Webcam Use For Recording Online Course Videos

Many instructors choose not to appear in courses at all and if they do, they do it minimally. Those instructors typically focus less on video equipment. I happen to be one of those instructors. I don't like appearing on video. I don't like appearing on video not due to shyness, but rather because it's easier to edit videos when I don't appear on them and because it's easier to edit, it's also easier to teach and present well while doing more vocal takes to sound better.

Even though many instructors don't like to appear in the videos, students like seeing the instructors so they can develop a relationship with the instructor. It just makes the course more personable. So a good solution to balance these issues is for the instructor to appear in the promotional video and the course introduction video. The instructor can also appear in a few of the section-introduction videos where there is less emphasis on teaching and presenting. A webcam or a camcorder can be a great solution for those instructors.

For instructors who like to appear in many of the videos, the options to record the videos are either with a smartphone camera, a camcorder, a webcam, or a DSLR-type camera. The camcorder and a DSLR camera give you options for more angles and distances. They are generally better to have than a webcam. But webcams tend to be a little cheaper. The phone cameras tend to be a little less good, but phone cameras can provide a good free option, especially if you don't plan to be on camera too much.

Today, the latest models of iPhone can create quite good video so if you already have a smartphone, you may not need to invest extra money into buying cameras. If you want to get better quality video, you can get camcorders or regular photo cameras that record videos. You can get great ones for under $700 but you can go up to incredible 4k and higher quality if you want to spend thousands of dollars. A webcam is a little cheaper and you can buy a good one for about $100-200. Of course, you can also use the built-in webcam of your laptop, but it's usually not great quality so that isn't a recommended option.

If you are just starting out, to save money you can first try recording with your phone. If you can't get the video quality you want with that, the next step is to buy a camcorder or a camera for around $400-700 which will likely fulfill all your video needs when it comes to online courses.

Whenever you get any piece of equipment, its quality is as important as you mastering how to use it. A good videographer with a mediocre camera is always better than a bad videographer with a good camera. So take the time to learn how to use your equipment to its full potential.

A webcam is great for recording the picture in picture video genre. The picture in picture genre is when you record something you are showing on the screen while also appearing on usually the bottom-right of the screen. Since the video of you is usually a small talking head video, you don't need the angle flexibility of a DSLR camera or a camcorder. So the webcam is a good option for that situation.

A webcam is great for recording the picture in picture video genre. The picture in picture genre is when you record something you are showing on the screen while also appearing on usually the bottom-right of the screen. Since the video of you is usually a small talking head video, you don't need the angle flexibility of a DSLR camera or a camcorder. So the webcam is a good option for that situation.

When using a webcam to record, there are two common errors people make. The first error is to put the webcam on a laptop or anything else at an angle that looks up their nose and shows their ceiling. It's best for the webcam to be eye-level. The second common error is being too close to the webcam which creates what's sometimes called the "fish view" where your nose is too close to the camera. To avoid this issue, keep the webcam at least 3 feet away from you when filming.

If you are filming your video from your webcam, it can also record audio. But you should almost never use the audio recorded by your webcam because the microphone in your webcam is typically poor quality. You must record the audio from a different microphone and sync the audio and video during editing.

There are many options for microphones you can use to record online courses. In addition to a microphone, to improve the audio quality, you can also use acoustic foam, a microphone mount, and a pop filter.

If you have a good microphone and a good camera, you need to sync the audio and video during the editing process. This is common. Only beginners take the audio and video from one source. To sync the video and audio, you will need video editing software. There are many free and paid options for the video editing software you can use.

It can take significant time to create your first course. Plus, your first course is likely to contain many mistakes that new instructors typically make. To avoid this, some entrepreneurs license pre-made courses instead of creating them from scratch.

With course licensing, you can white label online courses to resell overnight. The licensing is called PLR licensing. PLR stands for private label rights so you can present the courses to your audience under your brand. Here is more about PLR courses I have available. I offer 125+ of my courses and hundreds of additional courses by other quality instructors.

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I can help you set up your Elearning store and populate it with courses you license from me. You can franchise my Elearning business which will give you a website, courses, and ongoing coaching from me to support you as you get your business up and running. It's more pricey than just licensing courses, but more is done for you with the franchise model. You can also just get your white label online course platform with courses to resell which is the middle option between licensing and franchising.

If you want to license my existing courses, need custom course creation, need an Elearning website built for you, or just have questions, email me at:

alex.genadinik@gmail.com