1 Guidance for Using Video during the TTA Pilot By Larry Edelman larry.edelman@ucdenver.edu CONTENTS General tips for getting good enough quality video recordings... 1 Guidance for recording video of family routines and activities... 2 Recommended process for watching and discussing video at a team meeting... 3 Guidance for recording team meetings... 4 Titling files... 5 BONUS SECTION: Tips for recording video of your home visiting practices... 6 General tips for getting good enough quality recordings Be prepared. Make sure your batteries are fully charged. Avoid rushing. Give yourself enough time to set up before you re ready to start recording. Use a tripod. This will not only reduce camera shake, but will enable you to record your interactions. Adjust for lighting. Avoid shooting directly into a window or bright light. Use natural lighting to good advantage. Do what you can to capture adequate quality sound. Audio is at least as important as the visuals, and in some cases more important. Low-cost hand-held devices are not great at capturing audio, but if you do what you can to accommodate for the environment, you should be able to capture good enough sound. Here are some tips: Position the device as close to the subjects as possible, while also enabling you to capture all of the action without leaving someone out of the shot. Place the recording device so that the subjects mouths are facing the camera. Place cameras away from loud adjacent sound sources, e.g. avoid placing the device right next to an open window with someone mowing the lawn nearby. If you have a wireless lavalier microphone, decide if it would be good to use it for each video you want to record. Keep the end in mind. Always keep in mind your purpose for video recording in the first place. Plan the session and make your decisions based on achieving your goals. Remember this: the subject matter should be the focus, not your videographer prowess shoot in a way that you let the subject matter be the center of attention and avoid calling attention to the video production.
2 Guidance for recording video of family routines and activities to be used to request coaching, consultation, and/or suggestions from team members How long a clip should you record? If possible, record an entire routine or activity, including the transitions that occur before and after the activity. What might you record? Illustrations of routines or activities that: The family finds challenging. You and the family would like ideas about for ways to enhance the child s participation, e.g., interaction, independence, engagement. You and the family would like ideas for environmental modifications or adaptations that would be useful. How to make sure you are actually capturing the content that you want to record? Use the general tips on page 1. Avoid shooting scenes very close up. Be sure to show enough of the context of the activity, including all equipment and furniture used, how the child is positioned, all adults who are participating in the routine or activity, etc. For each video you upload of a family routine or activity: Use the titling format described on page 4 of this document. Complete the TTA Routine-Activity Video Form, give it the identical title as the video, and upload it along with the video. In this form, you will be asked to describe the information/suggestions that you and the family are requesting of your team members.
3 Recommended process that might be used at a team meeting to watch and discuss the video together and provide coaching/consultation 1. Be sure to schedule enough time in the team meeting agenda to watch and discuss the video. 2. Before watching the video, the Lead Practitioner should clearly describe the information/suggestions requested of the team (this information should be described in the TTA Routine-Activity Video Form). 3. Watch the video together; while watching, if team members have questions or comments, pause the video, discuss the question or comment, and then resume the video. 4. At the conclusion of the video, the Lead Practitioner should facilitate the discussion and take notes. 5. At the conclusion of the discussion, the Lead Practitioner should summarize the action plan. 6. After the team meeting, the Lead Practitioner should update the information in the TTA Routine-Activity Video Form. 7. The Lead Practitioner should share the information with the family at the first opportunity and follow up with any plans. Optional Ideas: Invite the family to attend the portion of the team meeting in which the team will be watching and discussing the video, either in person or via video conferencing. If the entire team is not required, watch and discuss the video with only selected team members. If feasible, and if the entire team is not required, watch and discuss the video with the family during a co-visit. If it is not possible for the team to watch and discuss the video in a timely manner, rather than having the family wait too long to receive the information: o o Schedule an informal, brief team meeting in which the only agenda item is watch and discuss the video. Ask individual team members to review the TTA Routine-Activity Video Form and the video in SharePoint and provide individual feedback to the Lead Practitioner. This option should be used only if a timely team meeting is not possible.
4 Guidance for Recording Team Meetings What should you record? Record an entire team meeting so you and others you share the video with can review the entire meeting or have the ability to select a portion on which to focus. How to make sure you are actually capturing the content that you want to record? Use the general tips on page 1. Record your team meeting in a room in which you can close the door (note: you should always conduct team meetings in a private room to assure privacy when discussing children and families). If possible, choose a location that is not adjacent to loud areas. Have the team members sit in a semi-circle facing the camera. Experiment using a wireless microphone strategically placed in the center of the team members. Use the swivel display to be sure you are capturing all the content. Here are four important steps: 1. Set up your tripod and camera where you think you ll be able to capture the best visuals and sound. Turn on the camera; as you watch the swivel display, position the tripod and camera so that they are stable and at the distance and angle that will best capture the action. Frame the shot so you include everyone who you want to appear in the video and avoid cutting off people s heads. Be sure to capture people from the front, rather than recording their backs. Take a guess where you will be positioned in the frame and adjust the distance and angle in ways that you will be included in the shot. 2. Because you ll be in the action, you need to do a quick double-check that you ll be included in the shot. Here s how: before you begin recording, swivel your camera s display so you ll be able to see it from where you will be interacting with the team, position yourself, and look back at the display to check that you are in the shot. Go back to the camera and make any adjusts you feel are needed and check again until you are satisfied. 3. When you are satisfied with the framing, swivel it back to place so that the image won t be a distraction. Sometimes the people being recording shift positions, so it s good to check from time to time to make sure everyone remains visible in the frame. 4. If needed, reposition the camera and repeat the above three steps. Lastly do a brief test run. Before recording the actual team meeting, use the guidance above to set up and record a brief section of a simulated meeting. Then copy the video file to your computer and watch it, checking that you can see and hear the proceedings. If you can t see or hear everything, make the necessary tweaks and repeat until you re confident that your set up will enable you to video record the meeting adequately. For each video you upload of a family routine or activity: Use the titling format described on page 4 of this document. No other forms are required.
