WHAT IS A SCREENCAST?
A screencast is a “broadcast” of what appears on your computer screen. In other words, it’s a video recorded by an app on your computer of whatever appears on the computer’s screen.
Screencasts are most commonly used to create tutorials that demonstrate how to do things on the computer or the web, but you can use them for a variety of purposes as well. For example, you might make a screencast of a web site in order to discuss its rhetorical effectiveness, perhaps in comparison to a second web site.
You can also make creative videos by recording interesting things on the screen. You can even sometimes record video and audio clips you find on the web but are unable to download, but if you do that, keep in mind that if the material is subject to copyright protection, you won’t be able to include it in a project you then upload to YouTube.
HOW DO SCREENCAST APPS WORK?
When you launch a screencast app and click “record,” you will be recording whatever appears on your computer screen. Some apps let you draw a box around the portion of the screen you want to record, while others simply record the whole screen.
Most apps let you choose how to record audio. If you plan to speak throughout the screencast, you’ll choose the option of recording audio through a microphone (either the one built-in to the computer or attached). If you want the screencast to capture audio playing on your computer screen, you’ll choose the option of “system audio” (or something along those lines).
When you’re finished recording, you have the option to edit the screencast, if you’d like. Some screencast apps allow you to edit within the app, and others simply save files in a format you can then edit in iMovie or Movie Maker.
If you don’t want to do any editing, or if you’re finished with editing, you’ll then need to create a web-ready version of the screencast. Some apps save the original screencast file in a web-ready format, while others require that you use the export or “share” function to create a web-ready version. Then you can upload that version to your account on YouTube or Vimeo.
WHAT APP SHOULD I USE?
In addition to the options described below, you can also find other free or free-trial screencast apps by searching Google, including some that are web-based (like Screenr.com and Screencast-o-Matic.com)
Windows Users
If you already have a screen recording app, just use that. Some PCs come with a variety of multimedia tools already installed.
If you need to download an app, I recommend that you try the free trial version of Camtasia Studio for Windows 7. I use the Mac version and find it very easy to use, but powerful when I want it to be.
If you’re using Windows XP or Vista, try CamStudio. I’ve used that on an old Windows PC and found it to be super easy.
If none of those options works for you, try searching Google for free screen recording apps for your version of Windows. This is such a common thing people want to be able to do, so there are lots of apps out there. Anything that can record the screen as well as an audio track of you speaking will do the trick.
Or give the web-based apps noted above a try.
Mac Users
If you have QuickTime X installed on your Mac, you can use it to record your screen. (QuickTime 7 doesn’t offer this feature unless you upgrade to Pro.) To see if you have QuickTime X, go to your Applications folder and search for QuickTime. Right-click or control-click on the title (or icon) for QuickTime and choose Get Info from the dropdown. Then look at the version number. If it says 10, then that’s QuickTime X (“X” is the roman numeral for ten).
If you don’t have QuickTime X, I recommend that you download the free trial of Camtasia for Mac, which you can use in “full” mode for 30 days. (In June 2011, I switched from using SnapzPro to Camtasia for all my screencasts, and I find it very easy to use.) I’ve posted detailed instructions on Camtasia (see below for the link).
You can also find lots of other free or free-trial screencast apps for Mac with a little Google searching. If you choose a free trial, just make sure the app lets you save a fully functioning video without having to pay anything. Screenflow, which is the main competitor to Camtasia in terms of features and price range, does not do that, which is what made me choose Camtasia instead.
I just came across Screenflick, which is more affordable than Camtasia (at only $30), but I haven’t tried it yet.
Extras
You’ve probably noticed in my screencasts that I often activate a “flash light” around the cursor, so you can more easily see what I’m referring to. I’m doing that with a free little app called OmniDazzle, which has a lot of fun little “screen effects” in addition to the flashlight. After I launch the app, I can then use a keyboard shortcut to turn the the flashlight “on” or “off.”
HOW DO I USE THE APP?
Camtasia Studio for Windows
For instructions on using this app, see the Camtasia Studio for Windows Learning Center. The first few screencasts probably cover everything you need to know to record, save, and export a screencast. You don’t need to edit the screencast — unless you want to!
QuickTime X and Camtasia for Mac
HOW DO I SHARE MY SCREENCAST?
Save or export the screencast in a web-ready video format (like mov, wmv, m4v, mp4, flv) and then upload it to a video hosting site like YouTube or Vimeo. Then you can embed the video into a blog post or web page. See: How to share a video you created.
Another option is to upload your screencast to Google Docs and share it with others either by putting it in a shared collection or by using the Share button. Google Docs creates a playable version of the video, but it can’t be embedded anywhere.
