Videobooth

The videobooth: a video guestbook

How it works, hardware, camera and mic permissions, and setting up a great guestbook corner.

Mode being rolled out. The videobooth is arriving gradually in BoothX versions. Depending on your version, some screens may differ from this description.

The videobooth turns the booth into a video guestbook: each guest records a short message to camera for the newlyweds, the birthday or the company. Messages are organized by event, ready to be watched and given as a gift.

The videobooth runs entirely on the booth: it's free, with no account and no internet connection.

Hardware

A webcam over USB, or the computer's built-in camera. A Full HD webcam at eye level gives far better results than a laptop camera.
A mic (recommended): the webcam's mic is enough in a quiet room. In a reception hall, a small USB mic pointed at the guest picks up the voice without the music.
A screen facing the guest, so they can see themselves and follow the countdown.

Without a mic, or if mic access is denied, messages are recorded without sound. BoothX tells you before you start.

Camera and mic permissions

The system asks for your permission the first time BoothX uses the camera and the mic:

macOS: accept both windows, “BoothX would like to access the camera” and “… the microphone”. If you denied them, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera (then Microphone) and turn on BoothX;
Windows: Settings › Privacy & security › Camera (then Microphone): access must be allowed for desktop apps;
Linux: your user must have access to video and audio devices (video and audio groups, depending on the distribution).

See Camera access denied.

Open the videobooth

The videobooth opens from the launcher (Videobooth card) or from its entry in the sidebar. It works on the selected event: recorded messages are stored in that event's folder. So select the right event before you start.

Set up a guestbook corner

Framing: the camera at eye level, the guest about one meter away. You should see the face and shoulders, not the ceiling.
Light: a soft light from the front. Avoid a window behind the guest.
Sound: keep the booth away from the speakers and the dance floor. A corner a little out of the way, or a folding screen, makes all the difference.
Prompt: a small card or the welcome screen text (“Leave a message for the newlyweds: 30 seconds, here we go!”) helps shy guests.
Music: the booth's background music mutes automatically during recording (see Playlists and crossfades).

Videobooth and photobooth in the same event

A single event can offer both the photobooth and the video guestbook: the guest chooses their activity on the welcome screen. See Multi-mode event.

What's next?