If you plan to make a presentation at this virtual conference, you have to record a video. We are aware that not everyone is familiar with all the opportunities. Some presenters may use advanced technological tools, but we also welcome low-tech submissions. Below we provide practical tips on recording a slideshow or video. A general self-help guide to video productions can be found here. Zoom is increasingly being used in recent months for videoconferencing, but you can also use Zoom for recording your presentation. Info on recording with Zoom can be found here.

One element of the video presentation is to keep it short. We allow talks up to 10 minutes. In a recorded talk, you can be more effective in sharing your information than in a live presentation. You can have a well-developed script and include dynamic visual content that allows you to condense your data into a short presentation.

Voice-over slideshows

These kinds of presentations use your slide shows as the basis and include your voice. Since the audience’s attention will be solely focused on the screen, you may need to add more slides (or more content to existing slides) compared to a traditional presentation. You could distribute your ideas into more slides with less text than you would usually use, as a way to pace your presentation.

We recommended to write out your presentation and practice the script. You could print out the text, so you have it handy in front of you when you record your presentation.

You can find technical information on how to record a voice-over with Microsoft Powerpoint or Apple Keynote.

Recording yourself

You can make presentations by recording yourself using your desktop, laptop, mobile phone, or iPad. If you record yourself on your computer, you can make use of Quicktime to record your screen or yourself in front of your computer. When you do so, make sure you have your script handy available.

When you use your mobile phone or iPad, put the device in a phone stand or lean it to a stack of books to have a still camera.

You may want to do a recording outdoors. If so, you need to pay attention to background noises. Be sure to sit near a light source like a window or lamp with the light shining on your face for good lightning.

Editing your video

Especially if you have media from different sources, you may want to use an editing program to combine the images, videos, and narration. iMovie and Windows Movie editor are the simplest. For the more ambitious among us, you may check out advanced tools like Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or ScreenFlow.