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What is a screencast and how to use it. What are screencasts and how can they be recorded. Programs for recording and processing screencasts

I'll start with the important thing: the time has come when to record screencasts (video clips about what is happening on your computer screen) it is not at all necessary to install any programs on your computer. Services have appeared on the Internet that allow you to simply go to them, click on the "record" button and write down what you need, moreover, immediately send a link to twitter, paste the code on a website or blog, show your friends on facebook.

This gives good opportunities, first of all, for teachers to use in teaching, especially if you teach online.
That's it with services I will start my story. And then I'll talk about absolutely free programs, simple and not very, that you can use on your computer to record training videos.

Service to record screencasts, you can also record from a webcam. The free plan allows you to record a 15-minute video with sound. You can upload the video to youtube.com. File format mp4, avi, flv. Registration is required to use the service.

A simple program that can create a series of screenshots or record videos without sound. Program version only for mac

A small program for recording the actions taking place on the screen in the form of screenshots or screencasts. The program has a unique feature cursor tracking : it can not record the entire screen, but only small rectangular areas adjacent to the cursor. The output file format for video is avi. You can also download the program on the site CNET Downloads AviScreen Classic, the site of the author of the program is not available.

A simple program for recording screencasts with sound in an exe file. The convenience is that the output is a small file that can be run on any computer with windows and you don't need any additional software to view it.

A small program for recording everything that happens on your computer screen, with the sound of a microphone, or a computer (for example, music). Suitable for both recording tutorials and recording what is happening on the screen in games. A good way to record during a PowerPoint presentation.

Another interesting program with which you can record your actions on the screen, accompanying them with your voice. Have a function zoom- magnification of the image on the screen, if there is a need to show small elements. The program provides the ability to immediately upload your video to youtube.com.

A program for recording screencasts, output videos in swf format, they can later be stored on the freescreencast.com server and inserted into the desired web pages using the code. Please note that you may need to install another codec, which can be downloaded from the same page. Version for windows

A good program for creating screenshots and recording screencasts with voice guidance. There are versions for windows And linux(x86). File formats for screenshots bmp, jpg, png, tiff, gif . Video formats - exe, pdf, postscript, flash/html.
Use flash/html for web, exe for computer viewing, pdf for manual printouts.

Recording screencasts with sound, sound is recorded both from a computer and from a microphone. Ability to record from a webcam. When editing videos, you can add annotations to the screens for additional explanations. There is a function of recording only sound, an mp3 file is created. The output when recording a screencast is the avi. A large description of the program from the manufacturer on the SMRecorder page

A program for creating annotated screenshots and recording screencasts containing video and sound. There are versions for windows And mac.
The free version allows you to make a two-minute recording in only one format - swf. Paid - will make it possible to record a video lasting 5 minutes and an additional file format - avi. The program provides the ability to save files to a computer, or upload to screencast.com hosting. You can store swf files there. Hosting has a free plan.

Good day, dear readers of this blog. Today's publication will be devoted to an interesting type of podcast called screencast. You may have heard the term before, or you may not.

In any case, after reading this article, you will fully understand what it is and in what industries it is used, how screencasts are created, and what are the most common mistakes beginners make. Also, I will not leave you without a useful set of tools and programs, and even talk about one interesting training course "Screencast Master". Well, now let's move on to the analysis of the material.

Let's start with the basics

So, in order to immediately dot all the e, I'll start with a definition.

The term "screencast" comes from the English word "screencast" and implies a digital video on various topics, created by recording what is happening on the computer screen of the author of the video with his comments.

The very type of this type of broadcasting information to the masses is called screencasting.

“What is the advantage of this type of informational video?” - you ask. As everyone knows, a person absorbs information best when it is perceived by him immediately both by ear and visually.

Therefore, the presentation of a way to work with any service, program, equipment, plug-ins, etc. with the addition of understandable comments will greatly simplify learning and help the user understand the issue of interest to him. That is why today this type of podcast is most popular in online courses or individual training videos.

In addition to this, companies began to practice this approach. They create similar informational videos for their new employees and clients. This method significantly saves time for both students and educators, because one well-shot video can step by step tell how to use the new service to an unlimited number of people and at any time.

When should you consider creating a screencast?

When creating a manual for simple actions, it is sometimes easier and more profitable to create a textual description of what is happening with the .

