I recently had my first experience with Lynda.com watching some of their free videos on Illustrator. After watching only a couple of them, I was totally sold. I’m also in the process of making a series of videos showing people how to use a certain functionality of a software program I’m working on. Working with both the consumption end (watching) and production end (making), I’ve learned quite a bit about what works and what doesn’t when recording these on-screen videos. I’ve also learned that they are a lot harder to make than they look.

I want to share a few tips that a colleague and I came up with while making these videos. For reference, we’re using the Camtasia 5 software to record and edit the videos. While it isn’t perfect, there isn’t too much more to ask for and I’m not considering a different solution at the moment. Thanks to Mark Otis for a few of these ideas.

What’s the point?

Video training is a great way to show complicated steps or describe potentially confusing theories. Video training, however, is not great for short, easy tasks. If I wanted to show someone how to recover a file from their recycle bin, it is easier to simply say “open the recylce bin, find the file, drag out of the recycle bin” than it is to make a video.

The point being that not everything lends itself to being taught in a video format. To make a successful video, be sure to think about it from the student’s perspective. Do they gain anything by seeing it on a screen? Are there complicated steps that work better shown than told? Even better, do these types of videos already exist out there? Before you start, it might be a good idea to run a quick Google or Youtube search for your subject matter.

Start with an outline

Off-the-cuff demonstration is VERY difficult to pull off properly. By that I mean it’s pratically impossible to effective teach people without a guide to tell you what is next. Watch a presentation without a clear, concise outline or a script and you’ll notice that the presentation jumps around, misses topics, and ends up somewhat to extremely ineffective.

Even if the video is short, have precise steps to take on-screen available and print out or write down the points you want to make. It is FAR more important to have an effective video than it is to sound casual. Be clear beforehand what you will be showing and communicate that to the viewer within the first ten seconds. Stay on task, follow your outline, and err on the side of conciseness.

Test it out

Take it from someone who spent over four hours just to come out with one six-minute video: test your equipment. It takes 5 or 10 minutes to record a piece, run through the steps, make sure all the necessary files are there, and watch a finished product. This will save you hours! Listen for puffs of air on your “Ps” and “Ts”and adjust the mic accordingly. Make sure that the finished product can be heard clearly and that there are no problems with your powerpoint or the demo software. Produce a video all the way to the end and watch the finished product. Sound problems are the most common issue with on-screen demos and can be very frustrating to someone watching the video. Witha  bit of preparation, you can avoid headaches for yourself and your viewers.

Consider screen resolution

Screen capture video programs let you modify the size of the capture window you are using so if you’re going to shrink the capture size down to a small size, then your resolution is not terribly important. If, however, you’re wanting to capture the entire screen (from, say, a Power Point presentation), you’ll want to modify the size of your screen display (the resolution). To change this in Windows XP, right click on your main desktop window, select Properties, then the Settings tab. Try 800 x 600 first and, if that’s too distracting, then try 1024 x 768. Remember that what it looks like on your screen is different from what it will look like once it is produced. Reducing the screen size will cut down on the raw video file size and make it easier for the program to shrink the size when it is finished.

Turn everything off

Before you start recording, consider EVERYTHING. Is the window open, letting in a lot of noise? Is your IM turned off so you’re not interrupted? Is the background picture on your desktop distracting (or inappropriate)? How about the icons ON your desktop? Is your phone muted? Are there any pop-ups happening? A great way to avoid computer interruptions is to make a new login to your computer and remove everything off of the desktop. In Windows XP, go to Start > Control Panel > User Accounts and create a new user. Then, switch users by going to Start > Logoff and selecting Switch Users, then logging into the new account. Keep this second account “clean” by not installing or logging into any programs that cause interruptions.

Update 8/20:

Smashing Magazine just posted an article about screencasting yesterday… check it out.

Related posts:

1. Thoughts on conferences Show up early…. yes, you. Everyone needs to show up...
2. Installing a font in Windows XP This is a companion to my 6 steps to easy...
3. Advice to a client: don’t just have a great idea and act on it – remember the bottom line too So you’ve got a great idea, do you? Good for...

What I want to do, however, is muse. Maybe I need to get it out to feel better or maybe I think someone with this problem is reading. (Ir)Regardless of the reason, I want to address a conversation I had with a Cox cable technical support rep yesterday.

Let me provide a frame of reference: we just moved into a new (read: much bigger) apartment and had our cable internet moved over. Plugged in the modem+router, no dice. Called Cox at 10:30pm and they answered (that was very refreshing). It was a very mild-mannered (maybe I woke him up) guy who told me that the coax outlet I was using might be bunk. I hung up and tried another outlet; the same thing happened, blinking “Cable” light on the modem. It was probably a hook-up issue so I called in yesterday to get it ironed out.

The gentleman I talked to was friendly but had a need to talk over me… not aggressively, mind you, but consistently. I’m sure I could use several more adverbs to describe his demeanor/tone but I’ll spare you.

We got to the point where it seemed logical to schedule a technician to come and look at the line. He kindLY stated that there might be an $89 charge if the problem was in the house and not on the outside. I politeLY said that I wanted the building owner to pay that fee if it was deemed necessary. Then he repeatedLY and irrationalLY ignored my request and gave me information that simpLY wasn’t pertinent to the situation.

Flash forward 10+ minutes of this ridiculous back and forth stemming from my desire to have the outside wiring checked but the inside wiring ignored. In the end, my question was answered and my request was possible but only after I got worked up enough to write this and wasted tons of time between the two of us.

*sigh*

So this turned into a rant, I guess, but let’s make something productive out of it. I taught customer service to phone reps for 2 years so here is what I would do on the other end of the phone.

• Listen. Stop talking and listen. Let the customer speak their mind, regardless of what they are saying. You can disarm someone very easily by not talking over them and just letting them get everything out. Don’t interrupt, wait for your turn, and stop sounding like you’re just looking for a gap in between words so you can start blabbing.
• Write.Write down what I say as I say it. Not only will this keep you listening but, when you get confused or it’s your turn to solve the issue, you have a bit of information to work with. If the person I talked to had written down what I said about paying the fee, maybe our conversation could have been 80% shorter.
• Explore. Either with me on the phone or by yourself while I’m on hold, run through all the possible options for the situation and be clear on what they mean. Even if you’re just brainstorming with me, I would rather hear 10 different options that don’t work instead of 1. Chances are that one out of the 10 actually WILL work for me.
• Solve. If I repeat myself eight times then you’re not hearing what my problem is (or I’m trying to hypnotize you). Solve my problem by re-phrasing yourself or repeating back what I said or offering different solutions. If we’re both repeating ourselves then there is something wrong. Since you can’t control the customer, control yourself.

Let’s make the world better one customer problem at a time.

Related posts:

1. Problem Solved #00001 – DSL, Wifi, printers This is your introduction to the major feature of this...