LFS:Courses/FNH381

Remote counselling

Free account allows for a 40min session
- Zoom occasionally adds time, but it's not clear when this will happen.
- Students recommend leaving the session and returning to the room if you need more time. Make sure to hit record again.
Recording the session will generate audio, video and chat recordings at the end of the meeting
- A folder will save in your documents folder on your computer
- Tips on recording and and how to spotlight speakers to control who appears on-screen during recording
You'll need to be the host and sign up for an account
- Your client can install the software or use a browser
- Your client can use a nickname and keep their camera off if they choose. They may also be able to call in
- Session passwords are strongly encouraged and a waiting room can be helpful
UBC's Student Guide to Zoom

If you end up with a video and need to generate an audio file

Mac: open the video in QuickTime Player, and go to File > Export As > Audio Only...
- You can also use the trim function this way to create an excerpt
Windows: open the video in MovieMaker, and go to File > Save Movie, and find the Audio Only option and click on it.
VLC will also do this in the Convert & Stream tool

Framing
- Whenever possible, try to bring the camera to your eyeline, this will ensure your looking directly into the camera and will offer both a flattering angle to view your face and will reduce strain comes with craning your neck upwards or looking downward.
- If you're on a web call, try to fill the frame with your head and shoulders, allowing a bit of room ("headspace") above the top of your head.

Lighting
- If you're in a room with a window or other strong light source, try to set up facing the light. If you have the light source behind you, your camera will often adjust to it and you'll end up a darkened silouette. If you have the light source on either side of you, you may find once side of your face blown out. Facing the light source allows your camera to adjust accordingly.

Background
- Ensure you minimize distracting elements in your background. If the backdrop is unavoidable, try using a virtual background for the video stream. If using a virtual background ensure that your lighting is good. Virtual backgrounds can be glitchy. At their best they are subtle, but done poorly they are disruptive to your video as the software calculates what is background and what is subject.

Headphones or earbuds can help with your sound quality. Even though Zoom and Skype are pretty good at knocking out incoming audio, it will still pick up notifications and other sounds your computer might make.
If you have a spare device, you can use it to record a backup of the call (i.e. voice memos on your phone)
If you have access to an external mic, try it out.
If you're noticing the audio dropping out, you can turn off video on your call, to devote bandwidth to sound quality.

Make sure to have enough memory and that phone is charged
- If necessary, delete older photos, videos, apps
  - One hour of 1080p video is ~10GBs
Go into Airplane Mode (or else you might record interferences on the audio)
Shoot horizontally not vertical (think of movies and your eyes)

Look into external mics
Equipment booking page
- https://booking.landfood.ubc.ca/fnh Click on Dietetics Equipment
- Off-campus, you'll need to use the VPN

Camtasia, while best known as a screencast recorder, also works well as a basic video editor
- Camtasia is available for all UBC students, faculty, and staff, and can be downloaded from Canvas
- You can use Camtasia to do basic edits and trim your video

Thanks! Duncan