Sunday May 01, 2011
Top 5 Tips to Creating Successful Video Recordings
The key to creating screencasts that users will want to watch is preparation. Sounds boring, we know. But, after nearly 20 years of creating our own on demand training, we’ve learned a thing or two about making screencasts.
Here’s our Top 5 Tips to Creating Successful Screencast Creation:
1. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Overall, how much and how often you practice will be the key to creating professional videos. It takes practice to learn how to correctly move the cursor or open applications so they appear in the recording area. You will need to practice to get the positioning of browser windows and other applications just right.
This often means you’ll need to perform several “takes,” replaying them to see ways you can continue to improve.
Just be patient. Your first few videos often take much longer than you anticipate. But, once you hit your groove, you’ll be knocking out videos fairly quickly.
2. Clean up your Desktop.
Screen recording applications record anything on your screen. To ensure you get the best looking videos, clean up your browser and desktop by closing or removing all nonessential applications, browser toolbars, and desktop icons. Also, a plain background on your desktop is better than a busy wallpaper image. Keep in mind that a cluttered work space can draw attention away from what you are actually trying to show.
If your video does not include pop-up windows, make sure they are turned off by using a pop-up blocker or the browser’s built-in pop-up blocker.
3. Write it before you record it.
A well-thought out script helps define what should be happening on the screen, and helps avoid any unnecessary tangents or extra information.
Think through the actions, in detail, that you want to capture, and then write them down in sequential steps making sure that the script accurately reflects what’s currently happening on the screen. The script should also contain the exact words that you will record. Avoid using repetitive statements or words and avoid long pauses or hesitations in the narration.
A good way to start your script is to include an overview of the recording in the first line or two of the script. Explain the purpose of the recording and what you plan to show the viewer.
Then, just before you record, print the script in large type to make it easy to read while recording.
4. Talk to just one person.
When speaking, talk as though you were speaking with someone on the telephone. Keep your tone conversational. If you can picture just one person in your mind as you talk, your video will sound much less forced. Since your videos will likely be viewed by one person at a time, it makes sense to record them as though you were only talking to one person.
5. Pause, then click.
Normal mouse and cursor movements can appear jerky, hesitant, or too fast in the recording. To eliminate some of these problems, practice using the mouse around the screen in a slow, fluid motion.
Also, when showing cursor movement, pause a fraction of a second over the element, and then click. This will allow cursor position to be established in the video before the next action takes place.
There you have it – our 5 Tips for creating successful screencasts.
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