We present challenges in video research of classroom interactions and propose strategies for overcoming them with contemporary tools for audiovisual recording and analysis. In particular, we present examples from our work in undergraduate physics classes to show how these new recording and analysis strategies improve our inquiries into multimodal learning interactions. Drawing on ethnomethodological conversation analysis, we make a case for the importance of preserving as many communicational resources participants have access to as possible in order to discover new meaning-making mechanisms.