Therefore, in order to decide whether screenshots will satisfy the needs of users or whether it is worth making a video tutorial, you need to analyze several things:

What age group is the material intended for? Today, the computer generation understands technology and various programs much faster, and also easily perceives information presented in terms of a certain professional area (for example, slang words or borrowings can often be heard in IT video lessons). Unlike them, it is important for the older generation to explain all the steps in detail and use slightly different vocabulary. The approach to schoolchildren will also be different, and perhaps a text guide will be enough for them, etc.
What is the topic of future material. If this is a guide, for example, to a bank system for withdrawing funds, then it is best to create a short screencast, which is what banks do today. If this applies, then it is better to describe the program code in text form and attach its full version at the end or beginning of the article, because no one is interested in watching a long video of writing a program.
How difficult is the information to understand. If you undertook to explain the operation of a complex application, then you need to clearly and in detail describe each step, it is desirable to add a description of possible problems or errors.

Tool case

Well, now let's look at what software products and equipment we need to record a good screencast.

Let's start with the equipment.

So you need to find quiet room where there will be no extraneous sounds, a running cat, a ringing phone, etc. There must be complete silence without extraneous sounds, otherwise they will ruin the recording, and your work will be called unprofessional.

Next, of course, you will need a computer or laptop. It is desirable that it has silent keys and the same mouse. Otherwise, all these clicks, the sound of the mouse wheel and unpleasant clicks will be recorded along with your story, and this will significantly spoil the recording and reduce its level of professionalism by an order of magnitude. Therefore, specialists purchase special silent mice or an additional keyboard.

The next step is the recording equipment. And not just some, but quality. will not work on your PC or laptop. Few people want to listen to such a video lesson. After all, the sound in the video is simply terrible (or hisses, or booming, or with interference).

Therefore, it is necessary to purchase a good microphone with foam protection on the tip. Why is this one recommended? That's because it "protects" your recorded speech from crackling while breathing. Also, if you install the microphone in front of you, then take care of vibration isolation.

If you want to create high-quality video recordings, then you should buy good headphones. They are necessary so that you can isolate yourself from extraneous sounds and your live voice as well, and hear how the audio is being recorded.

For starters, perhaps everything. Well, now let's take up the review of specialized programs.

At the moment, many specialized applications have been developed in Russian, English and other languages. They can function both locally and online.

This online video recorder will help you record a great video with your comments up to 15 minutes long. After you can download the video to your computer in mp4, flv or avi format. In addition, the screencast can be sent to YouTube immediately after shooting. All this is available in the free version.

However, for $15 a year, you get a powerful recording tool with the ability to create long videos, edit them, add additional controls, draw while recording, zoom content, and more.

CamStudio

One of the most powerful open source screencasting software. Supports recording video files in swf and avi formats. Creating a truly professional video with CamStudio is very easy, because it has a simple user interface and powerful tools, and all videos are recorded with sound.

webineria

Suitable for Windows operating system. Convenient and very simple program laid out in the public domain. Screencasts are recorded in avi format, but they can be converted to flv. There is also support for hotkeys and a function to combine different two video sources. It can be video and audio track.

FlashBack Express

This software product is a free version of a powerful service for recording screencasts. It works fine on Windows OS versions starting from XP.

FlashBack Express allows you to insert your comments into the recording, shoot through a webcam, allows the user to manage the recording process, stopping it or starting it at the right time. There is also a built-in function to capture the entire screen, only a specific window or region while shooting video.

Where can you learn how to create great screencasts?

Of course, the Internet is full of information on this issue. You can find various articles and vlogs. However, I personally recommend a specially prepared course "Screencast Master" from Evgeny Popov. You can find it at this link.

He and his team have created a complete 7-chapter tutorial covering all the details, perks and pitfalls of creating professional video tutorials. You will get acquainted with many other useful programs, learn how to shoot interesting video material, how to work with special equipment, etc.

And finally, let's deal with the elimination of errors!

At the beginning of our journey to create something, we often make mistakes due to our inexperience, lack of information. Therefore, I decided to dedicate this chapter to eradicating the initial mistakes on the way to professional screencasting.

