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Projects, ideas, funny things by filmmaker and photographer Christie Goshe

Remote Shooting How-To

Christie Goshe

Ideal set-up with phone mounted at eye-level next to a laptop computer.

Ideal set-up with phone mounted at eye-level next to a laptop computer.

What is remote shooting?

It’s basically when a video producer shows up to the Zoom party, and guides you through doing an awesome video interview and set-up.

Remote shooting could also be called “self-shooting” or “user-generated content.”

You’ll need 3 pieces of basic gear:

  1. phone

  2. tripod with phone mount

  3. lav mic (with the right connection for your phone)

It’s also helpful to have:

  1. natural light on your face (turn off overhead lighting)

  2. a tidy backdrop

  3. a chair to sit in

  4. a surface to put your laptop on that is about the same height as your phone

  5. bonus points: someone to help you (in which case, you can use the higher-quality back-facing camera instead of the front-facing camera)

To further increase quality, we’re going to have you record yourself directly on your device, instead of through the Internet. We’ll still use the Internet to video call you so we can see each other, conduct your interview, and “be in the same room.” Be sure to hit record on your device(s) when we start your interview (we’ll remind you, too).

Please fill out the Tech Questionnaire so we know more about the gear you’ll be using.

How else do you make your shot look really good?

Making Gorgeous Videos Guidelines

(read this and take the test at the bottom of the page)

Good audio is also a must.

Always use a mic.

If you have a newer iPhone, be sure to charge your phone up before your shoot. You will not be able to charge and plug your mic into the phone at the same time.

Make sure the battery is installed and the mic is turned on.

If you don’t have a lav mic, you can use headphones/headset that has an inline mic. Airpods also have a built-in mic.





Lav Placement:

Place the lav mic on the outside of your clothing. Just be sure it’s relatively near your mouth, and that nothing else will touch it (like hair or other articles of clothing). Please do not wear jewelry that makes noise. It’s also great to tuck the cable in and give the cable some extra slack (shown as a loop).

crew neck lav placement

crew neck lav placement

button-up lav placement

button-up lav placement

suit jacket lav placement

suit jacket lav placement

The remote filming set-up process

  1. Turn on Zoom recording permission for me (this is only so I can transcribe your interview immediately; these files are generally low quality so they won’t be in your final video edit).

  2. Tour us via Zoom around your house to show us the best potential shooting spots (they should be quiet, have natural lighting, and have a nice backdrop).

  3. Close windows and doors for noise. Open up curtains for ample lighting.

  4. Arrange a chair, the tripod, and laptop so everything is at eye-level.

  5. Mount your phone onto the tripod oriented landscape/widescreen and open the camera app. Put it into video mode. Use the front-facing camera if you are filming alone, so you can see yourself and monitor that the video is recording. Use the rear camera (higher-quality) if you have someone helping you. They can make sure the framing looks good and the video is recording.

  6. Plug in the mic to the phone, make sure the battery is installed and it’s turned on.

  7. We’ll FaceTime you to check-out the view that your phone sees and make adjustments.

  8. After we hang up, open up the camera app again and make sure it’s set to video.

  9. Press the red record button. You should see timecode counting up when it’s recording. If you do not see timecode counting up, it’s not recording. Let us know if you notice the timecode not counting up, as we’ll likely need to do it again.

During the interview

Eye-line: We’ll either want you to talk straight to camera (your phone) or off to one side like a more traditional interview in pre-covid times.

Rephrase the question in your answer: We’ll edit out the interviewer’s questions, but we still want the context of what you’re talking about. When you respond, please include the subject of what you’re talking about. (e.g. question: “What is the most rewarding part of your work?” answer: “The biggest reward in this work is working with so many talented folks…”)

Hear a loud noise? Please stop and redo the soundbite for us.

Timecode breaks: We may ask you to start and stop the recording every ~15 minutes so that files are smaller to send. You do not need to start/stop the recording for every question.

After the shoot

Upload your footage right away

You can upload your files via Google Drive, WeTransfer, Dropbox, etc. and email to hello@tinyoakmedia.com. If your footage is very large (i.e. 3 gb or more), you may need to ship it directly to us. Please send us an email and let us know so we can provide you our shipping address. We recommend using a low-cost flash drive (you may even have one already laying around).

B-roll Shot List Ideas

The content for your specific project may vary. These are just general ideas.

  • Existing photos/videos of you or your projects

  • Working at your desk

  • Closeup of typing/mousing

  • Taking a phone call/video call

  • Writing notes on paper

Talking Points

  • Who are you/what do you do

  • What is your background in your field

  • What are your recent accomplishments

  • What are some of the challenges in your work

  • What are your hopes/dreams for the future as it relates to your work

Got questions? I have answers. Don’t be shy.