Instructions for B 346.3 Virtalähde video recording studio
Staff can book the studio space through the KOVS system at https://kovs.jyu.fi. The electric key is picked up from the janitors' desk on the 1st floor of Lähde and returned to the same place after use.
General operating instructions
The studio space is available for University of Jyväskylä staff according to the opening hours of the Lähde building.
- Do not bring food or drink into the studio
- Do not disconnect cables or change the device settings
- In case of problems, send a support request to video support via the HelpJYU service: https://r.jyu.fi/tilatallennuksentuki
- In urgent cases, call the video support: 029 441 8016 (weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
- Whenever you leave the premises, make sure that the studio door is locked.
- Turn off screens and lights when finished. There is no need to turn off the computer and the Epiphan video recording device, just log out of the computer.
- During the reservation, you are responsible of the studio equipment - do not let outside persons into the studio.
In order for as many people as possible to use the studio, reservations can be made for a maximum of two days per week per user/course. If you need to book more studio time, please contact video support.
By default, Virtalähde is a self-service studio, which means that there are no video support people present, but if requested separately and schedules allow, we will be happy to advise and help to start the recording.
When you arrive at the studio
2. Vestel touch screen
3. Equipment rack
4. Panasonic studio camera on a tripod
5. Samsung display (for monitoring the video you're recording)
6. Green Screen
The studio also has three movable tables and chairs that you can use during filming, if needed.
The ceiling lights will turn on automatically, but you can adjust the brightness from the panel located next to the door. When using the Green Screen, the brightest setting (1) must be used.
1. Getting started
Cameras, monitors and lights
Turn on the power for the camera and studio lights by using the POWER switch, located on top of the equipment rack. Press the touch screen of the Epiphan recorder, and it will wake up from hibernation.
There are three numbered remote controls in the studio. They are used for controlling the Vestel touch screen (1), the Samsung monitor (2) and the Green Screen camera (3).
Turn on the required monitors with remote controls 1 and 2. From the smaller Samsung-branded screen, you can monitor the image that is currently being recorded. The larger Vestel-branded screen (on movable stand) can be used for presenting educational material, for example. Also on this larger screen, if you want, you can monitor the image being recorded (for example, when you're shooting in front of the Green Screen background).
On top of the equipment rack, there is a Wyrestorm-branded video switcher. It is used to separately select which image is displayed on the Vestel screen and which image is being recorded. The button on the left switches the image on the screen and the button on the left switches the image to be recorded. The LEDs on the front panel show which one of the four image sources is selected. Each button press switches to the next source.
Place the camera(s) in a suitable position in the studio, depending on the shooting direction. Check that the image is showing on the recorder's touch screen and on the monitor. When shooting against the dark background, you can move the Vestel touch screen out of the picture, or to a suitable place in the picture for presenting educational material. See detailed instructions for using the touch screen in "Example 1".
When shooting against the Green Screen wall, ceiling-mounted studio lights are used as additional lighting. The balance of the lights is already set, but make sure that the rightmost "MASTER" slide is raised to the level marked with tape.
More about using the Green Screen wall in Example 2.
Sound
The sound is recorded with wireless microphones, which can be found on the top shelf of the cabinet. Attach the microphone and turn on the transmitter using the switch on the top. Please note that there are no other microphones in the studio - if wireless microphones are not used, there will be no sound on your recording. For this reason, always check the sound meter of the Epiphan recorder, before starting the recording. The meter should be moving when you're speaking. Turn microphones on only according to the number of speakers. To minimize interference, you should also avoid touching the microphone cable during recording. If the batteries run out, there are spare batteries in the cabinet.
2. Recording
The videos are recorded with Epiphan recording device, situated on top of the equipment rack. The device is used with the touch screen on the front. You can choose the camera image being recorded, and several different image layouts.
Do the following steps before starting the recording:
1. Make sure that the michrophone is working and the sound level meter is moving when speaking.
2. Change the image layout if necessary (see detailed instructions later on this page)
3. Open the recording view.
Choosing the image layout
You can choose the image layout that suits the situation. The options are video feeds from different cameras, different combinations of computer and camera images, and the green screen function. Open the layout selector by pressing the "square icon" in the start screen. It is also possible to change the layout during recording.
4. First, select the layout you want to use by pressing one of the preview images in the bottom row. The image appears in the upper left box (Preview).
