Screencast

A screencast is essentially a video of your computer screen.  Screencasts are most often created to document how to use applications or how to browse a web site.

What you need

In order to make a screencast you need a tool such as SnapzPro (Mac) or Jing (Mac/PC).  These tools essentially provide the following:

• Record/Pause/Stop button
• Tool for selecting the area of your screen you want to record
• Options for what to record (audio and/or video)

How you do it

1. Select the area of your screen you want to record
2. Click the record button. Perform the functions you want to document, describing what you are doing as you do it (or adding audio later with tools like iMovie)
3. Click the pause button (if you need to rearrange windows or do stuff  that need not be recorded)
4. Click the stop button when done
5. Save your recording
6. Share your video on the web

Tips and Suggestions

A good screencast should be as short as possible.  If your documenting how to use complex software, considering make many short (1-2 minute) screencasts of particular features rather than one.  Select the smallest area of your screen possible to create your screencast.

• Constrain your selection to a 4:3 ratio
• Storyboard your screencast so you know exactly what you want to do and say before you record
• Record short sequences and use a video editing tool to combine into a single video
• Consider adding audio to your video afterwards using tools like iMovie or Final Cut Pro.