The Visual Lounge lets you find out about TechSmith behind-the-scenes. Watch screencasts and videos from other customers, meet up with your fellow TechSmith users and staff, and get more tips and tricks!
Episode 19 of the Forge is on its way on May 17th. We're about to wrap up the end of our second season, and we're looking forward to this show. Let's just say it's going to be filled with surprises and announcements.
The show will be live on May 17th at 2:00 PM Eastern. You'll find the stream right here -- we'll put up a new post next week. Of course we'll be recording the show, so if you can't make it, miss it, or otherwise, we'll post it over on the YouTube Channel. We've even created a calendar reminder so you don't forget to watch.
If you have feedback or comments for us - let us know. How can we make the Forge even better for you?
Matt Pierce is the Customer Engagement Manager and host of the Forge. He likes fire, flames, and fusion. Tweet him up @piercemr or put him in a Google+ Circle.
Achieving a good green screen effect used to be difficult and expensive. But no longer. In this post, I'll show you how to make your first green screen video on the cheap. We'll take a look at the various elements you need to consider: backdrop, software, camera, lighting...and how you can probably pull off your first green screen production for $30 or less.
Before we get started on the how...let's talk about the why. Why would you ever want to use a green screen effect in your video? To what end?
What is green screen and why would I use it?
Green screen is when you replace the real background of a video with a digital background.
Quite simply, it offers the most natural-looking way to integrate a human with other types of content you might want to show, such as presentation slides, screen video, screenshots, photos, or animated elements. Instead of putting each visual element in its own frame (a la picture-in-picture), green screen lets you blend them seamlessly.
And when done well, green screen can also give your video an expensive-looking aesthetic on the cheap. Instead of building a fancy set or renting studio time, you can shoot your video anywhere and replace the background with a branded graphic or stock photo or video element. Instant upgrade!
We think the remove a color / green screen effect is a big deal for anyone who needs to connect deeply and professionally with viewers. And we're flattered to hear that pro screencasters like Scott Skibell see it as a game changer, too.
What gear do I really need?
Backdrop (usually required)
To get started today, you just need a regular digital camera (or smartphone) that shoots video, some inexpensive software, and a wall that's painted a color that does not appear anywhere on your clothing, skin, eyes, or hair. Since walls like that are sometimes hard to find, you should probably plan on buying a piece of muslin cloth that's a hideous shade of green. Something like this:
You'll also find blue screen backdrop cloth available, but it can be problematic if the person on camera has blue eyes or clothes.
Software (required)
For software, of course we're biased toward Camtasia for Mac, which you can download and use free for 30 days (it's $99 to buy). The benefit of using Camtasia is that you can easily add screen captures and other media to your project.
If you're on Windows or just want to shop around, you could also google for free green screen software and see what's available. (And if you're using Camtasia Studio on Windows, feel free to +1 the request for a green screen / chroma key feature.)
Camera (required)
For a camera, you want something that shoots HD quality video (720p or higher) and that saves out files in a format your green screen software can import. Camtasia for Mac can import most MP4 and MOV files; we've had good success just using an iPhone but most any digital camcorder that generates either of those file types should work.
Pro screencaster Scott Skibell posted a screen test, comparing the results of four different cameras: iMac iSight built-in webcam, Logitech C910 external webcam, iPhone 4S, and Canon T3i. To really see the detail, click through on the video and watch in HD in the large player.
The remove a color effect in Camtasia for Mac is really quite forgiving of background shadows. Spend a few minutes tweaking the settings a bit and you should be good. But if you're having trouble getting the background to fully disappear or there's a slight halo around the person, it means you need to upgrade your lighting. The more even your lighting, the better the effect will be.
The easiest thing to try is a couple of hardware store clamp-on work lights with high-output CFL bulbs...and something to clamp them on. Aim the lights so that the green screen doesn't have dark areas and bright areas. Focus your efforts on the area directly behind the person, as you'll be able to crop out the excess space around the person later (don't forget to factor in the make person's "gesture zone").
To really throw a lot of light, you need multiple bulbs in each fixture. You could build your own video lighting rig for less than $100 (see video below). Or if you're not into DIY projects, you can shop around for a video softbox. CowboyStudio is a good place to start. Look for "continuous lighting"--as opposed to flash or strobe lighting. Whether you buy or build, it's best to use a diffusion filter for each light, as that will help keep them from throwing shadows.
