The Ultimate Guide to OpenReel's Terms and Features

We get it: while OpenReel dramatically simplifies video creation, recording, editing, and hosting videos is still sometimes confusing.

This article highlights the terms and features you may run into while using OpenReel. Need to go deeper on any? Just click the link for more resources from our video experts on where you’ll find the feature and how to use it within the OpenReel ecosystem.

OpenReel

OpenReel: all-in-one video creation suite. OpenReel offers dozens of features to help you create high-quality video from anywhere in the world without any previous video editing or production experience
- Remote Capture: patented tech that allows users to control the camera on a collaborator’s device and direct recordings
- Events: fully customizable digital events platform

User Roles

Director: the person running a Remote Capture Session, similar to the technical director of an in-person shoot
Collaborator: anyone in a Remote Capture Session who is part of the Director’s behind-the-scenes crew. They may be in a Remote Session to assist the Director technically or artistically, to conduct an interview, or just to observe a Session.
Watcher: a type of Collaborator that can only observe the Session, not make any adjustments or speak
Subject: anyone who is being recorded in a Remote, Remote + Live, or Video Request Session
Speaker: anyone invited to a live Event to speak, but have no administrative capabilities. They have the ability to share their screen to present at the event.
Organizer: the person creating the Event — organizing it behind the scenes. They do not need to be present during the Event, however, if other team members are assigned a Host or Moderator role.
Attendee: the audience for the Event
Host: anyone assigned by an Organizer to run the Event behind-the-scenes with the following privileges: Edit Events, Add Speakers, Start Broadcast, Start Breakout Sessions, Create & Modify Polls, Pin Messages in Chat, Access Backstage, and Speak at the Event

Plans

Free: unlimited ability to record, create, and share videos — totally free
Pro: a plan that includes brand kits, branded landing pages, and the ability to upload, download, and embed videos
Enterprise: a plan that includes unlimited Remote Capture, unlimited Video Requests, and in-shoot support

Dashboard

Your homebase for using OpenReel’s video suite. This is what you see when you log into your account. From here, you can navigate to any of our tools.

Recording Video

Self Record: record video of yourself, your screen, or both without anyone else involved
Remote Record: remotely direct and record up to 8 Subjects at a time from anywhere by controlling the camera on a Subject’s device
Session: the time when you are recording yourself or someone else
Video Request: Send a link to someone else inviting them to Self Record into your video project
Video Request Recording Support: optional materials you can add to a Video Request that will support your Subject’s Session. This can include a script pre-loaded in the Teleprompter, interview questions (“Question Prompts”), or an instructional video where you can guide the Subject

Digging into Remote Recording

adjustments: the panel in a Remote Session where you’ll find all of your audio and video options
clip naming convention: a feature that allows you to name your files in the way that you want to. This setting can be adjusted at the Project level or within a Remote Session
Send Invite: the menu where a Director chooses how to invite Subjects or Collaborators to join a Session
Subject Access Link: a link the Director can send to a Subject to join a Remote Session from any computer or supported mobile device
Session ID: a case-sensitive code that Subjects enter into the OpenReel Capture app in order to join a Remote Session
Email Invite: an email invitation automatically sent from OpenReel inviting Subjects and Collaborators to a Remote Session
grid view: a feature allowing you to see all participants in a Remote Session at one time
device performance: a feature showing you how a Subject’s device is performing, including the device model, the upload and download speeds of their network, available storage, and more. Device performance is also available for Directors to check their own computer
Waiting Room: a feature allowing Directors control of when each Participant enters an OpenReel Session
Livestreaming: streaming media in real-time over the internet, often referred to simply as “streaming”
HLS: HTTP Livestreaming that delivers video and audio to a massive audience tapped in via the internet
RTMP: Real Time Messaging Protocol is a communication protocol for streaming audio, video, and data over the Internet
brightness: an adjustment for the overall lightness or darkness of the recording
contrast: describes tones, specifically the relationship between the darkest and brightest parts of an image
DSLR: a digital single-lens reflex camera, which can be enabled as a webcam for video shoots
frame rate (FPS): the number of frames captured per second
Hold to Speak: a feature that becomes necessary when an external mic is plugged into an iOS device because the device registers the external mic as headphones and loses the ability to output audio through the built-in speaker
multicam: gives the Director the ability to record multiple Subjects from different locations or multiple angles of one Subject in one location.
Professional Audio: a feature that disables a device’s echo cancelation hardware, capturing up to 40% more raw data in the final file, and bypasses a device’s native automatic gain control, allowing you to change the input gain on the microphone manually
resolution: involves the number of pixel dimensions within a video that the camera will capture
- 720: all devices have this as the lowest available resolution. Most internal webcams are 720p
- 1080: the most commonly used resolution. Most external Webcams will max out at 1080
- 4K: only select mobile devices have 4k capability on front and back. Some webcams will have 4K abilities, as will DSLRs
TRRS: stands for “tip-ring-ring-sleeve,” which refers to the four conductors that make up the cable. This type of microphone must be used with mobile devices when recording a Subject through a Remote Capture Session

