With this kit, you’ll be able to create high-quality video recordings for your online courses from your home or office. This guide will take you through the setup for all the equipment in your kit, and provide resources for filming yourself remotely.
Start with choosing your space. Find a private, quiet area, with at least 8-9 feet of space in one direction to allow enough room to set up your laptop, background, and lighting. You will want to have a table or desk and a chair of your own incorporated into your setup as well. You will also need access to an outlet; plug in the included power strip, attaching it to the extension cord to bring it closer to your setup, if necessary.
Tip
As you unpack your kit, take note of how the items are organized. You can use your phone to take pictures of where and how the items are stored, to reference when you are packing up the kit to return it.
1. Desktop Setup
1.1 Laptop
Included in your kit is the HYPERSTAND desktop laptop stand. Refer to the included instructions to set it up; adjust the legs to find a height that allows your webcam to sit at about your eye level when filming.
- After setting up your laptop on its stand, plug the multi-USB hub into the laptop. Your webcam, microphone, and external hard drive will all plug into this multi-USB hub.
- Plug the laptop charger into the power strip, and into the laptop.
1.2 Webcam
Unfold the base of the webcam and set it up on top of your laptop.
Adjust the webcam using the foldable base until it feels secure, then tilt the webcam itself up or down to fine-tune the angle. Plug the attached webcam cord into a port on the multi-USB hub.
Tip
Make sure the webcam cover is lifted.
1.3 Microphone
Unfold the microphone’s three legs and set it up so the power button and volume knob are facing your mouth. Plug the cord into a port on the multi-USB hub, and the other end into the back of the microphone. Ensure that the microphone can’t be seen on camera.
1.4 External Hard Drive
Plug the cord for the external hard drive into a port on the multi-USB, then plug the other end into the hard drive itself. All of the footage you record will be saved to this external hard drive.
Questions?
If at any point you need assistance with setting up your remote video kit, don’t hesitate to reach out to your media program lead!
2. Surrounding Setup
2.1 Ring Light
- Extend the base of the ring light tripod and tighten the knob.
- Raise the extendable center column of the tripod until the top of the center column is just below where your eye level will be when filming.
- On the ring light, loosen the lowest knob until you can place the ring light on the center column; then, tighten the knob until the light is secure.
Tip
The ring light should be 3-4 feet away from your face.
- Plug the ring light power cord into the power strip, then into the ring light. Flip the power switch on the back of the light to the “on” position.
- Use the intensity adjustment knob to adjust the brightness of the light; on camera, you should be well-lit, but not washed out. Try adjusting the light with the camera on, to see in real time how the intensity of the light affects your shot. It’s not an exact science, so play around with it until you’re satisfied with your lighting.
Tip
If you wear glasses, try raising the light and/or moving it off center, until you have sufficiently reduced any reflection or glare on your glasses.
2.2 Background
Follow these written instructions, or view this video tutorial on setting up your background.
- To set up the base, fully extend all three legs by opening the locking clasp. Once extended, lock back into place. Pull the legs apart until they form a triangle, similar to a tripod.
- Place the silver end of the extension arms into the open slots on the top of the base. Make sure the arms are not extended and the hooks are facing forward.
- Locate the top of the backdrop (side with three grommets). Attach each grommet to the corresponding extension arm hooks.
- Open the locking clasp on the extension arms and extend them; the two outer arms should be extended to their maximum height, while the middle extension arm should be only extended to the point that best minimizes any wrinkling in the background.
- Locate the two lower backdrop grommets and attach to the base leg hooks.
To reduce the background’s footprint, loosen the center blue ring and adjust the rear leg inward; reduce the extension on the rear leg as it’s brought inward, so the background is kept perpendicular to the ground.
Tip
You should be sitting about one foot in front of the background.
3. Recording Your Videos
When you’re ready to start recording, open the QuickTime Player application on the desktop, and select File > New Movie Recording.
Next to the red Record button, select the arrow pointing down to open the dropdown menu. Make sure that the “Logi Webcam C920e” is selected under “Camera,” and the “Samson Meteor Mic” is selected under “Microphone.”
Use the red record button to start and stop recording.
Tip
Don’t worry about getting a perfect take! If you misspeak, back up a few sentences and try again; the media team will edit out any pauses or stumbles and stitch together the best parts of each take.
When you are done recording a video, select File > Save, locate the external hard drive, “Elements,” and select it as your save location.
You will also want to add a meaningful title to your video, particularly if you are filming multiple videos. Label it with your course abbreviation, the lesson number, if applicable, and the type of video (e.g., bl285-course-introduction, hwm700-lesson10).
4. Returning Your Kit
Disassemble your video kit, starting with the surrounding setup and ending with the desktop items. Return the pieces of the kit to their appropriate bags, referencing the included inventory sheet.
When everything is packed up, return the two bags to the container in which they were shipped to you. Remove the original shipping label and replace it with the included return label.
Use the UPS web service to select a pickup time for your package. Under the “Do you have pre-printed UPS Shipping Labels for your shipment?” question, select Yes. In the next section, fill out your name and address; you do not need to have or fill out a UPS account number.
In the “Service and Package Information” section, ensure that the “Package(s) in your Pickup” quantity is 1; check the box for UPS Ground under UPS Domestic Services. Under the question “Does your package contain items that weigh more than 70 lbs?” select No.
Finally, select a pickup time, day, and location that will work for you.
On the next page, under “Payment Information,” select “Bill to the receiver or third party.” Fill out the UPS Account Number XXXXXXXX and zip code 53715.
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Published on October 10, 2022 at 11:06:20 am CDT. Last modified on October 27, 2022 at 11:38:15 am CDT.