You can still make these experiences meaningful and memorable with friends and family
This April, many friends and families were planning to get together to observe traditional spring holiday celebrations. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we may not be able to share physical spaces, but fortunately with technology, those celebrations can still happen virtually.
It won't be the same, but people can still be together online to create meaningful and memorable experiences. The spirit of the holiday will still be present, and this virtual togetherness might be something we need now, more than ever.
We wanted to provide some tips on the best ways to use tools to make your celebration as special as possible from our TD Bank's Senior Visual Storyteller Anthony Quintano, who recently joined the Corporate and Public Affairs (CAPA) team. Anthony has extensive experience working in news media and surprisingly enough, answering questions from family members on this very topic!
Here are Anthony's most important tips to consider when planning a virtual celebration:
What device do you want to use?
Ask yourself how long you want to hold up your phone when talking with family or friends. You might want to consider either a device to hold your phone, like a tripod or phone mount. You can also use your laptop computer, smart TV or Facebook portal device. Anthony personally uses a logitech 4k webcam, which he plugs into his MacBook. This allows him to place the camera without having to move the computer.
Lighting
Always look at your video before you call. You don’t want to have your back to a window when you’re on camera, because this will cause you to be silhouetted or your background to be really bright and overexposed. Instead, turn your face towards the window so the light coming in can light you instead. Always place your device near a lighting source so you can be lit if you’re in a dark room.
Audio
Be very conscious of your environment. You want to avoid rooms with lots of noise. If you are in an area with a lot of noise, use headphones that have a microphone to cutdown on background noise and enhance your voice during a call.
Camera placement
Try to keep the camera level to your eyes or close to it. Having the camera/device either too low or too high can make for awkward viewing. If you are eating during a call, feel free to adjust the camera so you can’t see your mouth allowing you to enjoy your meal without showing what you’re eating.
Clean your lens
No matter what device you’re using, make sure to use a soft, clean cloth to clean the camera lens. Many mobile devices tend to have fingerprints over the lens which can cause a lot of blurry, foggy looking video. This also goes for laptop cameras.
Where to look during a video call
This is really a personal preference but if you’re doing a video call and you want to appear as if you’re looking at the people you are talking to, look directly at the camera lens when talking and not the screen. When you look at the screen during a video call, you will appear to be looking away from those you are talking to. This also goes for when you’re taking a selfie video or photo.
What program should I use for my call?
- Facetime on Apple devices is great for a single call or group calling. The group calling can be a little complicated to figure out, but Apple has provided detailed instructions.
- For android users, there is Google hangouts, which also allows single or group calling.
- Many have flocked to Zoom for large group calls. Zoom is a great platform but there have been recent news reports noting that the company is working on security flaws and preventing hackers.
- Some smart TV’s that come with a built-in web camera or allow for one to be plugged in have the ability to make video calls.
- Facebook has a special device just for connecting over video with family and friends called Portal
- Skype is a good alternative to video conferencing if you don’t want to use the other platforms.
- Cisco Webex, which is known for more corporate use, also has a free version for personal use.
- Starleaf, which is also known for large company use, now has a basic version for free.