Creating Video

brand kit: a collection of design guidelines and assets that make up your company’s brand and voice. Within your OpenReel account you can add Brand Colors via hex code, organizational Logo and Watermark, Font, and Background Media animation
Instant Updates: a feature that allows you to make retroactive changes to a completed video while preserving the original URL
intro: the animated visuals at the beginning of a video, usually including a title and logo
outro: the animated visuals at the end of a video, usually including a call-to-action or URL and logo
text overlay: text that appears on top of the video screen, such as a lower-third label displaying the speaker’s name and title
template: a video design preset that allows you to easily build a video with the look and feel best suited for your needs. Every template allows you to utilize a variety of layouts throughout the video
layout: the visual arrangement of elements within a frame of video
video overlay :a secondary video, which is placed on top of the primary video and can be moved and resized
watermark: A simple logomark, image, or symbol superimposed on top of the video to identify brand ownership and prevent someone from using the content without the owner’s permission

Editing Video

timeline: the area where you arrange your video clips, and apply transitions and other customization details
scenes: the individual video clips in your timeline
trimming: refers to taking off part of the beginning and/or end of a video clip
transitions: an animation between two video clips

Video Management

brand kit: A collection of design guidelines and assets that make up your company’s brand and voice. Within your OpenReel account you can add Brand Colors via hex code, organizational Logo and Watermark, Font, and Background Media animation.
Instant Updates: a feature that allows you to make retroactive changes to a completed video while preserving the original URL.
intro: the animated visuals at the beginning of a video, usually including a title and logo
outro: the animated visuals at the end of a video, usually including a call-to-action or URL and logo
text overlay: Text that appears on top of the video screen, such as a lower third label displaying the speaker’s name and title.
template: A video design preset that allows you to easily build a video with the look and feel best suited for your needs. Every template allows you to utilize a variety of layouts throughout the video.
layout: the visual arrangement of elements within a frame of video
video overlay: A secondary video placed on top of the primary video and can be moved and resized.
watermark: A simple logomark, image or symbol superimposed on top of the video to identify brand ownership and prevent someone from using the content without the owner’s permission.

Webinars

Event: a streaming webinar that utilizes either live presentation or pre-recorded material.
Main Presentation: the content that makes up the bulk of the event; think of this content as what appears on the main stage. It can either be a live presentation or a pre-recorded video.
Backstage: the backend of an event, where Hosts, Speakers and other Administrators can interact without visibility to Attendees.
Landing Page: the standalone web page created specifically to help market your webinar and capture registrations.
Polls: feature that allows you to create single- or multiple-choice questions for your webinars and capture audience responses.
Automations: a feature that allows you to automate certain tasks to occur at specific moments during your webinar
URL Key: the last part of the webinar URL

Ready to create videos at scale? Start your free OpenReel trial today, and take advantage of easy recording, powerful brand control, and end-to-end creation technology.