Screencasting for the
Tech-Challenged
Return - https://go.mgpd.org/stc
Are you like me? That is, someone who is barely able to make and edit videos for screencasts? Then, this session is for you. I've learned so much that can save you time and effort.
Come learn about free video editing tools you can use that will make your screen recording and casting easier.
Topics
- Amazing Screen Recorders
RecordCast.com is an amazing FREE screen recorder. It's main features include:
Browser-based, no extensions/add-ons required
Lets you record webcam, desktop screen, or both at the same time
Up to 30 minute of video recording and editing
Records system audio
Requires an account for saving; use Facebook or Google authentication for account creation
Allows you to have up to EIGHT projects you can work and save
Saves videos as WEBM without editing or MP4 with editing
Includes a full-featured video editor
Flipgrid.com, FREE, offers 10 minutes of video or audio recording
Browser-based, no extensions/add-ons required
Lets you record webcam, screen, or both at the same time
Grabs your entire desktop
Allows you to have unlimited projects you can work and save
Saves videos as MP4 with trim editing and easy to share
Requires an account
Loom Pro is a fantastic screen recorder for educators and students since its features are free.
Add-on/extension required
Lets you record webcam, desktop screen, or both at the same time
Unlimited video recording, including system audio
Requires an account for saving; use educator organization account to get free Pro account
Saves videos as WEBM without editing or MP4 with editing
Includes a full-featured video editor
Screencastify empowers teachers to record lessons, demonstrations, and more from the Chrome browser. You can record up to 5 minutes for free.
Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is super-fast recording and streaming tool.
Record screencasts or stream lessons/presentations using the free OBS Project.
Records to MKV or MP4 (or both)
Easy to add virtual green screen (or Chromakey) components using Zoom or WebEx and green wallpaper
Allows you to bring in many external sources (e.g. cameras, etc.) and switch between scenes
Top Picks and Why
RecordCast for easy to use, short videos. Includes text, image, audio tracks and simple video editor
Loom Pro since it offers educators a life-time free account
OBS for long videos that require a bit more complexity
2. Video Editors
Need video editing tools available for free? If you are on Windows 10 or Mac, it can be challenging. Some entry-level solutions provide you with simple video assembly tools. That is, the ability to do the following:
Trim video from the beginning or end, as well as delete content in the middle
Split and/or join video
Add images or other video clips
Insert attribution free music (e.g. YouTube Audio Library) to their own audio track with simple split/join features
While there are many video editing tools available, they cost money. These solutions are no-cost and cross-platform.
It's amazing what RecordCast offers for free in its video editor. You can have eight projects cooking at the same time. It's video editor allows you to add text panels, audio/images to their own tracks. What's more, you can split the video or audio at any point, then delete the unwanted portion. This on the fly editing is unmatched except by Screencastify.
RecordCast's editor does NOT offer blur, audio enhancement, export to other video formats. They have made this "lite" editor effective with less.
Although open source video editors abound, Shotcut makes video editing easy. Shotcut’s ease of use allows me to combine various elements, such as images, music clips, and video.
It’s an easy matter to add tracks for each, then export the assembled creation as MP4 video. It has a wealth of online tutorials.
Want more? Video Editing Tools for Remote Teachers
#3: OpenShot
Video editing with OpenShot is a breeze, and is cross-platform. It offers a wealth of features in a simple package. You can get up to speed quick. Watch my quick overview of the key features.
Review this user guide or watch the video tutorials that begin with The Basics: Official Tutorial, Part 1.
Want more? GET This Tool
3. Splitting and Joining Videos
Have a long video and need to split it into pieces? Or maybe you have multiple videos that you need to join together?
Consider using one of these tools to get the job done. They are available at no cost and will make working with a large video (or a lot of small ones) easier.
Optimal video size is anywhere between six and eight minutes long. Trying to split video into small chunks can be time-consuming.
MP4 Tools – This includes a splitter and joiner program that you can use on Windows and Mac.
Filmora’s Online Video Trimmer – This online tool works great for smaller videos that you need to split.
Don't forget, RecordCast's Video Editor will allow you to split/join videos so long as total size does not exceed thirty minutes of video.
4. Video Conversion
One tough challenge you may encounter involves converting videos from one format to another. We convert videos for several reasons, for example:
Put videos in a more compatible format (MKV to MP4)
Shrink large videos to smaller ones without loss of quality
Make videos fit a particular device or outlet (e.g. iPhone or web)
Watch the video below to get an overview of each tool shown.
A Few of My Favorite Conversion Tools
VLC Media Player: A versatile tool, you can view almost any video (or audio) file, stream content, and convert videos.
Online Video Converter: You can open a file from your computer or select one from Google Drive, Dropbox, or a website address (URL). You can convert to most of the popular formats shown. When you're done, you'll be able to save it to your device or to cloud storage.
MediaCoder: Although this transcoder/video converter is quite expensive for businesses ($286+), individuals can get it for the cost of a donation to the developers in Australia. This is a really powerful video converter that's only available for Windows, but worth every donated penny.
Handbrake: This free solution has been around for ages, works slow, but gets the job done. It works on Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux. HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
Video tutorial - http://ly.tcea.org/videocontutorial
5. Audio Enhancement
A common problem you may encounter when working with your video recordings is that your audio is "too low." It's a complaint I've heard about some of the videos I've recorded in the past.
Short of yelling into the microphone, how can you improve the audio gain or boost the sound level?
Approach #1: The Shotcut video editor
Shotcut has a filter you can apply to your video file while editing that will boost the audio gain. If you apply it while you're editing the video, it won't take long to hear the results.
Approach #2: Free Video Volume Booster (FVVB)
Free Video Volume Booster is a free software used to quickly increase the sound volume of any video file. It supports almost any video format, including AVI, DIVX, XVID, MPEG, MPG, MKV, RM, RMVB, FLV, MOV, MP4, ASF, WEBM, etc.
Due to its simplicity, Free Video Volume Booster can be used by everyone, just select the video files, increase the audio volume of N decibels (we recommend a value between 10 and 20) and then click the button “Optimize”. (Source: FVVB website)
Shotcut Lets You Boost Your Audio with a Filter:
Free Video Volume Booster supports boosting audio AFTER you've made your video:
Tip: Don't forget you can find "no attribution required" friendly audio for download at YouTube's Audio Library.
6. Video Hosting
7. Video Streaming
Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. OBS supports all your favorite streaming platforms.
Learn how to use OBS Studio and Streamyard to create video recordings and stream to YouTube and Facebook Live.
Wish you had a better way to reach out to parents, community, staff, but Zoom's 100 person limit getting in your way? Use the free OBS Project to stream your Zoom conversation via YouTube, Twitch or Facebook Live. We'll discuss how to collect questions and feedback, too. It's easier than you think.
Stream to multiple platforms simultaneously! StreamYard works with Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Periscope, Twitch, and custom RTMP outputs.
Don't Let The Learning End!
The purpose of this online, self-paced course is to assist educators in getting more comfortable with screencasting. Screencasting has become a necessity for remote teachers and blended learning educators. This course covers the basics and shares a wide variety of tips and suggestions for getting it done.
Knowing how to create engaging video screencasts, including audio and video components from a variety of copyright-free media can make viewing better for students.