Remember what I told you about speech? So you need to prepare it, even if you know the subject area like your own 5 fingers. It is known that all the great minds, during the presentations of their new products or research, carefully prepared for the speech, ordering sensational texts of speeches from the masters of the word, preparing presentation slides, etc. So you need to prepare the material that you will shoot, write a speech in advance and then conduct a dress rehearsal, shoot the material several times and check how everything looks and sounds. Some vloggers advise using two monitors, while others suggest printing speech or using smartphones for this (Today, Word documents can be read not only on Windows, but also on Android and iOS).
Be sure to eradicate all existing and possible sound sources when recording: turn off the sound and vibration on your phone, close the windows so that you don’t hear the sound of the street, prepare silent equipment. Everyone wants to receive quality content, so if you record a video with extraneous sounds, noise, interference, etc. no one wants to listen to him.
Be sure to check the video material, its quality. If necessary, do not be lazy to correct it and reshoot it.
Take care of the quality of your voice. Agree, it's nice to listen to a professional recording of a clear-sounding voice with clearly distinguishable words.

That's all for me. I hope the publication was interesting and you understood the basics of screencasting. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog and repost articles. See you soon! Bye Bye!

1. Taking screenshots

To begin with, let's recall the standard screen capture tools in various operating systems. In Windows, the easiest way to do this is to use a special button on the keyboard, which is called Print Screen (PrtScr), that is, “make a screen print”, when pressed, the screen image is placed on the clipboard, after which it can be pasted into any graphics editor, including built-in Paint. Pressing Alt+PrtScr sends a snapshot of the active window to the clipboard.

In Windows 8, an improved version of this feature is implemented: when you simultaneously press the Win + PrtSct keys, the screenshot is automatically saved to a special Screenshots folder in the standard Pictures folder.

The Windows 7 operating system also has an additional tool "Scissors" (Snipping Tool), which allows you to save any selected screen fragment to a graphic file and add a caption to it.

In OS X, screenshots are taken using simple keyboard shortcuts. You can take a screenshot of the entire screen by pressing ⌘ Cmd+Shift+3. By pressing the combination ⌘ Cmd+Shift+4 and the spacebar, you will get a screenshot of the active window, and after pressing ⌘ Cmd+Shift+4, you can select the desired area of the screen with the cursor, which will be saved to the graphic file.

Mobile iOS allows you to take screenshots by pressing the power button and the Home key at the same time. In Android version 4 and above, the standard screenshot tool is to simultaneously press the power and volume down buttons, but in some models of portable devices it may not work.

The small free utility MWSnap for Windows was released more than ten years ago, however, it is still fully functional today and can take screenshots of various areas of the screen, save them in five different formats, and also carry out simple editing. The program is Russified and easy to use.

Another free alternative for Windows that is very similar in interface to Paint is PicPick. Among other things, this utility has a useful function to save entire web pages, even if they are not visible on the screen and scrolling is required.

2. Screencast Chrome Tabs

A wonderful extension called Screencastify has been released for the Google Chrome browser - nothing more than a virtual video recorder for recording everything that happens in the active Chrome tab.

To start recording video, just click on the extension icon on the browser toolbar and press the big orange button. Recording can be done at different resolutions and at 10 frames per second, with system sound, with sound from the microphone input, or silently.

Screencastify records all cursor movements, menu openings, button presses, audio and video playback, and all other activities in the active browser tab. The finished video can be saved in WEBM format and sent directly to YouTube or Google Drive.

3. Record screencasts

If you need to record not only what is happening in the browser window, but in general everything that happens on the computer screen, you should choose the right application for shooting screencasts.

The best choice for most cases is ScreencastOMatic, a free online utility built on top of Java.

The process of recording a screencast using ScreencastOMatic is extremely simple: go to the official website, press the Record button (Record), set up a frame to indicate the recording area (you can resize and drag it around the screen or select some standard size), select the sound source ( microphone), its level and press the red record button in the lower left corner of the frame. To stop recording, click the Done button. During recording, you can stop recording by pressing the pause button. The maximum length of a video is 15 minutes. You can also select the built-in webcam as the video source.

An alternative option is another free online utility Screenr, which is a complete analogue of ScreencastOMatic, only with some restrictions: for example, the duration of the video is limited to 5 minutes. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this article, the service has some problems with Java, but I would like to hope that they will be resolved soon.

A curious application for recording screencasts is Jing; it is available in versions for both WIndows and OS X. After installation, you need to register in the online service: a separate account will be needed to place videos in the free 2 GB storage.

