Let me show you what you do not see in my online sessions. How it looks like, on my side of the screen.
At the end of a webinar or online workshop, participants ask me often, how I made the online presentation so dynamic. What do I do to become part of the PowerPoint presentation. What tricks I use to move around the screen.
The best way of answering this question, is to give you a look behind the screen in “the Studio”. Thanks to my daughter for taking the picture above, which I annotated in PowerPoint to show you the different elements further below.
But first let me show you some of the magic in action in this video.
The greenscreen magic in action
The video you see (without sound), is taken in one take. No editing afterwards. What you see is the combination of a video in front of a Greenscreen and a PowerPoint presenation. With free video software (OBS Studio), I can combine both into a single video (shown bottom right).
Top left:
What my camera sees. It clearly shows you the greenscreen and me sitting in front of it.
Top right:
The video feed from the camera, with the greenscreen filtered out. Behind me is a photo of what behind the greenscreen is (my normal background). It creates the suggestion that there is no green screen and you are going to have an normal online meeting.
Bottom left:
A screen capture of the presented PowerPoint. As you can see, a very visual slide deck, also containing some animation.
Bottom right:
The video feed from the camera, with the greenscreen filtered out. I made the videofeed small and placed it in front of the PowerPoint at the bottom right. So it don’t sit in the way of what I want to show. While clicking through my PowerPoint, I can make handgestures to make a bigger visual impact.
The magical ingredients (my studio setup)
Whenever I give an online presentation, I transform my home office into what I call “the studio”.
I add some extra elements so those on the other side of the screen can have a magical experience. These are the ingredients for my magic:
1) Green screen, the starting point of all magic, A large green cloth covering my normal background. The software I use, removes the green and thus creates a standout of me.
2) Main camera, recording me. My camera is not a normal webcam, but a HD videocamera I already had, with has a much better sensor than most webcams, so it provides a much better quality image.
3) Teleprompter, in front of the camera. One of the newest additions to the studio.
The teleprompter has a through mirror, where I can project something on. By looking at that, I also look directly at the camera. So participants have the feel I am looking directly at them. Teleprompters can be used to show text, but for me that is not neccessary. What I project on the see through mirror is a preview of my output signal, so I can see how my movement is interacting with the slides.
4) Microphone picking up the sound.
5) Two lights, they shine on me and the greenscreen, making the cutout more clear. Not as blurry as you often see in a Teams or Zoom meeting.
6) An extra screen to my right on which I project the PowerPoint presentation. The screen itself is not visible in the online sessions. The PowerPoint presented on here is captured with a screen capture and shown in my video software.
7) OBS studio (left on my huge computer screen). The second part of the magic. This free software allows me to combine different video and photo elements into a single scene. This scene is streamed as live video to whatever tool you want to use. For instance Teams or Zoom.
In my case OBS studio combines the feed of my camera and the capture of the PowerPoint presentation. On the fly it also “removes” the green screen in the footage. OBS also allows me to create multiple scenes with different elements. In the video you see me Big in front of a picture and small in front of the PowerPoint. With buttons I can switch between scenes and create the dynamic presentation I want.
8) PowerPoint, (in the middle of my screen) where I have my presenter notes (although I hardly have any text in there).
9) Microsoft Teams (right on my screen) the tool I use for most of my online classes. The video output signal of OBS is used as video input in Teams instead of a normal webcam. By having Teams positioned on my screen, directly under the camera, I can also see the reactions of the participants on what I present, while looking into the camera.
10) Extra laptop, sometimes I log into the TEAMS session with a separate laptop, to have a check on how the magic looks like from the participants side.
11) The Studio PC not visible, under my desk. A desktop PC running all the software needed for the online lessons. PowerPoint, Teams and OBS studio.
12) Me, being both the presenter and the director of the video. And the moderator looking at the chat in Teams.
Want to see more, experience the magic this for yourself
This setup allows me to give dynamic and inspiring presentations live online. What is very difficult by sharing screen in Teams without any connection with between presenter and audience.
Do you want to experience Have a look at the calender when I will presenting the next open webinar. Or contact me to have a private demo.
Eén gedachte over “Behind the screens in my studio”
Reacties zijn gesloten.