Tech considerations

Creating an online show is a great way of engaging with an audience in a whole new way. And the great thing is, you don’t need access to lots of expensive gear to get started. If you have a recent iPhone or similar smartphone, you already have a very capable and high-quality video camera – even Hollywood directors like Stephen Soderberg have experimented in shooting entire feature length movies on them in recent years.

In most cases, you’ll get a better result from a smartphone than from a webcam, tablet, laptop, or cheaper compact digital camera. If you have access to a professional camcorder or DSLR camera with video capabilities, even better.

In planning your show, it’s important to consider not just the technical requirements but also the artistic impact of a different medium, and the different relationship between performer and audience. Individual audience members might be watching your show alone in their own home, and this can make for a more direct, intimate experience.

Setting up your recording device

First you need to set your recording resolution – this will be changeable in your phone or camera app settings, and might be labelled as ‘video quality’ or ‘video format’ or similar. The best option is likely to be 1080p, which might also be described as FULL HD or 1920 x 1080 resolution. Some phones will be able to record at an even higher quality setting (usually labeled ‘4K’) – but beware that this can create very large file sizes which can become difficult to transfer between devices and take a long time to upload to the internet.

If your device has the option to change the frame rate, the best option is 25 fps (frames per second). Selecting this option will mean that you are less likely to experience flickery interference from artificial lights.

You should always use the rear camera if using a smartphone, which will be much higher quality than the front ‘selfie’ camera. There will usually be an option to toggle between front and rear cameras in the camera app itself. Unless there’s a specific artistic reason otherwise, you should record in landscape orientation (sideways).

Try not to use digital zoom as this is likely to reduce the quality of the video. A better option is just to move the smartphone closer to the action.

Recording video can also be very intensive on your device’s battery – so it’s a good idea to make sure it’s either fully charged or plugged into a power supply.

Setting up your studio

In a theatre, the audience can look around and focus on whatever they want at any one time. In an online show, you are instead choosing for them. Have a think about what you want your shot(s) to convey, and set up your space accordingly. If you have a set that you have used for theatrical performances of your show, you might find you only want to use a portion of it, to avoid making the frame too cluttered. Similarly, if you’re shooting in a room that’s usually used for something else – it’s worth carefully checking for any extraneous items that might creep into shot and become distracting.

If you’re after a neutral space, a plain black or coloured backcloth can be very useful – it's also worth ironing it to make sure it’s hanging without creases.

Try not to push your performer(s) right up against the backdrop or set. Space behind the performer(s) help separate them, and will create depth in your shot that’s much nicer to look at. It can also help your device’s autofocus lock onto the performers.

Camera placement

Where you place your camera(s) will have a big impact on the look and feel of the show. Here are a few options:

Static set up

This approach might be appropriate for a one-person monologue or stand-up performance.

Try to have your smartphone/camera at roughly eye-level of the performer(s); if the camera has to angle up or down too much it can make the viewer feel a little uncomfortable – unless that’s the artistic effect you are deliberately going for! If it’s within your budget you can easily get hold of a tripod designed especially for smartphones; or you can tape your device to a step ladder – whatever you choose to do, just make sure it is stable and level.

Don’t be afraid of getting close to the camera! Smartphone cameras will often give the best results with a close subject, and being in close-up is engaging and interesting for the viewer. A head-and-shoulders shot with the performer’s eyes about a third of the way down the screen and little to no space above the performer’s head can be a good place to start.

Mobile set up

If you want to get creative, you could consider a mobile shot. This can be particularly effective for a performance with multiple performers and lots of stage movement. With a cheap smartphone ‘gimbal’ (available online for as little as £30), an operator can walk around the space and follow the action, while keeping a steady shot.

If you are trying this approach, it’s important to think about what you want to convey with each moment of the production, and to map out the operator’s moves as if they were a member of cast. Moments of the show which are intimate and intense, for example, might be a great place for the operator to move in for a close-up – or, you might wish them to back away during moments with lots of physical action or choreography so the viewer can take in the full scene.

Even if using a gimbal, it’s important that the operator moves very, very slowly and steadily throughout, to avoid unsettling the viewer and giving them motion sickness. It can often be most effective to keep it simple, and get creative with your movement at selected moments of high impact.

Multicam set up

To take your recorded show to the next level, you could record more than one shot and edit them together afterwards.

The most straightforward way of doing this will be to use two smartphones (or three, or however many you like!), and record on them simultaneously. You will then be able to cut between the shots whenever you like, knowing that they will always match.

You should put the devices in different positions to create different shots. If you are a stand-up recording yourself for example, you might want one ‘wide’ static shot in front of you, and a second one closer in, and slightly round to the side. This will create contrasting shots that will work well when you cut between them.

If you have two performers, you could consider putting a static camera or smartphone on each of them, and then decide later who you want the audience to see at any one time.

Or you could combine a static shot with a roving operator with a gimbal – just make sure that your camera set ups or operator don’t accidentally appear in the other shot.