5. Confirm the choice of image layout by pressing "Apply" in the upper right corner. The preview image moves to the right side "Live" box.
6. Return to the start screen by pressing "< Back". The image you see in the start screen, is the image that is being recorded.
Starting the recording
When you are ready to start recording, open the recording view ("Launcher") by pressing "finger icon" on the start screen (see spot 3 in the picture earlier):
Press "Start" to start recording. Recording has succesfully started, when the "Stop" button appears on the screen and there is a text "Recording 1/1" on the lower left. Now it is possible to return to the start screen by pressing "< Back".
When you are ready to stop recording, press "Stop". You can start recording again at any time, and a new separate video file will be created.
NOTE! There is a small delay of approx 1 second before the recording starts/ends after pressing the touch screen.
Publishing the recorded video
When the recording has finished, send a publishing request to Video Support using the following HelpJYU form:
http://r.jyu.fi/tilatallenteenjulkaisu
Video Support processes you're request as quickly as possible, and publishes the video in Moniviestin. If you want to edit the video yourself before publication or if you want the video file in mp4 format, you can tell it using the same form.
3. Examples of using the studio
Example 1. I want to film an educational video, a discussion or a speech
You can use the dark curtain (on the wall next to the door) as a background. Place the camera (on tripod) on the opposite side of the room. Use the remote control (1) to turn on the monitor on top of the cabinet so you can use it to monitor the image.
Take a wireless microphone from the top shelf of the cabinet, turn it on from the switch at the top, and check the sound from the touch screen of the Epiphan recorder. When the microphone is working, the sound meter on the bottom left corner of the start screen is moving in time with the speech. Select the camera (Camera 1 or 2) or a combination of camera and computer image from the image layout menu of the Epiphan recorder. Press Back to return to the start screen, where you can see the image that is currently selected.
If you want to use the Vestel touch screen in the video, move it to a suitable place. Choose either PC (studio computer) or Laptop (if you have your own computer with you) as image source. For your own computer, there is a dedicated HDMI cable, labeled "Laptop". In addition to the touch screen, the studio computer can be controlled with a wireless keyboard and a mouse.
On top of the equipment rack, there is a Wyrestorm-branded video switcher. It is used to separately select which image is displayed on the Vestel screen and which image is being recorded. The button on the left switches the image on the screen and the button on the left switches the image to be recorded. The LEDs on the front panel show which one of the four image sources is selected. Each button press switches to the next source.
When you are ready, press the finger icon on the Epiphan recorder, and and start the recording by pressing “Start”. When you want to stop recording, press “Stop”.
Example 2. I want to shoot a video using Green Screen
The remote-controlled, dedicated camera (attached to the ceiling) is used when shooting with the Green Screen option. The speaker must stand or sit in front of the green curtain (the long back wall of the studio). The best spot is where the studio lights are pointed at. Nosta laiteräkin päällä olevan valo-ohjaimen liukukytkimet teipillä merkitylle tasolle. Valitse Epiphan -tilatallentimen kuva-asetteluista viimeinen vaihtoehto (green screen). Vihreä tausta korvautuu tallenteessa automaattisesti tietokoneen kuvalla. Paina back palataksesi esikatseluun.
Turn on the Vestel display with the remote control (1). Take the wireless mouse and keyboard for controlling the computer. When Epiphan is selected as source from the video switcher, you can see the finished Green Screen shot on the big screen. You can also control the computer through it. If you want to move the camera or zoom in/out, you can do it with the camera's remote control (3)
Take as many microphones as you need from the cabinet. Check that the sound meter of Epiphan recorder is moving.
When you are ready, press the "finger icon" and start recording by pressing “Start”. When you want to stop recording, press “Stop”.
Some tips for a succesful Green Screen shoot:
- Green-colored clothes would not work well on Green Screen video
- If you stand too close to the wall, you will cast shadows behind you and that can cause problems.
Example 3. I want to record a podcast
Take as many microphones as you need from the cabinet. Check separately for every speaker, that the sound meter of Epiphan recorder is moving.
When you are ready, press the "finger icon" and start recording by pressing “Start”. When you want to stop recording, press “Stop”. If you only want to publish the audio recording, it doesn't matter which camera you choose. The video track can be left unpublished.
