Zoom setup tips

Please follow the tips below to get the best experience during your workshops!

Download the latest copy of Zoom, here.

Equipment

Please use a laptop or desktop computer with a camera, not a phone. A tablet may also work, but a laptop is recommended.

If you can, connect your computer directly to your router with an ethernet cable. That will keep any problems with lag from popping up, and will give you the best quality/most stable connection. If you can't do that, try to be as close to your router as you can.

Testing

You can test your Zoom setup by starting a new meeting in the free Zoom app to see how you will appear on-screen. We recommend doing this prior to your first class, so you can make adjustments as necessary.

Your Space

Find yourself a private room where you can stand up and move around. You should be able to step back from your camera and be seen fully, from the waist-up, at least.

Have a chair available to use, of course!

Put something down on the floor to demarcate "on camera" vs. "off camera", as well as where your head gets cut off from being too close. Tape works great, but a couple of books will work, too.

Set up your camera/laptop on a stable surface, at an appropriate height, so that you are not staring down at the camera awkwardly. Lying on your couch or crouching over a coffee table will be very awkward. We want to see you straight-on.

Make sure you're lit well! We want to be able to see your lovely faces, and if you're in shadow, we can't see your facial expressions.

Microphones

Mic yourself up. Since you might have to get up from your screen and your computer's microphone, it's best to miked.

If you have bluetooth headphones, sync them with your computer and use those. They're great. Just make sure they're fully charged before class and test them out to make sure they don't have sync issues.

If you only have wired headphones with a mike, that's no problem. Wear those and run the cable through your shirt to your phone, so it doesn't get caught on anything while you're improvising. You can log onto the Zoom call on your laptop (for the camera) and your phone (for the sound). Just make sure to turn off the mike/sound on your computer and turn off the video on your phone, and you'll be all set!

Wear comfortable clothes.

Bring water and a notebook.

Have fun!

See you all in class.