Educational Video Production
The format of the recording is agreed upon between the studio technician and the service requester. Thanks to the software tools used, we are not limited to fixed visual styles; however, being overly creative is not always the best approach, and it is advisable to follow proven visual formats described in the sections below.
Speaker
Depending on the specific educational material, the speaker may either stand or sit at a desk with their computer in front of a gray stage background. A green screen may also be used to replace the background with a presentation or other graphics—thanks to preview monitors, it is possible to interact with the background. For writing, the speaker may use a tablet connected to a computer, or a Light Board—a glass board written on with glass markers, allowing the speaker to face the audience while writing.
AV Sources
The primary AV sources are the output from the camera capturing the speaker and the output from the speaker’s computer, where they present educational materials or use a tablet to create handwritten notes. Additional sources may include presentations, videos, images, or web pages provided by the speaker to the technician before recording, which the technician can incorporate into the video (either live during recording or later in post-production).
Graphics
By default, generic faculty graphics will be used. The requester may provide custom graphics after consultation with the technician. The requester should ideally provide all graphic text content before video production begins.
In general, the following graphics can be used in educational videos:
- Background Graphics – Graphics used as a background when displaying multiple sources on the screen. They should not be overly complex or contain too many colors so as not to distract the viewer.
- Lower Thirds – Displayed temporarily in the lower part of the screen, primarily to introduce the speaker and guests.
- Lower Bar – A strip displayed at the bottom of the screen, either permanently or temporarily. It may be used to display links to additional educational materials, references to the example currently being discussed, etc.
- On-Screen Graphics – Can take various forms. In educational videos, for example, this may be a colored box containing supplementary information related to the topic being discussed.
- Intro and Outro - Graphics displayed before and after the video. They typically contain the title of the educational video and the speaker’s name. They may be static or animated.
AV Source Layouts
Despite the great flexibility in arranging AV sources within the video frame, the following layouts are recommended.
- Full Screen – A single source occupies the entire video frame; when multiple sources are used, the video switches between them using standard cuts. This layout is suitable when switching between sources will occur only occasionally.
- Two Equally Sized Sources – The video frame contains two equally sized areas displaying AV sources, with graphics underneath. This layout is suitable when the viewer should pay equal attention to both sources (e.g., two speakers—one local and one remote). Maintaining a 16:9 aspect ratio for both sources also creates a significant amount of unused screen space occupied only by background graphics.
- Two Unequally Sized Sources – The video frame contains two differently sized areas displaying AV sources, with graphics underneath. This layout is appropriate when one AV source is more important than the other, making it important to preserve its readability and avoid drawing too much attention to the secondary source. For example, when the speaker is writing code on a laptop—the speaker appears in the smaller area while the code occupies the larger area. There is less unused space than in the previous layout, but some still remains.
- PiP (Picture in Picture) - One AV source occupies the entire video frame, while the second appears in a smaller area, for example in a corner, overlapping part of the primary source. This layout is suitable in situations similar to the previous layout. There is no unused screen space, but the smaller AV source may cover important information in the larger source.
When using a green screen, it is possible to place an AV source (typically a presentation) directly behind the speaker.
Preview Monitors
The studio contains preview monitors that allow the speaker to see an approximation of the final video output. These monitors are essential when using a green screen because they enable the presenter to interact with the composited content. By agreement with the technician, other content may also be displayed on the monitors, such as speaker notes, a timer, etc.
Outputs
The output may be either a standalone educational stream, a recording of educational material, or both.
Video
The video length and resolution (Full HD or 4K) are determined in agreement with the requester. Immediately after recording, the speaker and technician will agree on which parts of the recording should be included in the final video. Post-production time depends on the selected video format and the studio workload, but is typically completed within 14 days. The video is delivered through the Microsoft SharePoint service.
Stream
The studio can stream to any platform capable of receiving an RTMP signal (YouTube, Microsoft Stream, Twitch.tv, etc.). If the target platform is not the faculty’s YouTube channel, the requester must provide the RTMP ingest URL and stream key. Depending on the selected platform, the requester may also choose the resolution (Full HD or 4K). It should be noted that producing a professional-looking live stream requires significantly more preparation and effort than recording a video—all materials must be delivered to the technician in advance, and there is no possibility of corrections during the stream.