Innovations in the world of technology mean you can now work from your home office and still keep in touch with all your employees. As long as you are connected to a network and own a webcam, then you can maintain communication with employees at all times. However, for you to communicate clearly and without interruptions, you need to prepare the equipment and video environment. This is action goes a long way in making sure the sound and video are of high quality. In this article, we will take you through some of the important considerations for a remote work video.
Table of Contents
Choose The Perfect Camera
First things first, you need to choose the perfect camera for remote work. If you happen to own a Personal Computer, then you can use the in-built camera. Unfortunately, an in-built camera means you are stuck with the position of where your Personal Computer is. Worse, it does not deliver the best video quality thus giving your viewers a hard time.
Even though you may end up breaking the bank, an external webcam would be the best option. Simply look for a webcam that suits your set budget and you are good to go. When out shopping for a new webcam, you should always prioritize the resolution. Look for a webcam having a video resolution of 720p or even higher.
In addition, you need to consider the frame rate, which is usually measured in frames per second. Keep in mind low frame rates produce videos that freeze periodically on your screen. This is definitely going to cost you big time especially when you are trying to earn a living using your webcam. Go with webcams having a frame rate of 30 fps or more to stream videos without facing any issues.
Focus On The Sound Quality
The sound quality of your video call is just as important as the video quality. After all, there is no way the person on the other end is going to hear you clearly if the sound quality is poor. For you to optimize the sound on a video conversation, you can consider investing in an external USB mic. With so many makes and models out there, you are always going to find an affordable one.
Alternatively, you can try having the video call in a room that is free of noise and fewer hard surfaces. Avoid rooms having high ceilings or empty walls since they tend to hinder the sound quality. Instead, have the video call in a room with soft furniture to reduce the echo thus making sure the person on the other end hears you more clearly.
Think About Your Environment
Whenever you are on a video call, people will not only see and hear what you have to say but also notice your room and background. If you did not think about your environment before going live, then it is definitely going to act as a distraction. So, try to set up the room in a manner that does not shift the attention of your audience. Furthermore, you need to lock yourself in the room since your child or someone else might enter while in the middle of a video call.
Some people prefer adding a little of their personality on the wall. This is certainly going to turn out perfectly as it tells more about the kind of person you are. However, you need to make sure it is not distracting. If possible, you can leave some space between you and the wall behind you to avoid looking like you are having the video in a closet.
Lighting
How you choose to light up the room can end up affecting the quality of your video conversation. If the room is not properly lit, your webcam will try to compensate thus making the video worse. You should therefore help your camera improve the video quality by lighting up the room sufficiently. The easiest way to pull this off successfully is to face a window. Alternatively, you can invest in lighting equipment such as a small LED light thus improving the quality of your videos.
Place Your Camera In A Strategic Location
Finally yet importantly is how you choose to place the webcam before starting a video conversation. Regardless of whether you want to keep the gay chat going or hold video meetings with your employees, you should keep a close eye on the height and angle of your webcam. If you are relying on the in-built camera of your Personal Computer, you can simply stack it up with some books. Keep in mind a detached camera is quite easy to position thus saving you the hassle.
Either way, you must always place yourself both vertically and horizontally in the center of your webcam. After all, you do not want the audience to look up your nose during the entire video call simply because the webcam setting is too low. The same case applies when the webcam is positioned far away since you will appear small. Be sure to place the webcam in a position that does not distort the image at all costs. A perfect view should be just above your head thus giving your audience an easier time.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning to work from home, you should always remember to take video, sound, and presentation very seriously just like you would have done in real-life. After all, your audience needs to perceive you as a professional rather than a person who is new at holding a remote work video. So, start by investing in a high-quality webcam after which you can look for an external mic. For those who are running on a low budget, then the in-built camera in your Personal Computer can still prove beneficial. As for the sound, you can have the video in a quiet room or use a headset having some level of noise cancellation.