Reader Feedback: Improving Screencasts
I’ve done several screencasts here on The Apple Blog – and have many more planned. Lately I’ve been taking in many other screencasts around the web and have noticed a huge variation in how people execute them. Some have very professional editing and eye candy, while others are quick, choppy, but to the point. (For what it’s worth, am I the only one who can’t stand the small sized screencasts that follow the cursor around? I swear they make me seasick…)
In the screencasts I’ve been doing, I tend to leave the editing/eye candy out and just focus on [what I think is] a useful explanation of whatever the topic is. I shoot the full screen so there are no hidden bits going on behind the scenes, I usually bring up a Keyboard Viewer so you can pause and follow along with the keystrokes, and I’ve been trying to slow down the processes to make them more easily digestible. Those being the main points, I also use something like Omni Dazzle from time to time in order to give a specific area focus.
So that’s how I’ve taken to doing things in terms of screencasts. But since it’s all about you, I want to know what you like and what you don’t like. What can I do to improve the effectiveness and provide more bang for your buck, so to speak. I’ll do my best to incorporate your ideas and continue to bring interesting and useful screencasts to you each week.
Thanks in advance for your input!
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Well, I’m a fresh reader (as of today), so I can’t really comment on your screencasts yet, but as long as you stay away from the small “follow the cursor” ones, I think I’ll be happy :)
I find your screencasts just about perfect – the keyboard viewer, the size, taking it slowly so we can keep up, etc. I wouldn’t change a thing really. Please don’t bother with flashy editing and distracting graphics/eyecandy.
NIck, actually one of the reasons I have your feed URL on my bookmarks Bar, it’s because I really liked your screencast format. The graphics seem pretty neat to me, as well as the sound. I’m starting a project, which is nothing more than a Apple Tips Blog, but in Spanish, targeted to Mexico and, obviously, Spain. It’s called Panuc.com; and I’m using exactly the same format as you do for screencasts posts. So please keep doing it the same way. May be a little bit more screencasts about Quicksilver Tips.
Your screencasts are, in my opinion, best of breed – concise, informative, and easily followed. I appreciate the forethought that you obviously put in to each one. In short, keep on keeping on!
I agree with everyone else. I’ve been watching your screencasts for quite a while now and find them just to my liking. Keep it up!
Well I certainly wasn’t shooting for a big pat on the back with this post, but thanks for the kind words. It’s nice to know that the format seems to be working for everyone.
I’ll keep with it – and if there are some good ideas for improvement out there, I’m glad to receive them.
I like your screencasts. They are very good. Short and you say what is important and as you say “no eye candy”-things which are IMO totally unnecessary. You are doing a great job. Especially the Quicksilver Tutorials here. You are trying to make everybody feel comfortable with your tutorial (like the keyboard viewer on and that you are saying everytime that you are doing this that people can slow down the video to see what exactly you are doing, this is very helpful sometimes.)
Thanks for your screencasts, anyway!
Could you please share with us the settings of your screencasts, e.g. codecs, framrate, audio compression etc? in order to ger the same quality, thanks.
Like them all, as long as they are downloadble so I can watch them where and when I want.
I think the files are too big. You could easily make them smaller by reducing the FPS ou downgrading the image quality.