Recording an Event
It’s very possible to make high-quality recordings of events yourself. You can certainly use a standalone camera to record (the Digital Media Project can lend you a high-quality camcorder, tripod, etc.) but it’s often easier to use Zoom as a recording medium, especially if you’re already hosting a hybrid event on that platform.
Recording an event using Zoom is largely the same as any other Zoom recording you may have done. While it is technically feasible to create a local recording that saves to the in-room computer in an event space, we don’t recommend this: not only will you not get the benefit of Zoom’s automated captioning (only available for cloud recordings), but an recording will also be more easily tracked; it’s easy to lose a recording file on a shared machine.
Particular considerations are noted below. You may also want to consult these related resources:
Zoom’s article, “Starting a cloud recording,” for general information about Zoom recording
Our EngSource page on “Hosting Hybrid Events” for best practices and specific tips
Our EngSource documentation on the AV equipment in Denney 311 and in the fourth-floor seminar rooms
Considerations
You should obtain written permission from all guests before broadcasting an event, recording the event, and/or distributing those recordings. There isn’t a required format for this permission; it can simply be an email, or you can use a form.
No matter the format, you should specify exactly what you’re requesting (e.g. an unrecorded hybrid event, a recording for internal use, a recording to be hosted on YouTube or another platform).
If you’d like an example of a very formal permission agreement, you’re welcome to use or adapt the Video Release Form previously used by the ASC Studio:
The display name of the hosting account is typically shown at the bottom of the recorded video. Assuming that the logged-in person is not the presenter, you may wish to change the display name for this event, so that the name shown in the recording will be more appropriate. See the “Rename yourself in Zoom” topic in Advanced Hybrid Meeting Strategies for more information.
Relatedly, while Zoom’s automated transcript shows the names of different speakers, this is based on the account’s display name, not on speaker detection. This means that all speakers in a given room will have the same label, which is something you might consider when choosing a display name for an event that will be recorded.
You may be aware that Zoom cloud recordings may — depending on the host’s settings — record both an Active Speaker view and a Gallery view recording simultaneously, and you may also be aware that Denney 311 has two cameras. Therefore, you might guess that both cameras would be recorded simultaneously in the Gallery View recording. This, however, is incorrect.
While Denney 311 has two cameras, only one is active within Zoom at a time. Therefore, in any recordings made in 311, any camera changes will be recorded in the recording just as they happened during the live event.
Cloud recordings are only hosted on Zoom’s servers for 120 days, then they are deleted. This timeline is not extensible. However, recordings may be downloaded, and/or they may be transferred to the university’s contracted hosting service for lecture capture and video streaming, Mediasite.
OTDI maintains full instructions on how to “Import CarmenZoom Cloud Recordings into Mediasite.” Note that, as this documentation explains, this import should be set up before the recording occurs. It’s sometimes possible to set up the import shortly after the fact, but it’s far more reliable to set it up beforehand!
Organizers often assume, if an event is in-person-only, that it’s not possible to use Zoom to record, but that’s not the case. Zoom will happily record a meeting with only one participant (that one ‘participant’ being the in-room computer).
Open Zoom and adjust cameras, unmute, etc., just as you would for any other online meeting or hybrid event. If there will be materials projected on the screen, use the Screen Share function. (Either a particular application window if there will only be one item shared, or the entire screen if there will be multiple items.) Then begin the recording.
At this point, Zoom can be entirely ignored. If you would like to hide the video panel and/or the floating meeting controls, see “Remove distractions during full-screen presentations” under the Advanced Strategies heading on the “Hosting Hybrid Events” page for more information.
If there will be no projected materials, the projector can even be entirely off; the recording does not rely on anything being projected.
Once the event has concluded, don’t forget to return to Zoom, stop the recording, and end the meeting.