Before deciding how and where to place the camera(s), it is important to visit the research site and do some fieldwork beforehand to know what you want to capture and how you want to capture it. Here are a few camera placement considerations.

Fixed vs. roving cameras

Fixed Camera:

• As the word implies, the researcher sets the camera in one location (fixed) and records video from that position.

• The researcher would then be able to take field notes while the camera is recording.  Also, the camera operator is less obstructive and draws less attention.  But the disadvantage is that there may be certain actions that require a moving camera.

Roving camera

• The camera is not in a fixed location, instead the camera operator is actively moving the camera around the environment.

• The camera operator plays an active role in the recording process by following the action.

Basic Camera Placement

Two camera position: One camera would be wide and the other would be a close up that follows the action in the classroom.

Reference

Heath, C., Hindmarsh, J., & Luff, P. (2010). “Collecting Audio-Visual Data”, in Video in qualitative research: Analysing social interaction in everyday life. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.