Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

Using video 123 
real help because, in many instances, a webcam on a laptop screen 
can obscure the top of the monitor itself, making it more difcult 
for you to work. Hence, having the webcam on a separate tripod 
will avoid this issue for you. 
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 check your liGhTinG 
Te images your webcam captures will depend upon the lighting 
in your room. You will probably have been on video conference 
calls where you cannot see someone clearly. Te reason for this 
could be their webcam quality, but frequently it is the level of 
lighting that is inadequate. If you watch the TV news, you will 
often notice that there is a wide shot of the entire studio as the 
programme begins, and you will see several massive lights in the 
roof space. Even though all that is happening is that the news-
reader is doing just that, reading the news out to you, there is 
a signifcant amount of high-powered lighting. Even with the 
sophisticated broadcast cameras used by news corporations, 
lighting is still of fundamental importance. Many years ago, 
I had a job as a stage electrician at a theatre in Guildford, Surrey. 
My task was to help the lighting director ensure that the actors 
and performers could be seen clearly. Tat would often involve 
a dozen or more bright lights just focused on one part of the 
stage. Up in the fy loft above the stage, there would be hundreds 
of lights. Doing this job helped me understand the fundamental 
importance of lighting. Not only does it help the visibility of, in 
the case of theatres, actors, it is also crucial in creating the mood 
of the audience. When it comes to online video, the lighting of 
the participants will be important in ensuring visibility as well 
as creating moods. Sometimes the moods caused by the poor 
lighting may not be the ones the individual wants to be associat-
ed with them. If your lighting is not good, your video conference 
calls could make people think diferently about you as they sub-
consciously associate a particular mood with you. Tat’s before 
you even consider your visibility and the resulting engagement 
others will have with you. All too often, lighting for online video 
is never given a thought. Yet, just as in the case of TV or the 

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