Sunday, 18 January 2026

The challenges of filming in a classroom or laboratory

Filming in a classroom or laboratory sounds straightforward: set up a camera, press record, teach. In reality, it’s one of the most demanding environments to work in—especially if you want footage that genuinely teaches, not just documents.

After years of filming science lessons, practical demonstrations, and live online sessions, here are some of the key challenges that crop up time and time again.

1. Space: there’s never quite enough of it

Classrooms and labs are designed for learning, not filming.

Benches are often fixed
Walkways are narrow
Cupboards, gas taps, sinks and power points dictate where you can stand

Trying to fit tripods, lights, microphones and cables into that space—without creating a health and safety hazard—requires careful planning and sometimes some creative contortions.

2. Lighting: bright, flat, and unforgiving

Most classrooms are lit for visibility, not for cameras.

Overhead fluorescent or LED panels create harsh shadows
White benches reflect light straight back into the lens
Shiny glassware and metal stands produce glare

For practical science, lighting must be bright enough to show detail without washing out colour changes, meniscus lines, or subtle reactions. Balancing “exam-clear” visuals with something watchable is a constant juggling act.

3. Sound: the silent struggle

Audio is often harder than video.

Labs echo
Extractor fans hum constantly
Chairs scrape, doors slam, taps drip

Lapel mics help, but they introduce their own problems—rustling lab coats, cable snags, and the occasional dramatic splash. Clear explanations are useless if students can’t hear them cleanly.

4. Capturing the experiment and the explanation

In a live lesson, students can move their heads. Cameras can’t.

You often need:

A wide shot for context
A close-up for the experiment
A separate view for data logging or screens

Switching between these while teaching—without breaking the flow—is a real skill. Miss the key moment and you’ve lost the learning opportunity.

5. Safety always comes first

Unlike a studio, a lab has real risks:

Flames
Chemicals
Glassware
Electricity

Cables must be routed safely, tripods secured, and nothing can interfere with safe lab practice. No shot is worth compromising safety—ever.

6. Time pressure and realism

Unlike a film set, lessons run to a timetable.

Experiments don’t always behave:

Reactions take longer than planned
Sensors refuse to cooperate
Demonstrations work perfectly during rehearsal… and fail on camera

The challenge is capturing real science—including its imperfections—while keeping the footage useful, clear, and reassuring for students.

7. Teaching to the camera without losing the class

When filming with students present, attention is split:

Teach the learners in front of you
Explain clearly for the students watching later
Stay within camera frame
Keep eye-line natural

It’s surprisingly easy to drift out of shot just as you reach the crucial explanation.

Why it’s worth it

Despite all of this, filming in real classrooms and laboratories has huge advantages:

Authentic experiments
Real-world problem solving
Students see how science is actually done, not staged

When it works, it creates resources that students can revisit again and again—far more powerful than static notes.

🎬 Final thought:
Filming in a classroom or lab isn’t about creating “perfect” video. It’s about making learning visible—messy moments, problem-solving, and all.

If you get that right, the camera becomes another teaching tool, not a distraction.

Sunday, 18 January 2026