InterPro - Online Learning - Tools & Technology - Recorded Presentations - Using Camtasia to Create Recorded Presentations
A complete guide for preparing, recording, editing, and deploying recorded presentations using Camtasia 2018/2019.
Camtasia, published by TechSmith, is a software application for creating video tutorials and presentations from screen video capture. This app is designed to record the screen, edit and customize professional quality videos, and share them with anyone on any device. Anything that is put on the computer screen, can be captured in the recording.
InterPro currently supports Camtasia version 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021
Getting started
- UW Madison Campus faculty, staff and students working on course can find information on licensing here
- Instructors with a Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro) affiliation may contact InterPro Online Support for assistance
- Once you have a license key, download a free trial of Camtasia
- Review Camtasia Tutorials
Materials needed
- Headset with microphone
- Content (presentation slides, application (ie. for simulation), webpage (ie.for demo), etc.)
- Document camera (optional)
- Webcam (optional)
Preparing Your Presentation
Planning for a recording can vary based on the instructor's strengths and the goal of the video or screen recording. Some presenters write a script and rehearse before recording, some create an outline of key points, and others use only their presentation slides to keep themselves on task. Whichever method, the key is to do what allows the presenter to be most natural in the recorded presentation. Ultimately, each presenter knows their own strengths and can decide what works best for them.
Ideal recording length: 10-15 minutes. Chunk content into topic-specific segments to help manage the recording length.
Presentation (PPT) Slide Design & Best Practices
- Use the InterPro PowerPoint Template, which models best practices for slide design. See InterPro - Online Learning - Teaching Resources for Instructors - PowerPoint Template.
- Avoid use of dates, module #s, course #s, and other instance-specific information on the slides themselves, in order to increase reusability for future courses.
Recording Workflow
- Start a new project in Camtasia (File > New Project).
- Save the project with an appropriate file name (i.e. EPD - Course # - Unit # - TopicName). Note: The project file will be the file for the entire video, but smaller video clips will be created within the project file.
- Cue materials (PowerPoint, websites, or other programs) to go into full screen mode.
- Record.
- Edit.
- Save and zip the project file.
- Upload the zipped project file to the designated folder in Box. (Or publish to .mp4 videos, if self-producing the video.)
Recording Instructions
1. Click Record in the top left corner of Camtasia menu. The following menu will appear:
- Display should be set to Full Screen
- Webcam can be turned on or off (at the discretion of the presenter)
- Microphone should be turned on and show feedback to input
- System audio can be enabled, if desired - this includes notification audio (usually not recommended if only capturing voice via the microphone)
2. When the recorder settings are established, click Start Recording; a count down appears and then it minimizes → Instructors should ready their materials at this time. For information about selecting which screen source to record (full screen, application, etc.), web camera options, audio source settings, etc., watch the first section of this brief video tutorial: Record, Edit, Share. Note:
- Everything on the screen is captured, including the mouse pointer
- Each time the video is stopped, a new clip will be created
- When the video is paused, the same clip is extended (no new clip)
Workflow Options for Recording
A. Record one clip per slide: put up a slide, present, and stop (repeat)
B. Record one clip per 3-5 slides and then stop (repeat)
C. Record one clip for the entire video, using the pause button and audio breaks to ease editing
Key Commands for Recording
For Mac
• Stop = Option + Command + 2
• Pause/Resume = Shift + Command + 2
For Windows
• Stop = F10
• Pause/Resume = F9
After the presentation has been captured, the footage can be edited by trimming, cutting and/or pasting different parts of the video as needed.
Video Tutorials - Editing Essentials
- Record, Edit, Share (Editing basics & overview)
- Transitions & Annotations
- Animations & Effects
- Editing Audio
Notes about Editing
- Use the timeline to edit clips
- Only clips in the timeline get produced/included within the final video
- The first clip is automatically added to the timeline, others need to be manually added (via drag and drop)
- Editing clips in the timeline does not affect corresponding clips in the Media Bin (Clips in the bin contain the original recording)
How to Cut & Trim Content
- Move the Playhead to the needed position
- From the Edit menu, select Split All at Playhead
- Create another cut to isolate the content to be deleted
- From the Edit menu, select Ripple Delete (This will remove the clip without leaving a gap)
Useful Editing Key Commands
- Play/Pause video in timeline = Space Bar
Deployment: Save, Zip, and Upload Project File – And create the .mp4 if self-producing video
Camtasia stores everything in its own proprietary project file format (i.e. .cmproj), which is only readable by Camtasia itself. This format creates fairly small file sizes, and allows the user to go back to re-record parts or update source material. ALWAYS keep the original Camtasia project files.
To deliver video recordings to a course, the InterPro LDT team will assist you in converting the Camtasia project file to the common .mp4 video format, which can be read by most computers. These resulting video files are then uploaded to Box, and then delivered into Canvas for student access.
Important Instructions for Sharing/Uploading Camtasia Project Files
Important Instructions for Producing .mp4 Video Files