Thanks so much, Morgan! So far I’m having a blast. :)

I kind of like to think my last name contains a hidden Boolean operator.

Create a slideshow with slides that mix together screenshots (some of which are annotated) and traditional slides with text, graphics, etc. Before I can to writing the script, I really need to work through the progression and ordering of the content.

Once I feel like I’ve got all the slides that I need, I use the notes section for each slide to write out the script. Having the slide up in front of me as i write the script helps me make sure what I say reflects the actual wording/labeling of what’s on the slide, something that matters when we’re looking at a screenshot and need to direct the viewers attention to some particular thing on the screen.

Once I’ve got a draft of the script, I create a Word document with a one-column table on it. In each row, I paste in the script from a slide. Then I print out the script and read it aloud a few times so I can hear just how crappy and awkward some of my first draft script is. After revising the script, I then print it out to use when I get to the recording phase. The reason why I use a row on a table to enclose each slide’s script is so that when I am recording, the table lines are a nice visual reminder to me to click the advance to the next slide.

Since I’m working from home and am not able to use Camtasia, which makes it easier for me to capture audio and video at the same time but edit them separately, I have a different approach to recording. I try to capture the whole thing in one take. If I screw up, which is often, I do it again. Using SnagIt as I do at home for this process is not ideal. I know that in theory that I can edit videos and stitch different parts together in editing software, but I’m just too lazy want to do that. Somehow it seems to work out okay-ish for me to slog through multiple takes instead.

Once I’ve got a video that I can live with (low bar there, eh?), I upload it to Kaltura, which our college uses for video hosting. I let Kaltura generate captions and then spend about 30 minutes cleaning them up (“No, I said “Stephen Francoeur,’ not ‘Stephen Frank or’.”)

I fully expect that these videos will get out of date within 12-24 months, as database interfaces and our library website are all constantly changing. My operative rule for getting videos online is “good enough for now.”

Oooh, good tip!