Documentation:Annotated Presentations/DIY Media/Record

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CHECKLIST:
Set up your recording environment
Test for sound.
Record your presentation.
Source any additional content that you will be editing in (b-roll).
Familiarize yourself with copyright resources and guidelines.


Set up your recording environment

Managing a microphone, script, and computer at the same time is harder than it sounds. Talking, using the mouse, and reading from a script at the same time requires that you split your attention. You'll get the best presentation if you set everything up so it's easy to use.

  • Put your script somewhere you can easily read from it. Don't worry about making noise when you're turning pages, if you have more than one: stop speaking when you turn the page, and keep going once you're settled again: and you can cut the noise the paper makes out when you're editing.
  • Position your microphone so it picks your voice up well. If you don't have a stand, make one or consider investing: a moving microphone doesn't capture audio as well as a still one. Record some test clips, and make sure your pop filter is close to your microphone.
  • Make sure that you can use your mouse, pen, or keyboard easily: sit within reach of everything you need.
  • Make sure you won't be interrupted. Put a sign on your door, or move somewhere you won't be disturbed.
  • Try to eliminate background noises. Record somewhere quiet, turn off other electronics, and close your door. To improve audio quality, try to record in a room which has soft furniture: bare, hard walls can give your voice a tinny quality.
  • Make sure your computer desktop is clear, and that you've closed any unrelated programs. Disable notifications: you don't want a popup letting you know you have a new email appearing in the middle of your presentation. If you record a lot of presentations, think about keeping an alternate account on your computer which has none of those pesky programs enabled.

Audio

The quality of your audio factors greatly into the perception of your video: a small increase in audio quality is worth a much larger increase in video quality.

  • Speak slowly and clearly. Take a trial run, and play it back to yourself: you might be surprised by how quickly you're talking.
  • Reduce echoes by recording in a room with soft surfaces, such as your living room. Reduce or eliminate electrical sounds such as computer fans and other appliances.
    • It might look a bit silly, but making a fort out of couch cushions and recording your audio inside of it will mimic the effect of the padding used in recording studios, and improve the quality of your audio.
  • Avoid rooms with echoes or fans: even imperceptible fan sounds may be picked up by an external mic.
  • Use a noise-reducing microphone, buy or build a pop filter, and keep the mic close to your mouth.

Recording

For tutorials on how to use Camtasia, have a look at TechSmith's series of videos, linked at the bottom of the page. They'll have you up-and-running in no time.

  • Test your software and equipment! This is in bold because it's really, really important. The first time you record a presentation, first, record a five-second presentation and make sure everything works. This includes checking audio and video quality, making sure you can edit the files, and exporting the files to a video. This will help you catch any problems before you've invested hours of work.
  • Record in small chunks so that you can edit them more easily later. There's nothing wrong with recording in two-minute chunks.
  • Try to record all your audio at the same time: if you have to take down your equipment and set it up again, the audio will sound different.
  • If you feel like you're going too quickly, or something else is going wrong, just stop talking. Take a moment or two to collect your thoughts, and start again. You can easily remove sections you don't want when editing.
  • If you have to turn the page on your script, stop talking, and then change the page. That way, you can edit out the noise of flipping paper without losing important information.
  • Stick to your script. If you have a great idea that you want to include, stop the recording, and update your script. Having a script makes life much easier: it prevents you from stumbling over your words, keeps you from forgetting anything, and keeps you on track and on time.

Camtasia Studio 8 comes with a plugin for Microsoft PowerPoint 2013, which can simplify the recording process. However, PowerPoint 2013 is the only software which has plugin functionality with Camtasia. In the example presentation, a different technique was used to capture the full-screen presentation, which will work with any software which features a full-screen mode.

  1. Begin recording your screen, with the presentation in the normal (not full-screen) mode.
  2. Open your presentation in full-screen mode.
  3. Begin speaking and presenting as normal. After you're done recording, you can edit the section at the beginning (putting your presentation into full-screen mode) out. If you're concerned about being able to find the exact start of your presentation, snap your fingers near your microphone just before you start recording: it'll show up as a sharp spike on the audio track.

Production Resources

Tips and tricks

  • Here are instructions to export in HD and integrate quiz features in the Mac and PC versions of Camtasia.

Software

B-roll Content: you're probably familiar with shots of crowds, parks, or freeways in news articles or documentaries, which help transition from one scene to another. This content, which can frequently be found online under free-use licenses, is referred to as b-roll, and can help provide a background for a point you don't have a slide for, or help introduce or close a video.

Copyright

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TIPS:
  • Add media to enhance interest - This is referred to as b-roll content and can include examples, still images, videoclips or freely available content licensed for re-use or in the public domain.
  • Make sure to focus on audio quality - high quality audio is the single most important thing that will elevate the professionalism of your video.
  • When recording, start with the end in mind, and aim for that in your production.
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