Welcome to The Vault

This page contains video walkthroughs to help you record your video and audio confidently for your video.

FRAMING & WARDROBE TIPS:

Consider your background when thinking about what to wear. Make sure your outfit compliments or ‘pops’ from your background. If you have a dark background, avoid wearing a dark outfit that will make you blend in. In the same note, avoid positioning yourself where you’ll have a lamp or plant growing out of your head. A background that compliments your hair and skin tone works best. Look sharp, but be comfortable!

AUDIO RECORDING TIPS:

When recording audio, I recommend using the Voice Note app (iPhone) or any other audio recording app will work just fine!

Download the Google Drive app for iPhone or Android to most easily upload from your phone into the folder. This saves the step of having to download the file to your computer, then uploading it again.
Record in a quiet, indoor space, preferably using a lavalier mic or headphones. If you’re speaking directly into your phone’s mic, make sure you’re at least 6″- 8″ away and not too close to the mic as that can degrade the sound quality.
Record two or three versions of audio at slightly different speeds/tempos. For example, one at a normal speaking speed, then another a bit faster and upbeat. One long recording is fine!
Upload your audio file(s) into the shared Google folder.
Notify me by shooting me a quick email that your file has been uploaded.

VIDEO RECORDING TIPS:

Ensure your smartphone or camera is set to record in HD (1920 x 1080) and you’re able to shoot in a quiet, indoor space.
Check your lighting. Natural light is best, so if you’re shooting indoors, make sure to turn on some lights or move closer to a light source, if you can. Watch the lighting video below if you’ll be setting up lights and need some guidance.
If possible, use a lavalier mic for higher quality audio. Just double check that your camera has an audio input jack and it fits with this cable.
Record a test clip to ensure everything looks and sounds right. Once everything looks good, go ahead and record your entire script.
No pressure to get the entire performance perfect! We can piece your clips together in editing, so just make sure you give us clean full sentences. If you mess up, that’s okay! Just pause, and restart at the beginning of that sentence so we have the full, clean clip.
If you recorded using your smartphone, upload your video to our shared Google Drive using the steps in the walkthrough video below.
If you recorded using a webcam or camera, download the footage to your computer, then upload those files from your computer to our shared Google folder by dragging from your desktop into the browser.
Notify me by shooting me a quick email that your file has been uploaded.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you had any questions at all!

TIPS TO STYLE YOUR VIDEO BACKGROUND

Your background can make a big difference in the look and feel of your video. Let’s set you up for success with the right background!

TIMECODE:

00:31 : Balance & symmetry – how to correctly frame yourself on camera frame for the best looking results.

01:09: Shooting Corner to Corner – this method allows for the most depth in your shot.

02:03: Brightness & Contrast – this will help you to ‘pop’ on camera instead of disappearing into your background.

03:48: Complimentary Colors That Pop – this creates unison and cohesiveness in your look.

06:06: Finishing Touches – make sure your background is intentional. Make sure to remove plugs, cables, and anything that can look messy moved OUT frame before recording!

See My Recommended Camera Gear