, or get a friend to tell it to us.
  • Without music: please help us avoid copyright issues, unless you the performer and the music is an important part of your memory.
  • Listen: Make a sample recording and listen to it. 
• Transfer: We will be happy to accept your video via a file sharing service like OneDrive, DropBox, Google Drive, iCloud, we can provide a place to drop the file, or you may share to us.
• Tips:
  • Script: Most people will find writing a script helpful, even if they don’t read it word for word.
  • Practice: Record yourself.  Watch the recording. 
  • Lighting: Best is to use three lights
    • Two in front to either side, they cancel out each other’s shadows.
    • One from behind – above or below what the camera sees.  This makes you stand out from the background.
  • Background: Look at what is in your background, is it more interesting than you?  Does it tell the right story? 
    • Watch for sharp shadows they are usually distracting, and make swapping in a background harder. 
      • If you are using lights and the background is too close it may make strong shadows. 
    • If you want us to replace your background with something else, that is a possibility. 
      • Record yourself in front of a solid color object, far enough away that you don’t cast shadows. 
      • If you use a cloth watch out for wrinkles. 
      • We would probably put you in front of a scene from the T’kope Kwiskwis longhouse unless you express another idea or provide a picture or video.