Zoom arrived in our lives one day, and it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. With interviews, podcasts, and classes still being recorded out of Zoom meetings, our creators have had their share of editing Zoom content. To help you achieve a better result, our editor decided to share tips on how to succeed at Zoom.
Audio recording
Audio is the most delicate aspect of Zoom recordings. More than once people make noises near their mics, dogs bark, and trucks decide to parade just outside the window. You can improve the results by setting up for success from the application:
- Go to Zoom Preferences > Audio to ensure the app recognizes your mic. On the right, it should indicate the Audio Input
- Go to Suppress Ground Noise and activate Low
- In Music and Professional Audio, leave the Show in-meeting option checked
- Activate High-Fidelity Music Code
- Disable Echo Cancellation
- Go back to Preferences > Recording Settings, and activate Record a separate audio file of each participant.
Find a room completely sealed from noise to make the most of the raw audio. Adding a separate mic, instead of using the one installed in devices, proves helpful.
Background
Find a room with blank walls with solid colors. Zoom recordings can be challenging to viewers' focus; leave no room for distractions by choosing a calm and simple background, preferably a wall without textures and light color.
It should go without saying but stay away from the in-app backgrounds. Leave the green screen to James Cameron.
Camera Placement
Level your camera parallel to your face, make yourself the center of the screen, and leave room above you so your head does not get cut off mid-recording. You should be comfortable when you speak and be able to gesticulate; place yourself at a distance of at least 20 inches from the screen and shoot horizontally, unless shooting vertically is required. Thinking of the final product will help to decide how to film to give the editors room to do their job: make it all look harmonious.
Connections
You will need a strong, stable internet connection for the Zoom call to run smoothly, but one thing that will improve the post-production is you turn all the notifications off and silence your devices. It will help the speaker to keep track of what they are saying, and it will help connections to run smoothly.
Graphics
Think of graphics as the cherry on top of the editing process. Editors can put together a stellar video with the use of graphics. Starting with an intro could be a video of the presenter summarizing the zoom recording ahead, a logo animation, or motion graphics that serve to engage audiences at the beginning of the video. Then, the Zoom recording may require visual aid in the form of other videos, images, or charts relating to the topic.
At Creme we always encourage our clients to end their Zoom recordings with a simple outro reminding the viewers of their socials, channels for information, and contact addresses.
Zoom recordings will never beat an actual video production, but with the help of these tips and advanced editing, you can have a great piece in your hands.