What Does Video Capture Have to Do With Writing?

Newsletter of the East Bay Chapter of STC March/April 2003	What Does Video Capture Have to Do With Writing?

	by Linda Shaltz EBSTC Employment Manager
	I must admit that when asked to write on the subject of Camtasia, I was at a bit of a loss. It’s not that I don’t have experience using the tool, but I wasn’t sure how to approach the topic. I’ve decided to put on my Employment Manager’s hat and present from that direction. I have been telling job seekers for some time now to diversify their skills. In this tight economy, most of us can’t afford to be technical writers exclusively. Practicing what I preach, I can honestly say it’s been a while since I’ve done just writing. I do web design, web content management, presentations, white papers, and of course, video capture for training. All of these skills were learned on the job and it’s been wonderful being paid to learn something marketable.
What is Camtasia?	Camtasia is a really easy tool to learn. And it’s fun, as long as you don’t dread the sound of your own voice. For those who may not know, a video capture tool like Camtasia captures each screen change, keystroke, and mouse movement that takes place on a screen. It also has the capability of providing voiceover and captioning. In a nutshell, you’re making a movie!
Script, Rehearse, You're a Movie Producer!	What does every good movie need? A script! Hey, we’re writing here! As most of you already know, technical writers have to know the systems about which they are writing anyway, so it’s no stretch to script how to use whatever it is that needs using, step-by-step. Just remember to keep it simple and conversational. (That’s a little more challenging than you might think!) Now that you’ve got a script, you must rehearse—no kidding! I recommend that if you are going to be using Camtasia, you also convince your employer to purchase Dub-it. Dub-it allows you to capture voice in a separate take. It also allows the addition of music. If you use Camtasia alone, you must record both at once, and that’s not easy unless you have a photographic memory! Imagine, if you will, looking up at the screen and then down at the script and then up at the screen and then…well, you get the picture. It can be dizzying! Once you have your video clip recorded and are happy with the way motion and sound are synchronized, you can produce a movie using the Camtasia Producer (included with the software). This allows you to string together multiple video clips to create variations on a theme. Watch out, Steven Spielberg! For a professional feel, add an introduction and ending. I use PowerPoint to create a slide presentation to capture, to continue the “movie” feeling, but I’m sure there are other ways as well. You’re limited only by your imagination!
For More Info	For anyone interested in learning more about Camtasia, please feel free to contact me. I’ll be happy to give you more details and send you a sample presentation. You can also download a free 30-day trial at TechSmith, the company that develops Camtasia.

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