When recording your video project, the location is the most important thing to consider. What spaces do you have access to (classroom/apartment, inside/outside, on-campus/off-campus)? Using a location that is outside of your everyday spaces might help your project stand out but it might also be more difficult to arrange or schedule. This section is to help you pick the best location for your project.
The photo on the right was taken from a video interview. What's wrong with the location? We'll talk about sound, lighting, and composition in a later section. For now, focus on the background and the location:
Too much going on in the background, which makes it distracting to watch
Other people in the background
We can assume there will be some background noise, because there are people doing things
There's a screen in the background! Avoid having a light source in your image, it will make the rest of the light strange. This includes projectors, lamps, and windows.
Generally you want a smaller room, so it doesn't have echos.
While no solution is perfect, there are a couple of ideal scenarios based on the location you choose to record in.
Somewhere that you can control the sound and the lighting in that space.
Somewhere with a solid, clean background
Access to power (in case you need to charge something)
Somewhere with a nearby bathroom that’s accessible.
Somewhere quiet and removed from high-traffic areas (whether people or cars).
Choose a time of day where the light is flattering and have a backup plan if the weather is difficult.
Somewhere accessible that isn't too far for people to travel to.
The photo below was taken from a video where the background was taken into consideration. It is clean, not distracting, and in a space that we could control the sound, lighting, and other parameters.