Chapter 2 - Recording the Screen

Chapter 2 - Using Camtasia Recorder to Create Your First Screen Recording

In Chapter 2 of the workbook we get our feet wet and create our first, simple, screen recording using Camtasia Recorder, which is part of the Camtasia Studio suite.

In this chapter we look at how to record the screen before using Camtasia Editor - another tool within the Camtasia Studio suite - to carry out some simple edits on the recording. We also have a quick look around the editor itself to familiarise ourselves with it.

This chapter in the workbook should take about one hour to complete.

Sample Video

Here is a sample video that runs through the registration process in Earnings Tracker, which is the subject of Chapter 2. When you play the video, note how the cursor is left over menu commands and buttons for longer than you would normally expect. This is to allow time for voice narration and callouts to be added later without having time constraints that are too tight. In Chapter 13 we discuss how to cut chunks of video that are no longer needed.

Note also how the video zooms into the registration dialog box to make it easier to see what is happening. Finally, you will see that the cursor is positioned in the same place at the beginning and end of the video. If you get into the habbit of always positioning the cursor in the same place when you start and finish a recording, it will make it easier for you to join screen recordings together in your videos.