screencasting | Communications from DMN

August 1, 2011 by Scott Nesbitt

A few screencasting resources

Want or need to jump into screencasting, but don’t know where to begin? Then take a look at these resources that can help get you up and running:

An article on how to get started screencasting from Smashing Magazine
A detailed primer on screencasting
An excellent introduction to screencasting
Some screencasts on screencasting
How to screencast using Jing (links to a PDF)
You also might want to check out The Screencasting Handbook
Another overview of screencasting
A practical guide to creating learning screencasts, part 1 and part 2
Best practices in screencasting

Do you have any favourite screencasting resources? Why not share them by leaving a comment?

January 20, 2010 by Scott Nesbitt

Videos and screencasts have their drawbacks, too

As I’ve written in this space in the past, if a picture is worth a thousand words then a short video or screencast can be worth a thousand pictures. And a well done video or screencast (or series of them) has the potential to ease a user through the maze of a new interface or device.

For the last year or so, I’ve heard more than a couple of people (no, Gordon, you’re not one of them) tout video and screencasts as the future of documentation. While video may have killed the radio star, I don’t think that it’s going to kill documentation as we know it.

Why? Not everyone wants video as their documentation, or even as part of their documentation. They want information now, and don’t want to wait a couple of minutes to watch a walk through of what they need to do.

There are other factors, too. Read on …

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December 7, 2009 by Scott Nesbitt

Writing for screencasts

They don't make them like this anymore Lately, screencasting has been weighing heavily on my mind. A number of reasons for this, but none really worth going into at this moment.

Having said that, my thoughts have been turning to the steps required to prepare to record an effective screencast. For me, the path to follow involves a lot of preparation. It involves mapping out the visual flow of the screencast and writing a script. It’s a bit of work, but it’s worth it.

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November 18, 2008 by Scott Nesbitt

Finding the voice that you need

Whether you’re doing the voice over for a screencast, recording a podcast, or giving a presentation one of the keys to success is your voice. How you sound, how you project, and (most importantly) the feeling that resonates from your voice.

Tom Johnson recently posted a blog entry that discussed a voice-over workshop that he’s taking. You can read more about it here. Sounds like an interesting course. I wonder if there’s anything like it in Toronto (TO locals, please leave a comment if there is).

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