Audio

It’s sometimes easy to overlook the audio when recording a performance, but getting it right will help the finished product seem much more professional. Slightly rough-and-ready visuals with clean audio will be watchable, whereas most audiences will not be forgiving of poor sound. Sadly, the microphone built into most smartphones is not nearly as good as the camera, and some external hardware will be beneficial.

Depending on your budget, you could:

• Buy an external microphone that plugs into your smartphone or camera – preferably one with a long enough cable that you can get it close to your performer(s). This is the easiest option for those unable to sync up the sound and video in a video editor afterwards.
• Use a second smartphone just for audio and place it close to the performer(s) while recording on a voice note app. This solution will not produce as good results as a dedicated microphone, but might provide an improvement for those limited by budget.
• Use a professional microphone or microphones plugged into a laptop or dedicated audio recorder and sync up the sound later. This is likely to produce the best results.

Whatever audio solution you use, it will be helpful to get the microphone as close as you can to the performers, to minimise echo and room noise. If it’s appropriate for your show, a handheld microphone is a great choice.

You should check the input levels on any sound recorder to make sure that there is no distortion or ‘clipping’, and try to keep your recording space otherwise as quiet as possible.

If there is music in your show, the cleanest results will be from adding it in later, rather than trying to play it live and recording it as part of your video. (If you are using music in your show, you'll also need to think about music licensing.)

Lighting

Smartphones in particular respond well to brightly lit situations, and if your space is too dark you might notice a lot of ‘noise’ in the video. On the other hand, you should also watch out for any places where the light is too intense, creating ‘hotspots’.

You should avoid having strong lighting sources (a window, for example) behind performers, as this will tend to leave them in silhouette and underexpose their faces. Of course, in the right dramatic circumstances, this might make for a powerful special effect that you can make deliberate use of.

Natural light is great, but can be a bit unpredictable. If the sun goes behind a cloud while you are shooting for example, that can hugely change the look of your recording, so it can often be advantageous to close any curtains and use controlled artificial lighting. Dedicated video lights or photography softboxes are available for a range of budgets should you wish to make the investment.

If you have a static set up on a single performer, three-point lighting can be very effective. This involves one main ‘key’ light source slightly above them and 45 degrees to the side; another softer ‘fill’ light filling in any shadows on the other side, and a gentle ‘hair light’ coming from directly above to add a little glint to the top of the performer’s head to separate them from the background. It’s worth spending time experimenting with how moving the lights around can change the mood of the shot.

If you are in a theatre space and wish to make use of a full theatrical lighting rig, be sure to keep the light balanced and even. Sudden and extreme lighting changes could confuse the automatic exposure and focus settings on your recording device.

It’s always important to make test recordings and check how your lighting looks on your device; however nice it might look in the room, it’s the recording that the audience will see.

Performance on camera

An online show might require a different performance style to that of live theatre. Does it feel too big and theatrical for the camera? Does it require a bit more filmic subtlety? The best way to find out will be to make some test recordings and play them back to judge.

It’s useful to set a convention for the performers’ eyelines, and to stick to it. If your show involves direct-to-audience address (stand-up, for example), then it can be very effective to look straight into the camera, to connect with the audience at home. If so, it can be worth taking time to exactly identify the lens itself (which on a smartphone can be quite small), to really focus in on the right spot.

You should design any physical movement in your show with the camera in mind. If you are using a single, static camera for example, you will have to adjust movement accordingly – movement towards and away from the camera might become more useful than side-to-side motion which could take the performers out of frame.

Editing

If you don’t have the budget to send your footage to a professional video editor, there’s still a lot you can do in basic free editing programmes like iMovie. Trimming your video, adding music and titling and cutting between different shots will help mould it into a more professional package – and there are lots of tutorials online to get you started.

A recorded performance also gives you opportunities that can allow you to be creative, especially if you are willing to do a little editing. Could you use split-screen to show two performers in closeup simultaneously? Can you record your show in chunks and change location/set between scenes? An online show can be a springboard to new creative opportunities, rather than a limitation or constraint.

Livestreaming

You might want to consider streaming your show completely live for a fully theatrical experience! At minimum, you’ll need a fast internet connection and a smartphone – platforms such as Twitch will allow you to stream straight from your phone’s camera.

If you want to get a bit more advanced, you’ll need a computer that you can plug in one or more cameras to – and someone to operate and monitor the stream during the show. With free software like OBS, you can switch between cameras and edit the show live on air.

Platforms like YouTube will accept livestreams at up to 4K quality – but it’s often best to stick to 720p resolution unless you are very sure of the speed and stability of your internet connection.

Livestreaming your show can provide you with an opportunity to engage with your audience in real time, and the possibilities for improvisation and audience interaction are endless. Most livestreaming platforms have a chat feature – just beware that there will usually be at least 30 seconds delay on your broadcast, so bear that in mind and give the audience plenty of time to respond to any prompts for interaction!

Using a video conferencing platform like Zoom can also allow you to see and hear your audience as well – you might need an operator who can hide and mute audience members at appropriate times so that they can focus on the performance.