Recording Video with a Smartphone

General Notes

1. Room conditions and preparation
2. Smartphone: general tips
a. Smartphone/camera: setup for a presentation
b. Smartphone/camera for recording written/graphic materials
c. Selbst-AufzeichnungSelf-recording
3. Notes on video upload
4. Additional links

General Notes

This guide is based on the scenario that you, as a lecturer, typically conduct a lecture using purely analog methods (chalkboard, whiteboard, transparencies, paper, etc.). If you use a digital presentation (PowerPoint, PDF, Keynote, etc.), it is recommended to record audio directly with your slides (optionally with video). You can do this directly in PowerPoint or one of the other authoring tools.
Smartphones generally offer good image and audio quality for your recording if the conditions are right (more on that below). Instead of a smartphone, you can also use a camcorder/video camera.
A traditional lecture of 60 or 90 minutes is not suitable for complete video recording. From both a technical and didactic perspective, you should divide your lecture into shorter sections for video recording.
Please also note the didactic guidelines for this type of recording here: (link to follow)

For this type of recording, three basic scenarios are conceivable:

Scenario A: You are visible in the video as the presenter along with your material, such as a chalkboard, flipchart, or whiteboard; i.e., similar to how you would appear in a lecture hall and interact with the chalkboard.
Scenario B: Only the teaching material is visible in the video; in addition to the larger surfaces mentioned, such as chalkboards or whiteboards, smaller surfaces such as an A4 sheet of paper on which you make notes or draw sketches during the recording would also be possible.
Scenario C: Only you as the presenter are visible in the video—here, it should be considered whether such a recording offers added value compared to an audio-only recording. This might be the case for introductory, welcome, or introductory videos.

Specific notes for each scenario are explained in sections 2 A – C.

1. Room conditions and preparation

Ensure there is enough light. You should conduct the recording in a room that is sufficiently and as evenly lit as possible. Avoid rooms that are too dark as well as isolated bright spots, so that both you and your material are clearly visible in the video and no content is overshadowed by too much light.
Note: Your eyes are better than any camera. Do not rely solely on your perception; always check how the recording appears on the screen.
Avoid all background noise that you can control—for example, running coffee machines, washing machines, or fans from devices located in the room. Close doors and windows to reduce street noise, if necessary.
Reduce echo in the sound. To avoid echo effects, the room should not be too large and should ideally not be empty. Bare walls are less suitable than walls with, for instance, a bookshelf in front of them, as bare walls reflect sound more strongly. Remember that echoes mainly occur in the direction you are speaking. Therefore, the wall behind the camera is the most important one that should not be completely bare.
Clothing: Avoid clothing with fine patterns or lines; these can cause distracting moiré effects in the video. Similarly, strong contrasts and colors can be distracting.
In a home office, a larger wall, a flipchart, or something similar can serve as a substitute for a chalkboard.
Ensure that handwritten text and drawings do not have lines that are too fine. Use a pen that is as thick and high-contrast as possible, and write/draw large enough.

2. Smartphone: general tips

Use the rear camera of the smartphone, not the front camera. The rear camera generally has a significantly higher resolution. Check the glass in front of the camera lens for any smudges and clean it if necessary.
Make sure to use the smartphone in landscape mode. This format is better suited for capturing the board and yourself in the picture together. Additionally, landscape mode is much more pleasant and functional for viewing later, as online video platforms and screens are designed for widescreen formats.
Ensure that the battery of the smartphone/camera is sufficiently charged so that you do not have to stop in the middle of the lecture.
Also, make sure there is enough storage capacity on your smartphone to save the video. Depending on the length and quality, these videos can be several gigabytes in size. As a rule of thumb, you can estimate that 10 minutes of recording will take up about 1 GB of storage space.
If possible, set the recording quality or video resolution to "HD" or "720p" instead of "Full HD" or "1080p" in your recording app/camera settings—this is sufficient for many recording scenarios and will save you a lot of time when transferring to your computer and/or uploading the video (see below).
A simple video edit is already possible in many smartphone apps, allowing you to trim the start and end of your recording.

