A couple of months into the new normal, I’ve come up with a few insights regarding lecturing online.
GET YOUR EQUIPMENT READY
It’s not enough to have a mobile device or just a laptop. Sure, practically every mobile phone has a halfway decent camera now. However, as a lecturer, you don’t want to look like an unprepared newbie. You have to look and sound professional. Here’s the lineup of my own laptop add-ons.
NexiGo AutoFocus 1080p Webcam
Quick notes: This camera actually makes me look good. You can hook it up onto an external tripod or clip it on top of the laptop.
It’s got a built in mic, but it wasn’t much of an improvement over the built in one. So I went out to get…
MAONO AU-PM420 Metal USB Condenser Cardioid PC Mic
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YC1KGV2
Now, I bought this microphone mostly because it has a USB connector. There are many such microphones for sale online but most of them involve having to plug the microphone jack into a sound card or sound processing box. It is the box that you have to plug into the laptop via USB.
I find the direct USB plug to be a much better option. I don’t need the sound effects that the said sound card gives. My voice just needs to sound clean and clear.
For lighting, I just got this generic ringlight from Lazada:
It has a daylight mode, a blue/white light mode, and a warm light mode. I mostly use the daylight mode.
For greenscreens, I just scotch-taped several sheets of green cardboard together. Then, I put some thick cardboard at the back so it stays sort of flat.
There you have it, my basic setup!
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