diff --git a/app/components/exp-lookit-video-assent/template.hbs b/app/components/exp-lookit-video-assent/template.hbs
index 4b922bbd..4d8786b8 100644
--- a/app/components/exp-lookit-video-assent/template.hbs
+++ b/app/components/exp-lookit-video-assent/template.hbs
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@
                         <div id="recorder" class="col-xs-12"></div>
                     </div>
 
-                    {{#if recorderInitializing}} ({{t "please wait, setting up" }}...)
+                    {{#if recorderInitializing}}
+
+                        ({{t "please wait, setting up" }}...)
 
                     {{else}}
 
diff --git a/app/mixins/video-record.js b/app/mixins/video-record.js
index 4244f9be..94464135 100644
--- a/app/mixins/video-record.js
+++ b/app/mixins/video-record.js
@@ -403,7 +403,10 @@ export default Ember.Mixin.create({
                 $('.video-record-mixin-wait-for-video-text').html(`${expFormat(this.get('waitForUploadMessage'))}`);
                 this.showWaitForVideoCover();
             }
-            return recorder.stop(this.get('maxUploadSeconds') * 1000);
+            return recorder.stop(this.get('maxUploadSeconds') * 1000)
+                .catch((e) => {
+                    throw new Error(`Error stopping recorder and uploading: ${e}`);
+                });
         } else {
             // reject the promise because the recorder is in one of the following states:
             // - doesn't exist, or is not recording, or has been destroyed
@@ -444,6 +447,7 @@ export default Ember.Mixin.create({
             .catch((err) => {
                 console.error(`Error playing video: ${err.name}: ${err.message}`);
                 console.trace();
+                throw new Error('Error playing video');
             });
     },
 
diff --git a/app/services/s3.js b/app/services/s3.js
index 94ff4c8b..cba4c84f 100644
--- a/app/services/s3.js
+++ b/app/services/s3.js
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ class S3 {
             Bucket: this.env.bucket,
             Key: this.key,
             ContentType: "video/webm",
-        }).promise();
+        }).promise()
+            .catch((e) => {
+                this.logRecordingEvent(`Error creating upload: ${e}`);
+                throw new Error(`Error creating upload: ${e}`);
+            });
         this.uploadId = createResponse.UploadId;
         this.logRecordingEvent(`Connection established.`);
     }
@@ -81,6 +85,10 @@ class S3 {
         }).promise()
             .then((resp) => {
                 this.logRecordingEvent(`Upload complete: ${resp.Location}`);
+            })
+            .catch((e) => {
+                this.logRecordingEvent(`Error completing upload: ${e}`);
+                throw new Error(`Error completing upload: ${e}`);
             });
     }
 
diff --git a/app/services/video-recorder.js b/app/services/video-recorder.js
index bfc78321..2af7229b 100644
--- a/app/services/video-recorder.js
+++ b/app/services/video-recorder.js
@@ -347,14 +347,14 @@ const VideoRecorder = Ember.Object.extend({
                         resolve(); // skip mic check and resolve the install promise
                     }
                 } else {
-                    reject();
+                    reject(new Error(`Mic check error: no input stream.`));
                 }
             };
 
             const catch_install_error = (err) => {
                 console.error(`Recorder installation error:\n${err.name}: ${err.message}`);
                 console.trace();
-                return reject();
+                throw new Error(`Recorder installation error: ${err}`);
             }
 
             navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({audio: {noiseSuppression: true}, video: {width: 1280, height: 720, frameRate: 30}})
@@ -458,12 +458,13 @@ const VideoRecorder = Ember.Object.extend({
         var recorder = this.get('recorder');
         if (recorder) {
             try {
-                recorder.stopRecording();
+                await recorder.stopRecording();
                 _this.get('recorder').onRecordingStopped.call(_this);
                 await this.get('s3').completeUpload();
                 _this._onUploadDone(this.get('recorderId'), this.get('s3').key); // clears the upload timeout, sets isUploaded to true, resolves stop promise
             } catch (e) {
                 console.warn(`Error stopping video ${_this.get('videoName')}: ${e}`);
+                throw new Error('Error stopping video.');
             }
         }
         return _stopPromise;
@@ -477,7 +478,7 @@ const VideoRecorder = Ember.Object.extend({
      */
     pause() {
         this.get('recorder').getState().then((curr_state) => {
-            return new RSVP.Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            return new RSVP.Promise((resolve) => {
                 if (curr_state == "recording") {
                     this.get('recorder').pauseRecording()
                         .then(() => {
@@ -486,7 +487,7 @@ const VideoRecorder = Ember.Object.extend({
                         .catch((err) => {
                             console.error(`Error pausing recorder:\n${err.name}: ${err.message}`);
                             console.trace();
-                            reject();
+                            throw new Error('Error pausing recorder');
                         });
                 } else {
                     resolve();
@@ -503,7 +504,7 @@ const VideoRecorder = Ember.Object.extend({
      */
     resume() {
         this.get('recorder').getState().then((curr_state) => {
-            return new RSVP.Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            return new RSVP.Promise((resolve) => {
                 if (curr_state == "paused") {
                     this.get('recorder').resumeRecording()
                         .then(() => {
@@ -512,7 +513,7 @@ const VideoRecorder = Ember.Object.extend({
                         .catch((err) => {
                             console.error(`Error resuming recording:\n${err.name}: ${err.message}`);
                             console.trace();
-                            reject();
+                            throw new Error('Error resuming recorder');
                         });
                 } else {
                     resolve();