The Student Digital Life team is proud to present the new Streaming & Recording Studio (SRS), which complements its existing array of production and conferencing spaces within the Woodruff Library Learning Commons. In response to demand from students for an easy-to-use “YouTube studio,” the SRS was initially conceived pre-pandemic as a space to record and/or stream high quality videos while seated at a desk, speaking directly into a camera. As the pandemic progressed and remote communications became the norm, the need for this same setup for high-quality video conferencing added an extra level of urgency. Building off our original design, we opened the SRS in Spring 2021 to provide all on-campus students, faculty, and staff a place where they can record or stream themselves in a professional and reliable setting.
SRS features state-of-the-art video, audio, and lighting equipment configured for easy use with no prior training. The 4K/HD Sony camera, with its wide-angle lens and excellent autofocus, does not require any user adjustment. A hands-off boom microphone provides incredible sound quality while staying out of the shot. The studio lighting can be adjusted with a quick press of a button, while the studio background can be lighted with any color with a simple push of a slider. The studio’s computer has a variety of software for videoconferencing, recording, and streaming. A large teleprompter screen can display either the camera or the computer feed, allowing users the option of addressing their remote audience, reading a teleprompter script, or scrolling through presentation slides all while maintaining eye contact with the camera.
We recommend using SRS for:
- Presentations in which you want to share slides with your audience while reading your notes off the teleprompter simultaneously. Present live or use the studio to record yourself in advance
- Recording high-quality videos while sitting behind the desk and looking at yourself in the teleprompter. The desk space can be used for a demonstration, such as for a class project or a review of a product.
- Recording a video interview of a guest, as the setup allows for several seated participants to be captured
- Recording a software training video that captures the computer display and, if desired, the presenter in a picture-in-picture (PIP) mode
- Participating in a Zoom, Teams, or Skype meeting in which a professional studio setting or stable wired connection are desired
- Streaming a video gaming session while also capturing the player in PIP mode
The studio is open daily and available for reservations via sdl.emory.edu Training is available on request. More information about SDL’s other studios—Student Production Studio, Music & Audio Recording Studio, and One Button Studio—is available at the same page.
By Tara McCurley and Alex Kyrychenko