2a. Smartphone/camera: setup for a presentation

The distance of the smartphone/camera should be far enough so that the board is fully visible and at least your face and part of your upper body as the lecturer can be seen. At the same time, the distance should be close enough so that there are no unnecessary empty spaces (walls, ceilings) outside the board visible in the image, ensuring that your board content remains easily readable.
Make sure that the smartphone is not set too low or too high. It should be approximately at eye level compared to the position you take in front of the board or whiteboard. Additionally, the camera should ideally be centrally aligned with the board surface (the camera angle should be 90° to the surface being filmed).
The smartphone should stand stably in a fixed position. If you do not have a tripod, you can improvise with household items, such as a stack of books on a table.
Make a short test recording to check all the mentioned parameters in the final video image. Ideally, use the test recording to transfer it from your smartphone to your computer as a trial (see below). On a larger monitor, you can identify potential issues (image/sound) much better than on a small smartphone display.
The beginning and end of your recording can be relatively easily edited. Therefore, take your time to find a comfortable position after starting the recording, and remain standing at the end of the video for a moment to wind down.
Keep in mind during your lecture: It is not a live situation. With major mistakes or errors, you can start the video over. Minor mistakes or slips can remain in the video—it's not about creating a perfect educational video.

2b. Smartphone/camera for recording written/graphic materials

Filming handheld should be avoided if possible, as it makes the video appear shaky and tiring to watch.
Try using "household items" to create a suitable setup so that your smartphone is centrally and stably positioned at a 90° angle to your notes: either above your notes if you're working at a desk, or like in Scenario A, in front of your notes if you're working with a vertical surface on/against the wall. The distance should also be chosen so that the content area is fully captured without wasting unnecessary space around it. Avoid tilting the camera angle relative to the sheet.
The lighting should be set so that the content is bright enough and readable without being overexposed. On many smartphones, you can adjust the aperture of the integrated camera by tapping on the center of the area to be filmed on the screen. You can also hold the tap briefly to lock the aperture.
You can achieve better audio quality during recording by using a headset, which usually comes with most smartphones (headphones with a microphone).
Again, remember: It is not a live broadcast; minor mistakes are acceptable in the final video. If there are major errors, you can start the recording over. These videos can also be roughly edited independently on a smartphone if necessary.

2c. Selbst-AufzeichnungSelf-recording

If you want to be the focal point and speak directly to the audience, you can also film yourself with the smartphone (without capturing additional content).
Pay attention to the guidelines in Point 1 regarding room, lighting, sound, and clothing. Particularly focus on advantageous lighting: Use natural window light when there is no direct sunlight. A window itself should not be visible in the video, as it is too bright. A bright light source (e.g., a window) behind you also disrupts the brightness balance of the image.
Also use the rear camera of the smartphone here, as the recording quality is significantly better. Test the distance and position of the camera beforehand to ensure you are clearly visible in the frame during recording.
Use the smartphone's camera in landscape mode here as well for a more appealing image.

3. Notes on video upload

Depending on the manufacturer, you can transfer videos from your smartphone to your computer in different ways. With an iPhone (iOS), this can be done via synchronization with the Photos app; videos transferred this way can be copied into other folders on the desktop via drag-and-drop from the Photos library. On Android devices, transfer is possible via a cable connection to the computer.
Keep in mind that due to the file size of your recordings, both the copying processes and uploading the files to the internet can take a considerable amount of time.
Alternatively, you can use any cloud apps available on your smartphone to transfer the video file to your computer and from there upload it to UHH platforms such as Lecture2Go.
Another way to transfer your recording is by uploading it to the Regional Computing Center's (RRZ) Attachment Service. Access the portal directly from your smartphone's browser (see link below) or search for it online; you will need your B-Kennung (B-Number) and password to log in. However, the upload is limited to 700 MB per file here, and each upload is automatically deleted after 1 year.
- RRZ Attachment Service