(Scott Border @ SGH, 2017)
May’s e-coffee@SGH was all about making videos and had one of the best turnouts with attendees getting excited to see Dr Scott Border from Anatomy within Medicine discussing his journey creating podcasts and videos for the vastly popular YouTube channel Soton Brain Hub. His engaging presentation explained the equipment he found invaluable (professional and budget versions), the benefits of creating videos for students and with students as well as hints and tips to start making your own videos.
(Soton Brain Hub, 2017)
Scott talked us through the equipment he uses and even though his personal setup uses the expensive iPad Pro and a professional microphone, he also suggested cheaper alternatives using apps such as Sketches, ShowMe and other screencasting apps including using the visualizer (OHPs) in each of the classrooms in SGH.
The hints he provided us with will be helpful for those wanting to create their own videos. Video length is an important aspect of video production, Scott showed us that viewers won’t often watch videos for an extended period of time, in fact, he tells us that anything over four minutes will be wasted on viewers. Sound quality is the second most important thing to think about when creating your videos, this is something that is often discussed in podcasting workshops and training. One of the most popular brands of microphone at the moment is Blue Yeti, but if you don’t want to invest that kind of money there are alternatives like the Samson Meteor.
(Some of the videos created by Soton Brain Hub, 2017)
The final point made in Scott’s presentation talked about including students in the development of videos. He made a strong argument for asking students to take part in making your videos, showing that students often come out on top with imaginative ideas and hard work.
One of the most important things to take away from this session is to give making videos a try, with a little effort and imagination you can create something that could even live up to Soton Brain Hub’s quality and status.
Join us on Tuesday 20th June, 10-11am in LF9 for our next session.