The Harsh Truth about Screencasts
If you watch screencasts, you probably have seen some that are just worthless. How long did you stay to watch? Not long, I am sure.
Why am I being so critical? Because it is true.
If I have to watch another screen capture video where they slowly move from check box to check box, I think I will die.
Camtasia, a very popular screen capture software, lets you speed up sections of your video…if you must show them. If you use Camtasia, look for “clip speed” in the help area or go to the “Edit” at the top of the page and find “clip speed”. Please use it to get through mundane parts of your video. Another way, which is easier, is to just cut out the portion of the video where you type everything in. Don’t be lazy and make the person watch you type…you can edit that section out.
Many people refuse to view videos because they cannot skim through the material like they can with a document. Actually, people can move the scrubber bar at the bottom of the video and jump through parts of your video, but they shouldn’t have to do this if you show the essential portions only. This can be a problem if you haven’t saved the video in a efficient enough format. If you haven’t compressed it appropriately, then your video watcher will get excessive “buffering” which will cause them to leave.
AIDA
A stands for Attention: If you must reach out and grab them by the throat, do it…their attention is necessary. Use music, a smiling human face, an attractive woman, a short but interesting intro.
I stands for Interest: Once you get their attention, you have your chance to deliver the goods. Give them what you promised to give them in as succinct a fashion as possible. You will keep their interest if you have a video loaded with good content.
D stands for Desire: If you are selling something, you will want to create desire for your product or service. Now don’t say you aren’t selling something. We are always selling, all the time. It may be an idea, a notion, a product, a service, education, or training – you get the idea.
A stands for Action: If you have created the desire, then you need to give them a way to satisfy their desire. Perhaps it is just a link to your blog so that they can get more information. Maybe it is a special offer of an article, report or eBook if they visit your site. You have to be careful here. You don’t want to go hard sell. Just make it easy for them to find what they want.
Always remember, when you are done making the video, take a critical look at it. Do I need to show this part? Can I speed this part up? Can I eliminate whole sections? Did I show my website address at the bottom third of the video through out? Show your video to a discerning individual who will give you helpful advice. Perhaps you know a person who will give an honest opinion. Perhaps a friend who knows a little bit about the subject might be better. At any rate, get some opinions.
What do you think? Are you happy with the videos you watch? Do you have suggestions for improvement? Do you prefer to read articles rather than watch videos?
Best,
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
15 November 2009, 8:20 am
Michelle,
This is so true. Thank you for bringing this topic up. It’s something both professional and casual screencasters need to be aware of.
There are multiple ways to address this. Your AIDA model is a great start. I’m also seeing screencasters begin to incorporate more storytelling and cinematic effects into their productions. In a way, screencasting is morphing into movie making. And this is a good thing.
There’s a good discussion about this over at http://www.brooksandrus.com/blog/2009/09/10/screencasting-as-art-exploring-cinematic-techniques/
There are lots of things we can do to make our screencasts more engaging. I like to incorporate more speaker video by using chroma key effects. I believe it’s important for listeners to see your eyes and your smile. This helps convey your passion, enthusiasm, and at times, your compassion. It’s great for establishing rapport & trust with your audience. I show how I do it with this tutorial http://macscreencasting.com/green-screen-video-in-screencasts.html
Screencasting is growing trend. As we look to take our screencasting to the next level, we’ll have to incorporate more advanced techniques. This begins with a solid story, good effects, and viewer engagement.
And I’m right there with ya, just shoot me if I have to sit through another boring screencast.
06 January 2010, 12:54 pm
Play Audio Comment