Mobile/Camera recording

This is one of the most basic ways to create a video, by using a mobile phone or a camera. You can record yourself writing on a paper (even a blackboard) or make a live demonstration of an experiment.

The tools involved are very simple (mostly a basic mobile phone), but it is pretty difficult to get a decent quality of audio or images. There can be issues with lighting, the audio might not be clear or the camera might not be focussed at the right place. In our opinion, this option should be used only if there is no other possibility (except recording a live experiment).

If you have decided to take this route, please remember these two issues.

1. Focus: The camera should rarely move and it should be pointed at the place of action (your paper/blackboard). One possibility is to fix a mobile stand on a table.

2. Audio: Since your distance to the mobile (microphone) keeps changing, it might result in unclear audio. We recommend that you use a good external microphone, most of the handphones have one now a days.

Recently, Prof. J Ramkumar and Imagineering Lab (under the mentorship of Prof T V Prabhakar) have developed a tool, Mobile Masterjee, to ease recording of such lectures (video). It is a table stand with holder to fix mobile and space to fix paper. The mobile holder can be turned 360 degrees, allowing you to record paper (horizontal) or blackboard (vertical). Please contact Prof J Ramkumar (jrkumar@iitk) to get more details.