Creating a technology video is a great way to promote a technology, particularly when “seeing” is more powerful than “reading.” In the previous two posts I discussed general and technical tips for a video project. (In case you missed it, click here & here to read the blog posts!) In the final part of this series, I will share a few “war stories” from my experience. Hopefully you will find these examples helpful when creating your own effective technology video. Anecdote 1: Working with Deceptively Noisy Locations During the planning stages for the Beast Surgery Support System video, I exchanged emails with the tech’s inventors and we agreed to film in an operating room at Emory Hospital. This location seemed like a great idea on paper, but once we began filming I quickly realized that there was a rather loud air-conditioning in the operating room as well as a hollow echo that would interfere with the audio. With nowhere else to go and limited time, we filmed demonstrations of the tech in the operating anyway. While reviewing the footage, I realized most of the audio was entirely unusable because of the background noise and echoes. I wasn’t the only one
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Lessons learned from creating video technology briefs.
The Making of a Video Tech Brief: Part 2 Technical Tips
Creating a technology video is a great way to promote a technology, particularly when “seeing” is more powerful than “reading.” Last week I discussed general tips for a video project. (In case you missed it, click here to read the blog post!) In part 2 of this series, I will discuss the more technical side of creating video tech briefs. Hopefully you will find these pointers (many learned through personal trial and error!) to be helpful in creating your own effective technology video. Technical Tips This may be completely obvious to many, but before meeting, check the battery levels for all the equipment. Also, be sure there is an SD card in the camera or bag and that it has enough space. Bring spares! If possible, film and photograph the invention by itself. Record extra video of the location, inventors, and invention which can be very useful during post production. During filming, ask that the inventor(s) look at the camera lens, rather than you. Avoid looking directly at them while filming; this causes them to focus on you rather than the lens. The best way to achieve this is to place yourself directly next to the camera at eye level.
Continue readingThe Making of a Video Tech Brief: Part 1 Project Tips
Creating a technology video is a great way to promote a technology, particularly when “seeing” is more powerful than “reading.” In this three part series, I will discuss two sets of tips (general and technical) and lessons learned (many through personal trial and error!) that may be helpful in creating your own effective technology video. Project Tips Prepare 2-3 questions prior to your interview. Don’t forget a question about the tech transfer office and their contribution(s). Often, you will get much more than you need from just a few questions. Keep an eye on how “technical” or jargon-filled the language of the interviewee is – if necessary let them know they are speaking to a broader, more general audience. Be sure they talk about the technology’s benefits over existing technology/practices and about the future potential or development path of the technology. Scheduling can be a challenge as faculty and students are very busy people! Suggest a place where the technology can be used in a more visually interesting location. Conduct the interview in a quiet place where they can sit and speak; this practice will provide the best audio for voiceover as well as video clips for transitions. Don’t forget
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