Filming Yourself for Assessment

When you need to film yourself for assessment, whether for submission, practice activities, or certification, the process is the same.

Before you submit or do anything, you first want to work on getting the angle, distance, and light right and you always want to make sure that the whole of you is and remains in the frame.

A great way to make sure is to do a test run. Place the camera, press record, perform some of the movements that you will be filming (without weight) and review the footage. Adjust the angle and distance accordingly.

Front or Back Camera?

If you have a smartphone with a front and back, then it’s a great idea to set the view to the back-facing camera. The front camera shows what’s in front of you and the back camera would show you as you’re holding the phone, like a selfie. This is the view that you want so that you can see yourself as the camera is recording and you can make sure that you remain in the frame.

Film Side-on or Front-on?

The online course will usually define what is expected or the best angle to film. A side-on view films the side of your body. It’s best to film the side working with the kettlebell. A front-on angle is where you face the camera. In this case, it doesn’t matter which arm is doing the work as both will be in view.

Film at What Resolution?

The resolution of the footage can become very important if you want or need to upload the footage online, like for a kettlebell certification, the higher the resolution, the bigger the picture and size of the file. A high resolution is great if you want to edit the video at some stage or view it on a big screen, but otherwise, a resolution of 1280 × 720 is good enough for most things and will save you time and storage. This resolution is also called 720p.

If you’re not sure how to adjust your resolution to optimize the uploading speed and local storage, download an app from the app store to perform compression for you before uploading.

Lighting and Contrast

The lighting and contrast need to be such that you, the subject, is clearly visible and doesn’t blend in with the background.

Tripod

The best option for holding your camera is a tripod that’s easy to move and bend into the small spaces that might be required when you have little space to film. If you do not have a tripod, make sure that your camera is stable, put it against something that will hold it up.

Film Horizontal or Vertical?

Horizontal is required for footage that’s used in marketing material or other professional videos. For assessment and especially when there is little space available, you can film vertically. But always make sure that your whole body and kettlebell remain in the frame. The only part that the footage needs to capture is you, so, the more you fill the frame the better, but always make sure that there is a little space between you and the borders. If you’re performing anything overhead, make sure that you test that out first and review it. If you’re stepping toward the camera at some stage, like for a lunge, then make sure that you test that.

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