OpenReel
You Have Been Invited to an Interview - Now What?
OpenReel works with your cell phone to record you in High Definition. Please download the OpenReel App on your phone at least 24 hours prior to your interview from the App Store. OpenReel works on iOS (Apple) and Android devices.
Click here to watch a quick video to see how OpenReel works.
The Day Before Your Shoot:
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Confirm that your phone model is supported (iOS Supported Devices and Android device compatibility).
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Confirm that your phone has at least 5GB of local storage available.
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Update your phone to the latest OS version.
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Download and install the OpenReel Capture App. (Google Play Store • Apple App Store)
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Sign our Media Release Form
Prepare Your Space Ahead of Time:
- Find a location in your home, office, classroom, or lab that has minimal background noise
- Choose a location that allows at least 4-5 feet of room between you the wall behind you
- Ensure your space has good lighting - natural lighting on one side (windows) plus a table or floor lamp on your other side is best
- Avoid windows directly behind you
- Avoid overhead/ceiling lighting if possible
- If you don't have a tripod, place your device on a stack of books or on a windowsill, and make sure that your camera is at eye level (you may sit or stand)
- Declutter your background and only include items that support the message you would like to portray in your interview
What to Expect During Your Shoot:
- The director will welcome you and take control of your camera settings
- The director will guide you to enhance your surroundings from improving lighting to arranging objects
- The director will let you know when the recording has started and will record a 10 second test
- After a successful test, the director will let you know when the shoot has started
- A guest, project manager, or the director will ask you questions as the shoot records
- The director may stop the shoot periodically to upload small segments of the recording
- Once the recording has concluded, please keep the OpenReel app open until the recording has finished uploading to the OpenReel cloud
- When the director tells you the upload is finished, you may close the browser to end your session
Just Before Joining a Session:
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Charge your device to 100%. You do not want to charge your device while recording as both processes eat up a lot of processing power and you risk overheating the device. Note: If using AirPods make sure they are fully charged as well.
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Connect to the fastest available network (usually WiFi). After joining a Session, Subjects need upload and download speeds of at least 3 Mb/s. A poor, fluctuating, or spotty internet connection can result in a user being disconnected from the Session unexpectedly, thus interrupting your take.
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Close down other applications. Force quit applications that might usually run in the background hogging processing power or that might be utilizing valuable internet bandwidth.
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Turn on Do Not Disturb or Focus mode. This prevents phone calls from disrupting recording and uploading, and prevents notifications from affecting the shot.
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Disable Bluetooth so any nearby Bluetooth devices don't try to connect in the middle of recording. Only do this step if you are not using Bluetooth earbuds during the shoot.
Start Your Session:
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Enter the case-sensitive 4-digit Session ID that your Director provided to you. Type in your name, and press Continue.
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Select the Session room box to enter!