I have spent the last few years of my life working in the media services department of OIT at the Westminster Campus. Westminster is a very unique school in that it is all music. Period. You have three principal instruments (voice, piano, and organ) and every major the college offers is based around those principles. One of the major questions I am always asked here is, “How do I video record my lessons for my students to watch and evaluate?” With digital recording becoming more and more prevalent there are a now a multitude of options for each professor to look into.Please note that before we begin: 1 These are not all of the solutions possible. These are just a few ideas that I have tested and found successful. 2 These are not at all official OIT recommendations, again these are just a few methods I have put together that I have personally found success. 3 This is not a step by step guide to setting these methods up. This is merely an overview to the components and concept of video recording.
1. The “Tried and true” method
Components: 1 Video camera with an A/V output
1 DVD recording deck
1 T.V. monitor
Method: This approach is a classic recording setup and one that is used a lot at Westminster. Simply use an A/V cable from the camera and plug it into the DVD recorder. Then take the DVD recorder and plug it into the TV (so you can see what you are recording. The student brings along a DVD per lesson. They pop it into the DVR recorder, hit record and they are on their way. When done they finalize the disc and it is theirs to keep/use
Pros:
Cheap cost to the student: A blank DVD costs around 34 cents a disc. Not too much strain for a student to buy.
Universal: Once that disc is finalized any DVD player should be able to play it.
Cons:
Bulky and space consuming: At Westminster, most studios fall into the 10 foot by 10 foot range in size. Using this method will require at least a corner of your room dedicated to this type of setup. With the addition of cables running between each component this also can be a problem when trying to move around the room
Finalizing: Most teachers at WCC have their lesson schedule back-to-back-to back throughout the day. Finalizing a disc on some DVD recorders can take upwards of 10 minutes, which is time neither the student or teacher have. Of course there are exceptions to the rule with this but then you begin to see a significant increase in the cost of the recorder.
DVDs are fragile: At least once a week I have a student come to media services asking if we can fix their DVD. Looking at the bottom of the disc I can tell it was in their backpack for at least 2 days with no case or cover on it. Once a DVD is scratched deep, it becomes very difficult to reconstruct or fix the data on the disc.
2. The “Gadget” method
Components: 1 Pocket camcorder (For this post I am going to use the Flip series as my example. There are a lot of similar pocket camcorders available)
Method: Students are asked to buy a Flip camcorder. Ranging from $100 – $200. These camcorders are very small, lightweight, and easy to use. Pocket camcorders record to a build in drive on the camera so there is no need for tapes (or finalizing during the lesson). The student brings the camera, records, then brings the camera back home to copy over to their computer.
Pros:
Quick and simple: This approach puts the student in the driver seat of their lesson reviewing. They can choose to edit the lesson on their computer, keep it on their computer, or burn it onto a DVD at their leisure (one student I worked with who uses this makes a monthly “Mix DVD” of her lessons to catalog).
No tape, no components: As I mentioned earlier, space at Westminster is a premium and the Flip camcorder takes up very little room when operating. The students do not have to worry about tapes, or any real moving parts. The batteries on the Flip are rechargeable (but not removable) and there is a USB connector built into the camcorder to connect it to your computer.
Good quality: Don’t let the small size and relatively low price (compared to older camcorders) fool you. The Flip records surprisingly well. The Flip (and its many similar competitors) have been able to cram good microphones and the ability to record in High Definition into a very small body. While HD lessons are not a necessity I consider them a luxury that you would be hard pressed to get with the “tried and true” method.
Cons:
Cost: Does every student have a few hundred dollars to spend on a camcorder? What happens if you are teaching a student who cannot? Do you buy a “classroom” Flip for them to use? Will other students get upset when they see someone using equipment they had to pay for?
The student becomes the master: While you can use the flip to record to a DVD recorder, I am not sure that students will want to buy both components. This leaves their handy laptops. For some this may prove to be quite a daunting task. It is easy for myself and for people who think of the younger generations to be “tech savvy” but some students just do not want to learn the ins and outs of video copying and editing. Sure the Flip comes with some easy to use “just plug it in” software but for some students this may be too much for them to work on their own.
With the Flip it is all about position: Some voice teachers just want a simple shot of the student during their lesson. Others like to have the camera zoom and pan to draw attention to other things. While the Flip has a good recording quality, the zoom leaves a little to be desired.The Flip, and most pocket camcorders, have a limited digital zoom that for some may just not be enough for lessons. The position of the camera can become very important with the flip since you cannot zoom in or out as much as a regular camcorder, and in some rooms it simply may not be usable.
3. The “Hybrid” method
Components: 1 SD Card Camera (For this post I am using the Canon FS200 as my example)
SD cards (student bought)
Method: Instructor purchases a SD Card camera. These cameras record to a removable SD card, and are about the same size as your typical camcorder. Students purchase the SD cards, pop in the card to the camera, record, then remove the card. The student is able to insert the SD card into their computer and able to copy, edit and burn at their leisure.
Pros:
Low cost for the student: The Canon FS200 costs from $200-400 total. The student side of the cost is about $40 for one single SD Card. That SD card can be used over and over again with no further purchases.
No tape, but better camcorder: For the person that is a traditionalist when it comes to camcorders, the FS200 has it all. You get the ease of SD card recording but a full digital and analog zoom. While it is not as small as a pocket camcorder we are here to record lessons, but take it wherever we go. The larger range of zoom will allow the teacher to place the camcorder wherever they want and still be able to zoom in quite well.
Better microphones: Since the FS200 has more size, they can fit better microphones into the unit. At Westminster this is a huge plus since we are a music school and the lesson has to have quality audio built-in.
Cons:
The computer becomes the obstacle: Much like the Flip you are going to use a computer to copy the video files and work on them. Students will also get a crash course in the ins and outs of editing digital video and for some it may prove too annoying to bother with. The Canon for example created .mod files for their videos. While in Windows 7 .mod is not much of an issue with newer Movie Maker programs. On a Mac you will have to get a converter in order to make it friendly with iMovie.
Smaller is not always better: One of the things students will inevitably is forget or lose their SD card. If you are a forgetful person like me who could forget to bring a laptop, a chip the size of a postage stamp may become your worst nightmare.
Again these are just a few examples of methods voice teachers can use to record their student lessons. My recommendation is first talk to OIT. We have both pocket and SD camcorders for faculty members to test out. Some people prefer the ease of a Flip, some the tried and true method works and if it isn’t broke don’t try to fix it. At OIT we came to the conclusion that the Kodak Zi8 which is a pocket-size SD camcorder was the solution we liked the best. Any of these options will work for your studio and if you need more help or advice we are always just a phone call away.
