Screencasting Project

The Situation

I was tasked with scripting, recording, and editing a 90-150-second video tutorial for a novice beginner to follow along and complete a particular task. The topic was of my choosing; the video had to follow three minimalist principles:

I selected creating a custom t-shirt with Printify, scripted my user assistance video, and began the process of recording and editing (and re-recording and re-editing, too). 

The Challenges

Overall, this was an incredibly fun project—but one not without its difficulties. In two distinct ways, time was the dominant challenge with this task.

First, 90 seconds can speed by when you’re describing a particular task. In the scripting process, I kept adding details, then removing details, trying to find the right amount of content. (I ended up with a significantly shorter script than the one I submitted to my professor.)

Second, according to Dr. Chris Lam, it takes approximately 300 minutes to produce a one-minute video—for reference, IMDb shows 300 minutes is about 40 minutes longer than the Extended Version of Return of the King.

(My video turned out to be 2 minutes; and it probably took around the time it would take to watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy
—the extended editions.)

Precision was another challenge. Effective communication translates content to an audience immediately. Visual elements add a potential threat: it is another way in which clear communication can become muddled. So, I strived not to overburden the video with technical flourishes but to include only those that would contribute to the overall understanding and completion of the task.

The Results

My Camtasia screencasting project begins and ends with clear, step-by-step instructions, from signing up on the website to ordering your own design.

Perhaps the only major section of passive learning in the video was toward the beginning, where I show logging in to the site—considering that a viewer may have already signed-in to the site—beyond that, the video prioritizes active learning. 

Twice in the video, I offered pro tips that showed how a user could make an error and, if that were to happen, how to recover from any errors quickly.

The Approach

I began by scripting my process. The script provided instructions for the mouth cursor as well as voice-over direction, detailing what the viewer would see and hear during a particular step.

Upon review, my professor recommended I shorten the content for clarity. I did so, reducing the video by 20-30 seconds. 

Next, I began by screen recording. I followed along in my script, taking my time to go step-by-step slowly, knowing I could edit out excessive lag times. Then, I recorded audio. In situating the audio and the video, I discovered areas to re-record or add audio or video, and I did so as needed.  

Lastly, I added certain visual cues and transitions to assist the viewer in completing the task effectively and easily. 

Overall, while there are areas I wish I could improve, for my first-ever screencasting project, I am proud of my work and grateful for the proficiency in Camtasia I gained from accomplishing this task.