Well it’s been sometime since I updated my blog so today I thought I would write about what I am doing at work. I am a software trainer and recently my company has me creating training videos. At first I thought this would be pretty easy, I mean come on we have all gone on you tube and searched for a how to video to learn something. Then I tried it. WOW what a difference it is. In my case the videos are on litigation support or also called e-discovery software. The videos are short when I can make them that way 3 minute clips on how to do a certain task and targeted to Lawyers, Attorneys and Para Legal’s, not your must forgiving audience.
In my head the first step is to understand the software you are using to record with. In my case its Camtasia Studio, very cool software allows for multiple takes, voice over or narration, Zooms, fades, transitions, quizzes on topics and a host of other very cool options. The next and in retrospect the most important is to understand what you are training on.
The tricky part is keep the video from being too jerky no one wants to watch what looks like a rollercoaster screen running by them while trying to follow the mouse. So be smooth and fluid with your movements. Next is getting the voice just right. You would think if you know the product and know your material well, it would be a cakewalk but it’s not the simple. I found that for me it is much easier to record the screen leaving nice 3 to 10 second pauses while I move the mouse from one task to the next. In places that will take more time to explain options or features I will simply let the mouse sit while I say the options out loud slowly. This way when I come back and do my narration or voice over tracks they are clean and easy.
The next part is the voice over work and this can take some time. Hardware for the voice recording is VERY Important along with the type of room you are recording in. In my first recordings I used my studio gear and was doing most of the work at home in my studio. While that provided GREAT audio it was time consuming and taking away from writing music. I found a great USB microphone after doing a lot of research. Inexpensive with a great recording quality it’s called SnowBall and it looks like one too. It’s a condenser pressure gradient microphone that I must say even sounds great when I tried it on my acoustic guitar.
With the correct tools for the project it’s time to work on to old saying “it’s not what you say but how you say it”. It’s important to have some fun with it and provide what I am calling animation to your voice. Nothing is worst then listening to a monotone person try to tell you something while there voice puts you to sleep. So keeping it light and almost conversational is the key I have found.
Well that’s all for today as always
Without Music… Life has no Soul
