Department of Music Awards Video Guidelines

Guidelines for creating a video for the Department of Music Awards

  1. Pick a spot with the least audio background noise. If possible, use an external mic.
  2. Record in a well-lit space (usually, the more light on the subjects, the better).
  3. Film with as generic background as possible.
  4. Camera placement as close to the subjects which captures everything in the frame.
  5. Use something steady for the camera, so it remains stationary while recording.
  6. Film horizontally.
  7. Record quality: 720p-1080p.
  8. The preferred file format is MP4, M4A, or WAV (although anything VLC Media Player can play should work).
  9. Be sure to review your audio before submitting, and be aware of any background noise, interference, or quality drop.

Additional considerations:

Use a good quality mic if possible. Two options would be a Blue Yeti USB microphone or an SM58 into an audio interface can be found here.

A phone on a tripod can also make for a good camera if there are issues with either your built-in or external webcam. A useful guide for using your phone as a webcam across multiple platforms can be found here.

You can find a good starter tripod here.

Questions about this page? Contact rleigh [at] stanford.edu (subject: Dept%20Awards%20Video%20Guidelines) (Rowen Leigh).

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