To record a video or take screenshots, look at the "sun" in the upper right corner of the monitor and press the button at the end of the upper "beam". If you do not like the "sunshine", in the settings you can choose a more traditional way to launch from the taskbar. Then you need to determine the size of the field for shooting and click on the record button. The maximum length of a video is 5 minutes. After shooting, you can either send the recording to the screencast.com cloud, or download it to your hard drive in SWF (Flash) format.

A slightly more complex system for demanding users is Apowersoft Free Screen Recording. This application (on Windows version) is useful for those who want to record screencasts along with system audio and microphone comments. The simplest example: if you want to make a video about a musical program, for this you will need to record both the sound of the program itself and your own explanations for it. Separately, we emphasize that the version for OS X does not have such a function.

After downloading the free version, in the audio input settings, select the bottom item ("System sound and microphone"); to understand the rest of the controls is not difficult. Videos are saved in WMV (Windows Media Video) format.

4. Shoot step-by-step photo instructions

With Snapguide, you can easily take a series of photos, provide them with text comments and post it on the service's website. These step-by-step photo instructions can then be embedded on other websites or blogs. Snapguide is extremely easy to use and completely free.

5. Record screencasts from smartphone screens

The process of recording screencasts on smartphones and tablets looks a little more complicated than on “full-fledged” computers. For example, Apple deliberately makes it difficult to record everything that happens on screens and gadgets, and if a system key combination is provided for taking screenshots in iOS, then you will have to go roundabout ways to record video.

If you really need to capture a screencast on iOS, try installing the free Xcode developer package, which includes an iOS emulator that can be used to capture video from the desktop screen with any available application. The main disadvantage of this method is that the Xcode package "weighs" more than two gigabytes.

A small utility, UX Recorder, allows you to record videos from mobile websites. It was originally designed to demonstrate how to use mobile sites on iOS and test usability, so UX Recorder can also capture the user's face and record their comments through a microphone. The length of videos in the free app is limited to 30 seconds.

Android owners are more fortunate: they have at their disposal an excellent Recordable application that allows you to create MP4 videos directly on your mobile device and share these recordings with friends. In the free version, the frame rate is limited to 8 fps, and the logo of the program is shown on the screen, while the paid version costs only 96 rubles.

6. Record Skype Video Calls

If you use the Skype service, then you probably more than once had a desire to record this or that video call and save it in the archive. There is nothing easier! Let's use DVDVideoSoft's free Windows application called Free Video Call Recorder for Skype, which is able to record the conversation of both subscribers (be careful during installation so as not to install a bunch of junk applications).

The program has the simplest controls - the buttons "Record", "Pause" and "Stop". MP4 videos are automatically recorded to the System Videos folder. Unfortunately, while recording, slowdowns in the picture are possible, but you can put up with this: just be careful when changing the settings.

A simple program that can create a series of screenshots or record videos without sound. Program version only for mac

Comments on How to record a screencast? disabled

In this article, I have put together a few notes that I wrote for myself when I was looking for information about what screencasts are and how best to record them. I am posting them on the blog, because I think this information will be useful to those who are just going to start recording screencasts, or have already tried to record them, but would like to improve the results.

What is a screencast?

word screencast different definitions can be given:

video lesson,
instructional video taken from the monitor screen,
video recording of information displayed on a computer screen, accompanied by voice comments.

Screencasts are most often used in teaching how to work with computer programs, services and applications. In education, screencasts are used to record video lessons, which is especially important when teaching according to the flipped classroom model, when students study theoretical material and watch video lectures at home, and discuss what they have learned in class and perform practical tasks.

There are two approaches to recording a screencast. As a rule, the screencast author performs the actions, comments on them, and simultaneously keeps a record. It is also possible to write the script first, then record the audio, and then match the video to it. In the first case, the screencast is more lively and dynamic, in the second - more thoughtful, without errors and reservations.

What equipment do you need to record a screencast?

To record a screencast, you will need a computer and a microphone. If the budget allows, then you should not save on a microphone, since a good podcast is impossible without good sound. To record a screencast, it is better to choose a USB microphone.

I am not an expert in the choice of audio equipment, all the models presented below are the options that I personally found interesting. If you can advise other options, please write about it in the comments, I will be very grateful for your help.