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Tips with Camtasia 6...

by Kim Standerline
14 replies
I've just downloaded the Camtasia months trial.

I thought I'd have a bash at making some vids.

Does anyone have any tips etc they would like to share to make camtasia videos look and sound more professional

Thanks
Kim
#camtasia #tips
  • Profile picture of the author JayXtreme
    There are some YouTube videos, Kim... and Metacafe, too...

    One from Alex Jeffreys that I believe is very good, although I've had no need for it myself.

    Peace

    Jay
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  • Profile picture of the author crushthenet
    Hey Kim,

    I like to do the video and audio separately. First I record the video and make sure I go over all the things I want to go over. It helps if you pretend like you're recording the audio so you know when to move to the next section, webpage, etc. Then after the video is done and you edit whatever you don't like, record the audio. Sometimes I think it's best to record the audio in chunks rather than trying to do it all in one shot. You could break the audio up into like 1-2 minute chunks so you can stop recording and keep that flawless chunk rather than making a mistake at minute 4 and having to start all over again. Or just keep recording until you mess up and then hit stop and edit out the mistake.

    Hope that helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
    Thanks guys

    Is it best to prepare some sort of script before I start
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    • Profile picture of the author KenJ
      1. You need to have a script in great detail. Including when you switch pages and shots.

      2. Use audacity to record the sound separately with a Professional mic e.g. SM57. Add this to the video later

      3. Decide on which part of the screen you want people to see - omit the toolbars at the top of the screen when showing your surfing.

      4. Make the videos very short 2-3 minutes.

      5. Do not log in to an account on screen - very amateurish.

      6. "That'll do" is never good enough for video. It used to be but the quality has jumped up to fantastic in the last 6 months.

      7. Use PLR music over a standard 10second intro for a set of videos.

      just off the top of my head

      Kenj
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  • Profile picture of the author crushthenet
    Using a script doesn't work for me. I just have to go for it and record the audio in chunks and if it doesn't end up sounding right, I do the chunk over again. I think it's better to sound natural than to sound like you're reading something. IMHO it's better to sound like you're talking to your best friend than reading a script and potentially sounding like a robot. I would just try and write a script if I were you, you'll find out pretty quickly if you're a script user/writer or not.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Kim, if you need technical tips on using the program there are a bunch of how-to videos on the techsmith website.
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  • Profile picture of the author steve-wilkins
    I would day just get involved! I started using camtasia over a year ago and didnt have a clue at first but after recording around 5 vidoes I was all clued up and became familiar with the different tools and functions that camtasia has to offer.

    One point Imust stress is- get a decent microphone, bad sound and noise can really ruin your video.

    Best of luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author Killer Joe
      Originally Posted by steve-wilkins View Post

      I would say just get involved!
      I agree with this. Your brain won't create any permanent pathways without the actual experience. And that includes the flubs.

      One point I must stress is- get a decent microphone, bad sound and noise can really ruin your video.
      When you clean up your audio recording, I have found it's better to actually select an area of noise as the sample instead of just letting the software figure it out. It gives you a choice.

      Use the + magnifying glass to extend the track and give you the ability to more precisely highlight the section of noise you want to use as a sample.

      KJ
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      • Profile picture of the author Chris Lagarde
        Originally Posted by Killer Joe View Post

        I agree with this. Your brain won't create any permanent pathways without the actual experience. And that includes the flubs.
        KJ
        It's good to jump in, and then consult the Camtasia training videos when you hit a wall. Your mind will be focused on getting an answer to a problem vs. wading through a bunch of training videos before getting your feet wet. This is how I finally got around to learning Camtasia.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
    Thanks guys

    I've found this incredibly helpful

    Cheers
    Kim
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  • Profile picture of the author Quentin
    Hi Kim

    I personally like to review the actual videos on the Camtasia site as they are very helpful and professionally done.

    Tutorials for Getting Started with Camtasia Studio

    I personally like to record as I do the video and then use the editing to add effects and remove any ums and ars

    Here is a quick sample of what I have done.



    Quentin
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  • Profile picture of the author Shannon Herod
    http://ScreenCastProfits.com by Lon Naylor are the best out there when it comes to Camtasia videos.

    Check it out

    Shannon
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