comparing screencasting tools
TRANSCRIPT
Navigating the Screencast Tool Jungle
by Rick Teplitz
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Contents
About Screencasts Screencast Use Cases The Tools (with demos) What I don’t Like What to do with your Video Converting Existing Training into Video Questions
Why Video?
Has already become an integral part of today’s content
Customers /users are looking for it Sometimes saying it with video is more effective
than saying it with words Its international, even if not translated, it provides
a visual which reaches a much wider audience
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About Screencasts
Digital recording of computer screen, also known as a video screen capture, often containing audio narration
Used for recording webinars, providing video training, instruction, website demos, marketing, and more
Can be found on pretty much every website
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Types of Screencasts at My Company
New Hire Training Videos + Condensed 1 hour sessions into 15 minutes+ Sessions could be accessed from anywhere in the world, at
any time+ Videos uploaded to internal streaming server
Feature Training Videos+ Prepare training for Sales Engineers and Support that
describe features and how to troubleshoot them+ Videos uploaded to internal streaming server
Knowledge Base Videos - for Customers+ Short videos of 3 minutes or less+ Illustrate procedures+ Looking to supplement or replace basic procedures in
online help with video
The Tools
TechSmith Camtasia (7.1.1) Studio
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Camtasia Features
Basic screen recording utility that enables adding elements on top of the video
Can record PowerPoint presentations together with video of the presenter
Good for shorter videos, longer videos need to be made in segments, no note utility to help when recording
Does enable “splitting” video into segments Has call outs, drawing objects, transitions,
picture-in-picture, and “zoom-n-pan” Has wide range of output options, youtube,
mobile devices, MP4, etc.
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Adobe (v6.0) Captivate
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Captivate Features
Hybrid of PowerPoint and Flash, allows creating modular files, files can be easily changed and updated
Good for longer videos, training, etc. because its easier to manage content
Automatically adds named callouts and mouse movements
Standard tools, drawing on slides, voice recording, notes, buttons
Can create effects like motion paths, scaling and rotating, color changes, etc.
Library of drawing objects Enables creating quizzes for testing how much users
have learned , including using advanced interactions
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Articulate Storyline
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Articulate Features
Is a hybrid of Camtasia and Captivate After recording, can import as a single video file like
Camtasia, or as slides like with Captivate Library of personas and gestures Built in the PowerPoint API, familiar PowerPoint
environment Can import PowerPoint presentation with animation
and keeps all items intact Don’t need to manually add text items or align them
as you need to do with Captivate for text slides Saves about 30% of production time
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What I don’t Like
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Camtasia Captivate Articulate
• No “text” slides, have to record PowerPoint
• Can’t add audio while watching video (can’t time it and line it up)
• No area for notes, need to type of separate script
• Cannot pause while recording audio
• Not easy to determine duration of a screencast
• No “default text slides. Have to manually add text boxes and align them
• Working with imported PowerPoint presentations is awkward, having to open in PowerPoint for every change
• Support for motion paths is limited
• Can’t export to MP4 (video file) directly, cumbersome workaround. Only their proprietary formats
• Doesn’t support motion paths
• Timeline isn’t smooth when editing
Preparing Videos
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Converting Existing Training into Video
Reasoning: Had one trainer training all new hires, different time zones, etc.
Wanted to automate part of process and preserve his knowledge
Record training sessions using Camtasia Can then remake them with Captivate or
Articulate for more professional video Great way to capture knowledge from SMEs then
create professional looking training
Overview of Video Preparation Process
Preliminary Recording / Recreate
Add Notes / Script
Record Audio
Review Project / Line Up
Add Drawing Objects
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Tips
When recording with Camtasia, pause (F9) often to check on your script, then continue recording
Practice narration. Speak slowly and clearly Don’t record voice with others in the room
(keyboard, mouse clicks, etc.) When recording voice on different days, listen to
one or two slides to match voice level and pitch In Captivate, recommended to rebuild PPT slides
in application, or import presentation and simply highlight items
If slides were animated, delete animated objects form PPT and add in Captivate individually
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What to do with your Video
Upload to Youtube Send by e-mail (not very convenient) Upload to video hosting/streaming server such as
Kaltura, then embed if supported or send link
Bonus – Creating Knowledgebase Videos with Camtasia
Video prepared internally for Support Provides step by step instructions on how to
prepare for, and record using Camtasia See YouTube video
Creating Knowledgebase Videos with Camtasia v7.1
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