When recording your video project, the location is the most important thing to consider. What spaces do you have access to (classroom/apartment, inside/outside, on-campus/off-campus)? Using a location that is outside of your everyday spaces might help your project stand out but it might also be more difficult to arrange or schedule. This section is to help you pick the best location for your project.
Light: What can you see?
The Type of Light: Natural or artificial, or, inside or outside?
Natural Light: The sun is a great source of light. However, like most free things in life, it comes with a catch. You can't control the weather or how the sun will behave during certain times of the day. Around noon, the sun can make really harsh shadows which are unflattering for people's faces. Alternatively, shooting near the end of the day can have beautiful lighting known as "golden hour" but it only lasts for a little bit of time.
- Artificial Light: These include sources like fluorescent overheads and tungsten light bulbs, which are not nearly as powerful as the sun but can be more easily controlled. For example, you can often move them around or turn them on/off. Keep in mind that fluorescent lighting often reads a little green on a camera and can be very unflattering when coming from directly overhead.
The Quality of Light: If the type of light is its source, then the quality of light can be thought of as its shape.
Direct light is when the light is unfiltered. It creates very harsh shadows and often can create shiny spots on people's faces. Sometimes you might want to create this effect on purpose, but it is often not the most flattering light.
- Diffused light is when the light is filtered. It creates soft shadows and spreads the light out across a surface, reducing "hot spots" that might cause people's faces to be shiny. Even the sun can be diffused on a cloudy day. For this reason, don't totally rule out natural light as a possibility for creating flattering light.
A great compromise can be to use natural lighting while indoors by setting up your shot near a window, which offers diffused light. If you do choose to shoot outside, make sure you're shooting somewhere comfortable for everyone. If you do choose to shoot indoors and there's no natural light available, try to find as flattering light as possible.
Sound: What can you hear?
Indoor vs. Outdoor
So in the same way there are pros and cons to indoor and outdoor lighting, there are similar considerations for sound. Ultimately it all comes down to control. You have very little control over sound outside.
Location Sound
- Take a couple of seconds and listen to your environment. If you're indoors, you might hear the hum of the air conditioner or the whir of a computer. If you're outdoors, you might hear the sound of traffic or a bird chirping. The sounds that exist in an environment can be thought of as the location sound.
- When editing together audio, it can be very helpful to have a clean sample of your location sound. So either before or after you begin your shoot, take about 30 seconds of audio where no one is talking.
- You can use this to cover up an interviewer's um's and uh's or place it under images that you've added that did not have sound.
- Remember, silence is never actually silent. Cutting out the sound completely can be very jarring. Often students will try to cover these gaps in the audio with music, but adding the location sound will make these transitions even more effective.
Things to avoid:
- Outdoors: Streets, areas with heavy traffic, industrial equipment, crowded areas, etc.
- Indoors: AC units, refrigerators, fans, not putting the camera directly on other electronic equipment (it’ll pick up the buzz).
Ideal Scenario: What can you do?
While no solution is perfect, there are a couple of ideal scenarios based on the location you choose to record in.
Indoor location:
- Somewhere that you can control the sound and the lighting in that space.
- Access to power (in case you need to charge something)
- Somewhere with a nearby bathroom that’s accessible.
Outdoor location:
- Somewhere quiet and removed from high-traffic areas (whether people or cars).
- Choose a time of day where the light is flattering and have a backup plan if the weather is difficult.
- Somewhere accessible that isn't too far for people to travel to.
