Skip to content

Volunteer: Video mixer

Carl Karsten edited this page Oct 21, 2019 · 7 revisions

The Recording station is where the main camera, video mixer and a clipboard with pages titled "Recording Sheets" which is a check list.

Pre-Day Check:

  1. Replace Batteries in mics - confirm it has happened by the person responsible for it. Do not do it yourself (typically results in it being done twice which uses up the battery allocation.)
  2. Sound Levels: observe VU meeter on right side of Voctomix video mixer app:
    • Left - PA - level should be almost nothing (below -40, very green, very stable). Have someone speak into the mic used for the presenter - levels should peek in the red, but not hit 0.
    • Right - Camera Mic - Should be different from L. When things are quiet, should be about -40 and wiggling, when the PA check is done should shoot up into the orange.
  3. System Date and Time: Confirm system clock (upper right of screen) is correct (1 min off is ok). If not, and there is time, please alert whosoever setup the box. If no recording has happened yet, adjust the clock. Do not adjust once recording has started, that makes things confusing.

Before each talk:

  1. If the presenter has not given permission to record, walk up with clipboard, "I don't have permission to record you, can you confirm your preference?" Hand them clipboard and pen, point to the Yes/No area. If they say No, work out if you should record it anyway in case they change their mind. The presenter has the final word.
  2. Sound check - when the presenter (not the MC) has done a sound check ("hello video crew" is fine) Levels should be be between -20 and -5. This not only dials in levels, but makes sure the presenter has a mic, it is on, etc.
  3. Talk title - if it is the right talk (small change is OK, rescheduled talk write in the correct title.)
  4. pre talk mixer composition: Side-by-Side (this lets us see what happened in the room later, and is an OK setup in the event that you have to run off and no one takes over.)

Talk Starts

  • When someone hits the big red button (or you think the talk is starting) Click the Voctomix Cut button (T for cuT is the hotkey).
  • If the talk doesn't start, ask for the big red button to be reset back to off.
  • If you Cut and the talk doesn't start, that's OK. Wait for the talk to start and click Cut again when it does.
  • There may not be a big red button, or no on understands how to use it. Click Cut when the talk starts.
  • Once you are sure the talk has really started, write the HH_MM_SS as seen in the cutlist log window. Do not write some other time, even if you think it is incorrect. In this case leave a note like "-10 sec, late cut." which says "back up 10 seconds and then find a good place to start." You wont' really know how many seconds, so just guess - is it 10, 30, or 5 minutes?

Video mixing:

  • use your judgment about what is best: switch to slides when they are updated, switch to camera when slides get boring.

Talk Interruptions

  • if something happens that needs attention later, (there is a 10 min break, the presenter's laptop reboots, the battery runs out in the mic, etc.) hit Cut and write E: HH_MM_SS in the blank area with a few words about whats going on. when the interruption is over, hit Cut and write S: HH_MM_SS under the E:HH_MM_SS. (the E/S may seem backwards, but it is a chunk being excluded, so the first time is when the good stuff Ends, and the 2nd time is when it starts again.) This sort of exception never goes smooth, the E:/S: gives someone a place to look and most likely adjust. (Having something to adjust is heaps better than having no idea where to look.)

Talk Ends

  • When the talk ends, and the applause dies down, Cut. Wait to see if there are questions. If there are, ignore that cut and click again when there are no more questions. Write HH_MM_SS, this is when the video should end.
  • Make sure the big red button gets turned off. Ideally someone will do it to indicate the talk is now over and recording should stop, but that rarely happens.