In this video, the folks at Indy Mogul not only show how to build your own lighting kit on the cheap...but give a quick demonstration of the how and why of 3-point lighting.
Yes, yes it is. To convince internal TechSmith staff of how easy it is to make greenscreen video, Camtasia product manager Shane Lovellette made a quick demo showing off some ways to use the effect...and then pulls back the curtain on his not-so-super-high-tech setup. :) It really is that easy and inexpensive!
So go ahead...put yourself in your video, see how your audience receives it, and share your story with us! We'd love to show off some great examples of chroma key video!
Daniel Foster is the "social media guy" for TechSmith. Today he's listening to Lower Dens and hoping for motorcycle riding weather. Tweet him up @fosteronomo or put him in a Google+ Circle.
A couple months back, we introduced buttons for sharing directly to social media channels. Today we bring you Microsoft Office® outputs for Snagit on Mac! You can now send your images directly from Snagit to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® on Mac. These outputs work with both Snagit versions 1 and 2.
Posted on Wednesday April 25, 2012 by Jaclyn Nagel
Don't let a lack of professional equipment stop you from filming a video or screencast. Effective use of a webcam can lead to a high quality video if used correctly.
This week's video is posted below and presents three tips that will help you avoid common hiccups when filming a video with a webcam.
Jaclyn Nagel is a digital media intern at TechSmith. She goes to Michigan State University and enjoys road trips, going to sporting events, music and bike riding. Email her at j.nagel@techsmith.com.
We don't usually give codenames to minor releases but if we did, this one would be called Dr. Who. That's because it's all about transcending the barriers of space and time. You read that right. Time. And Space.
Camtasia for Mac 2.1 delivers clip speed, the #1 feature request from Camtasia for Mac users--as voted by our user community. It's a tool for speeding up or stretching out video clips (without making you sound like a chipmunk or Darth Vader). For some thoughts on why this is a useful feature to have in screencasting software, jump down below the video.
So much for bending time. What about space?
That's where green screen (aka chroma key) comes in. Use your smartphone or a digitcal camcorder to shoot some video in front of a solid-color backdrop (pick a wall or get a $30 backdrop), apply the new remove a color effect in Camtasia, and make the backdrop disappear. Once it's gone, you can be virtually anywhere! (Heh.) That means you can play weather man, Superman, or just engage more naturally with your content.
So you're watching a movie and there's a scene where the clouds are racing overhead at an impossible rate...and cars are streaming along the freeway like a solid river of light. These effects are created with time-lapse. Time-lapse makes glacial change look like continuous motion...and normal motion looks like frenetic activity.
It's also a handy technique to have in your bag of tricks for screen recording!
You might use time-lapse to wow your viewers and create buzz for your artistic abilities or new product. Or you could simply shrink 40 seconds of screen video to fit a 30-second music track on your timeline. Handy, indeed.
Here are three example videos to get your creative wheels turning... They weren't made with Camtasia for Mac but give you an idea of what's possible.
Show construction - Minecraft Timelapse shows how to create a structure.
Compress time - Snagit demo
Speeds up the action slightly to show a multi-step process.
Speed painting - Mary Doodles
Turn a lengthy process into something entertaining to watch.
Have fun with the new features! If you make a video using clip speed, remove a color, or both...please share a link in the comments below or tweet it to us @camtasiamac!
Daniel Foster is the "social media guy" for TechSmith. He enjoys iceboating, ice cream socials, and isosceles triangles. Tweet him up @fosteronomo or put him in a Google+ Circle.
Guest post today from Matt Pierce, host of The Forge.
It's almost time for the next episode of the TechSmith's webshow The Forge (episode 18)!
We'll be live at 2 PM ET (April 19) right here on the Visual Lounge blog and we've got two great segments. Can't watch the show?...don't worry, we've got your back, we record every episode and will post the recording here too. You can always subscribe to our YouTube channel and never miss an episode!
Mentioned in this episode
Reflection App (Mac) $14.99 We thought this slightly edged out AirServer. AirServer has a better UI overall, but seemed to lag a little more and didn't offer the framing option, or using airplay with 2 devices.
