Dealing with 100 video clips

I recently completed research in which I asked 50 users to evaluate their experience with new payment technology. Each session was recorded from two angles, so that both the users’ facial expressions and interaction with the device could be captured.

By the end I had 100 clips from which to compile a video that would help project stakeholders understand what happened during research. Quite a challenging task!

From the choice of video cameras to the methods used for data storage and retrieval, dealing with video capture needs careful planning. Here are my five suggestions to make it easier and more efficient:

1. Think about video format early in your research set-up: find out what format your device uses, check its compatibility with any viewing/editing software, get any converter software you may need and be prepared to spend some time converting your video clips (if you cannot avoid it)
2. During fieldwork, record each section separately and rename them at the end of the day: it will save you time later on, when you have to retrieve/edit your clips
3. Use time stamps while note-taking: logging the date/time in which a relevant event occurred will make it easier to find it later on. Some recording software, such as TechSmith’s Morae, enable you to capture and code events with a single keyboard stroke
4. Backup backup backup: make sure to export and create a backup copy of your video clips each day. Big video files make computers crash: always work on the assumption that it is going to happen at the least convenient time and create a backup approach to minimise the impact
5. Be patient: watching a video of something you have experienced personally can be quite “daunting”, especially if your perception of when an event happened mistakenly drives you to skip this or that part. Think twice about doing that. It will only take you a couple of minutes more to get to the bit that interests you. In the meantime, you might discover something that you had not picked up during fieldwork or had forgotten along the way…

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