A screencast is a digital video recording that captures actions taking place on a computer screen. Screencasts, which often contain voice-over narration, are useful for demonstrating how to use specific operating systems, software applications or website features.
Educators use screencasting as a means of integrating technology into their curricula by:
- Recording lectures and presentations
- Recording problem-solving techniques
- Demonstrating how to complete computer-based tasks or lab-based procedures
Screencast software captures and synchronizes the video and audio files and compresses the completed movie into a format that can be shared. Screencast software applications for Mac include QuickTime10 Player, Ambrosia’s Snapz Pro X and Telestream’s Screenflow.
[For best viewing, select HD and playback Full Screen.]
QuickTime10
QuickTime10 is a cross-platform application for screencapture and media playback. To record a screen capture with QuickTime10, select New Screen Recording from the File menu. When you choose this command, a screen recording window appears. Click the disclosure triangle and note that you have control over three options: the audio source, the quality of the movie, and the location where the movie is saved. You have the option to record audio narration while capturing screen actions, using the built-in microphone or an external microphone. Click the Record button. A message appears, indicating the keyboard command to stop recording (CTRL-CMD-ESC). Note that when you click the Start Recording button, a Stop Recording button appears in the desktop’s menu bar.
When you stop the recording, QuickTime10 opens your screencast movie. In the Window menu, choose Show Movie Inspector. Note that the screencast was captured at a low frame rate, using the H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec. H.264 is a codec that produces an acceptable video quality at a low file size. Normal video plays at 29.97 frames per second, because to the human eye, 30 images shown in a second appears as smooth motion. The frame rate used for QT’s high-quality setting runs at 15 frames per second, a lower quality to produce a smaller file size.
Pros: Free download for Windows and Macs; cross-platform; allows video recording of screen actions and audio recording from the built-in microphone or external microphone; allows trimming after recording.
Cons: No option to capture at a different frame rate; no option to select a different screen size – QT10 always records full screen video at a low quality frame rate; no option to record the Mac audio (requires installing an open source audio routing utility, Soundflower)
Ambrosia Snapz Pro X
Snapz Pro X is a Mac-only platform tool for screen capture and includes four capture options: Screen, Objects, Selection and Movie. The first three options are for image capturing only. Screen captures full screen, Objects captures discrete objects on the screen ( a window, for example), Selection captures selected portions of the screen at normal, fixed size or specific aspect ratio (ideal for capturing screen images for 4:3 or 16:9 video projects).
The Movie option also allows screen video capture at a selected, fixed size or aspect ratio; determines how the virtual camera will move (fixed, follow cursor or smooth pan); allows selection of frame rate, scaling and toggling of the cursor; and allows audio recording from the built-in microphone or external microphone, as well as any audio playing on your Mac.
To start video capture, click and drag to select a part of the screen, and double-click on the area to start recording. To stop recording, click the Snapz icon in the dock area. A window appears, allowing you to choose from a plethora of professional compression settings (codec, frame rate, key frame interval, etc.).
Pros: Excellent quality capture, choice of compression settings, capture of dual audio sources (microphone and Mac audio).
Cons: $69 per license; no editing capabilities.
Telestream’s ScreenFlow2
Telestream’s $99 ScreenFlow 2 is a complete production application (Mac only) for capturing, editing and exporting screencast video. ScreenFlow can record full screen, record dual screen video with an iSight cam or webcam, and record audio from both the Mac and a microphone.
Click Record to start recording. End the capture by pressing SHIFT-CMD-2. ScreenFlow’s editor appears. In the ScreenFlow editor, you can view separate tracks for your audio, screen capture and iSight cam recordings. Select a track and choose the Video Properties window in the right sidebar to scale, position, crop and color correct your video recordings.
The Screen Recording Properties tab allows you to show and scale the mouse pointer, attach a visual animation to each cursor click and show modifier keys; the Callout Properties tab allows you to select and highlight an area around the cursor, change opacity and blur the background. These features are ideal for calling attention to elements within an interface and/or menu options.
The ability to add transitions, text boxes and annotations, create captioning, insert multiple file types and animate the motion of various files make this application a must-have for the serious screencast producer!
Pros: Exceptional professional editing tools.
Cons: $99 license.
Written by Kate Lee, Smith College Senior Media Producer