Experiment with Video Quality

Producing high-quality video with a handheld camera like the Kodak zi8 can be difficult, but certainly not impossible. In class, we learned certain techniques that provide better light and sound quality for our videos. To test these techniques out, we went into the field and filmed interviews in various places across campus.

First, we went to the steps outside of Drown Hall. The light was nice here (it was an overcast day) and the sound quality was pretty good because the stone of the building seemed to absorb the sounds of the road on the other side.

Second, we went to Upper UC. Since it was after the lunch-time shuffle, the audio quality was not terrible, but certainly not great. The lighting looked good, but it will be hard to tell until we edit the video.

Third, we went to Ulrich by the mailboxes. We interviewed a girl sitting by the windows in the back, which gave us the challenge of natural light indoors. Though we stood with our backs to the window and made the girl look toward the light, she still appeared washed out and the lighting was a little uneven and unflattering. The sound quality here was also terrible, since there were groups of people shouting all around the room.

Finally, we went to Maginnes. We filmed two interviews here, one in the Dean of Students office (a small office with no windows) and one in a brightly lit classroom. The fluorescent lighting on the DOS office was terrible, and although the sound was pretty decent, the lighting was completely off. The classroom footage, however, turned out surprisingly well. The lighting was even and the white in the room served as a great contrast against our subject. Since the room was small, but not too small, the acoustics were great and the audio seemed to be perfect. Again, we must wait until we edit the footage in order to determine the exact quality of our shots.

For the rest of the assignment, we will be going out and shooting over the weekend, then editing it and posting the final project on our blogs, so look for that in the coming days.