Ask YC: Recording Video Tutorials | Hacker News Reader

Ask YC: Recording Video Tutorials

11 pointsasnyder11 comments

I currently use Camtasia Studio for recording video tutorials. However, I find that even the simplest video requires me to record at least 10 takes. I find the subtle errors and mistakes I make annoying, even when following a script. While Camtasia has some built in editing tools, it's overly obvious when a video is edited, and I feel that can be annoying to the viewer. As a result I find myself constantly reshooting to get that pefect take.

Has this been your experience? If not, what do you do differently?

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http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/775-ask-37signals-how-do-...

1. Write the script.

2. Record the voiceover in Logic Express and export as MP3. Logic Express is helpful for moving tracks around, evening out volume levels, compressing tracks, adding background music, etc. Leaving extra space at the beginning helps ensure you’re ready to shoot when the audio begins.

3. Create a fake account flush with data so the video shows how an account looks when it’s active (but without revealing anyone’s confidential data).

4. Shoot the video while listening to the voiceover track. I use Snapz Pro, shooting at 15 fps, for this. (This step can require some adjustments in spacing on the audio track to make sure things sync up properly.)

5. Combine audio and video in Quicktime Pro. Export as .avi file.

6. Import the .avi file into Camtasia for final editing, adding zooms and pans, exporting to Flash, etc.

I bought Snapz Pro and always hated that software: it was so slow when it came to rendering the final video. A few months ago I found Screenium (http://www.synium.de/products/screenium/index.html) and couldn't believe how much better it was, and it's about half of the price too. I definitely recommend checking out their demo.

http://www.varasoftware.com/products/screenflow/ seems to be the best tool for the Mac right now, at least according to all the big boys.

It has features that few or none of the other solutions seem to have. E.g., the ability to record the camera at the same time as the screen, so you can have a picture-in-picture for the narrator at any point. Or, the ability to zoom and pan over the whole-screen recording at any point. It even knows at any given point where the frontmost window is, so you can select it after the fact during video editing.

All in all, a pretty impressive new approach to screencast editing.

I use iShowU on a Mac. I also have a nice mic which makes the audio quality vastly higher. I recently started recording just the screens and then recording the audio separately (then combine in QT pro). It seems to take a few less takes.

This seems to be a typical problem in all forms of video creation. Movie or television scenes are shot dozens of times for this reason. Reshooting for the perfect take in unavoidable, unless you simply lower your expectations.

It depends on your intended audience and how perfect you need your video. If you are delivering a standard screencast then a few mistakes during the recording may make it seem more real. If you are looking for professional output I agree with the splitting into chapters and working on a more detailed script (as already mentioned). You can then integrate your into a more comprehensive compositing program like FinalCut, AfterEffects, etc. Overall, I find Camtasia to be the best option available at the moment for screencasting.

Vaguely off topic - but this is a screencast savvy group. Does anyone recognize the software being used for this screencast? Note the real time insertion of a webcam.

http://www.accuweather.com/mt-news-blogs.asp?blog=meteomadne...

Wink is free and helps you make great screencasts: http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

I use Wink for all my demos. Easy, Fast, Small Size final product, compatible with all browsers, and did we mention free?

Increase the level of detail in your script, chunk the script into chapters/sections, record the sections until they are perfect, and use Camtasia transitions to edit sections together.

nearly impossible to get smooth edits in camtasia IMO. we just do full takes in one shot (yeah it might take several attempts)

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