5 Titling files for the TTA Pilot There are six elements that must be used in the title (note that there are no spaces used in the title): 1. Six-digit date (two-digit month followed by a period, two-digit date followed by a period, two-digit year), followed by a dash (MM.DD.YY-) 2. TT for the Transdisciplinary Team Approach Pilot, followed by a dash (TT-) 3. Initials for the program, followed by a dash: La Vida (LV-) Roundtree (RT-) ENMRSH (EN-) Alta Mira (AM-) Tresco (TR-) Los Angelitos (LA-) Los Pasitos (LP-) 4. Capitalized first letter of first and last name of the Lead, followed by a dash (LE-) 5. A one- to three-word description of what s captured in the clip; use no spaces and capitalize each word, followed by a period. If the video is of a family routine or activity, use the child s first name and a one or two-word description of the routine or activity, such as JaceBreakfast. If the video is a team meeting, use TeamMeeting. 6..mp4 (Note: The Canon Vixia HF R700 camcorder produces video files in the MPEG-4 format that have.mp4 at the end of the file name be sure that.mp4 always has a period at the beginning and no spaces afterwards) Example 1: On May 12, 2017 Larry Edelman, a Lead Practitioner from La Vida, recorded Jace s family during breakfast to get consultation from the team on feeding strategies. The file title is: 05.11.17-TT-LV-LE-JaceBreakfast.mp4 Example 2: On May 11, 2017 Larry Edelman, a Lead Practitioner from La Vida, recorded his team meeting. The file title is: 05.11.17-TT-LV-LE-TeamMeeting.mp4 Note: If there is more than one video file of the same description, label each with numbers at the end of the description, such as: 04.19.17-TT-LV-LE-TeamMeeting1.mp4 04.19.17-TT-LV-LE-TeamMeeting2.mp4
6 BONUS SECTION: Tips for recording video of your home visiting practices to be used for self-assessment, coaching, and reflective supervision What are ways to help the family feel comfortable when you are video recording a home visit to be used for self-assessment, coaching, and reflective supervision? Remind the parents that: o you are the focus of the videos, not the family; and o they can have a copy of any of the video that you take. Be flexible if you plan to record during a visit but it turns out that, for whatever reasons, it is not a good time to video record, wait for the next visit. Record the routines and activities where they typically occur. Be a gracious visitor AND be sure to capture good enough video. When we visit families in their homes, we want to behave as gracious visitors and avoid any behavior that would make it seem as though we are taking over. It is important to do that and at the same time, be able to gently make suggestions about capturing that will help you capture good enough sound and visuals. Talk with the family about the goals and benefits of capturing video and the conversations should come easily and naturally. For example, to capture good enough sound, you might ask if it would be okay to turn down the volume of a television or radio while capturing video. In another example, if it wouldn t disrupt the authenticity of the routine or activity that you ll be capturing, if you re sitting in a spot on the living room floor that doesn t allow you to place to tripod appropriately or that means the camera will be shooting into the bright light of a window in the background, you might ask if you and the family can sit elsewhere on the living room floor. How long a clip should you record? It is recommended that you record an entire home visit so you and others you share the video with can review the entire visit or have the ability to select a portion on which to focus. What should you record? Activities and conversations that include yourself interacting with the parent(s) and child. Examples of your implementation of the key indicators. Strategies and practices for which you would like to reflect and receive feedback. Keep the end in mind: always keep in mind your purpose for video recording in the first place. Plan the session and make your decisions based on achieving your goals. Remember this: the subject matter should be the focus, not your videographer prowess shoot in a way that you let the subject matter be the center of attention and avoid calling attention to the video production.
7 How to make sure you are actually capturing the content that you want to record? Use the general tips on page 1. Use the swivel display to be sure you are capturing all the content. Here are four very important steps: 1. Set up your tripod and camera where you think you ll be able to capture the best visuals and sound. Turn on the camera; as you watch the swivel display, position the tripod and camera so that they are stable and at the distance and angle that will best capture the action. Frame the shot so you include everyone who you want to appear in the video and avoid cutting off people s heads. Be sure to capture people from the front, rather than recording their backs. Take a guess where you will be positioned in the frame and adjust the distance and angle in ways that you will be included in the shot. 2. Because you ll be in the action, you need to do a quick double-check that you ll be included in the shot. Here s how: before you begin recording, swivel your camera s display so you ll be able to see it from where you will be interacting with the family, position yourself, and look back at the display to check that you are in the shot. Go back to the camera and make any adjusts you feel are needed and check again until you are satisfied. 3. When you are satisfied with the framing, swivel it back to place so that the image won t be a distraction. Sometimes the people being recording shift positions, so it s good to check from time to time to make sure everyone remains visible in the frame. 4. If needed, reposition the camera and repeat the above three steps.