Everyone communicates. Teachers, trainers, engineers—we all have to do it. At some point we'll probably even end up in front of a group of people. So do you go the way of a PowerPoint riddled with bullet points—or try something different?
Cliff Atkinson (@CliffAtkinson), author of Beyond Bullet Points (Microsoft Press, 3rd edition May 2011) stopped by our studios to talk about how focusing on the story you want to tell will make every presentation better. Cliff helps attorneys on high-profile, big-stakes civil cases hone their storytelling and persuasion skills to connect with the jury. If you've ever needed to take complex information and make it intelligible and actionable to an audience...this episode is for you!
In addition to talking with Cliff, we are also talking about options for recording iPads, iPhones and Android tablets. We've searched the internets to try to find viable options and have a few to share. If you're interested in learning how to record an application from your mobile device, tune in and we'll save you from making the same mistakes we made.
If you're interested in learning more about the Forge or just watch a few back episodes, visit our YouTube channel: ChannelTechsmith.
Matt Pierce is the Customer Engagement Manager and host of the Forge. He likes fire, flames, and fusion. Tweet him up @piercemr or put him in a Google+ Circle.
Using music can add an extra element to your video or end up distracting the viewer. Don't let the latter be true when trying to enhance a video with music.
This week's video is posted below and presents three tips that will help you effectively use music in screencasts.
Jaclyn Nagel is a digital media intern at TechSmith. She goes to Michigan State University and enjoys road trips, going to sporting events, music and bike riding. Email her at j.nagel@techsmith.com.
Jaclyn Nagel is a digital media intern at TechSmith. She goes to Michigan State University and enjoys road trips, going to sporting events, music and bike riding. Email her at j.nagel@techsmith.com.
Viewers' minds tend to wander when the subject material isn't "fun". So what do you do when your content is instructional or otherwise not exciting? This week's video presents some tips and tricks including effectively using transitions and editing down scripts.
The video is posted below and will present three tips designed to keep your audiences engaged.
Jaclyn Nagel is a digital media intern at TechSmith. She goes to Michigan State University and enjoys road trips, going to sporting events, music and bike riding. Email her at j.nagel@techsmith.com.
Over the last several years at TechSmith we have been continually looking for ways to improve the screen capture experience with Snagit. While some of these experiments have come to fruition, like All-in-One Capture, not every test has been successful. Attempts at capturing smell failed miserably when it turned out that every capture ended up smelling like feet. There was a failed experiment with dust capture, which was supposed to allow you to put a special dust on a physical object and capture the 3D outline. Turns out the dust was extremely cost-prohibitive.
We rejoice in every failed experiment knowing that we are one step closer to the next revolution in capture technology. Today, we are happy to announce the newest and fastest way to capture your screen, ever.
BlinkCapture is revolutionary. Using eye-tracking technology and a web camera Snagit can easily detect when you purposely blink at your screen, initiating a screen capture. With the multiple sharing options, BlinkCapture will also tweet or post to Facebook automatically.
BlinkCapture eliminates the need to use a hotkey shortcut or even a mouse. The eye-tracking has built in sensitivity levels to make sure that you capture only what you want. Of course, since it's paired with Snagit you can take advantage of all of the other great features of the software. BlinkCapture works on Windows and Mac platforms.
"I honestly don't miss using my mouse. I didn't think Snagit could really get any easier." said Mike Robins, an early beta tester. Another early tester, Tammy Bane was impressed with productivity increases, "Snagit has always been my secret weapon, but now it really feels that way. My capture efficiency has gone up at least 300%."
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Brandy Agerbeck (@loosetooth on Twitter), a graphic facilitator and author of the Graphic Facilitator's Guide is going to be talking with us about how visuals can help us problem solve. You can learn more about graphic facilitation and about Brandy on her website: http://loosetooth.com
Matt Pierce is the Customer Engagement Manager and host of the Forge. He likes fire, flames, and fusion. Tweet him up @piercemr or put him in a Google+ Circle.
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Jaclyn Nagel is a digital media intern at TechSmith. She goes to Michigan State University and enjoys road trips, going to sporting events, music and bike riding. Email her at j.nagel@techsmith.com. 
Everyone communicates. Teachers, trainers, engineers—we all have to do it. At some point we'll probably even end up in front of a group of people. So do you go the way of a PowerPoint riddled with bullet points—or try something different? 
