MacScreencasting

Last week, along with a few million other users, I got my new iPhone. One of the features I’m most excited about are the new video capabilities–particularly iMovie.

I think being able to shoot, edit, and upload videos on the fly is a real game changer for small businesses and solo-preneurs. I envision users creating video training, promotions, and real-time communications. After playing with iMovie this past weekend, I’ve come across 5 key tips to help take your iPhone videos to the next level.

This 8-minute video demonstrates the 5 tips and concludes with a summary completely shot & edited on the iPhone.

The 5 key tips to take your iPhone video to the next level are:

1. Use lots of short videos
2. Add bumper graphics
3. Kill Ken Burns (effect)
4. Export to iPhoto
5. Create a self-portrait boom

[View iPhone version]

There you have it, 5-key tips to improve your iPhone videos. What are your tips? Share with me your iPhone video creations in the comments too. I can’t wait to see ‘em.

A lot of people incorporate picture-in-picture video into the screencasts. But did you know you can incorporate even more dynamic green screen (chromakey) video into your screencasts? And did you know you could use iMovie ’09 to do it?

This video shows you a 5-step process utilizing iMovie ’09. But while it’s easy, don’t kid yourself. It takes planning to get everything working together. Watch how.

[View iPhone version]

Using transparent PNG files is a great way to make call outs or watermarks for your screencast videos. It’s a pretty common question that comes up all the times on screencasting boards and Twitter.

Use this technique if you want to add creativity to your screencasts. It’s perfect for call out’s and visual reminders. It’s also a great solution for adding a watermark for protection or branding.

This screencast shows how easy it is to add a transparent png file to your project.

[View iPhone version]

There are just a handful of tools in my tool bag that I swear by. Jing is one of them.

Jing allows you to capture screen images and quick, down & dirty, screencasts on your computer. Jing is from TechSmith, the makers of SnagIt and Camtasia. There is a free version and a Pro version that enables MP4 video capture, YouTube uploads, and Webcam capture. What really sets Jing apart though is it’s tight integration with Screencast.com for hosting. This makes sharing your screen captures and screencasts, super easy.

This video introduces you to Jing. I share 5 simple ideas for using Jing, show you how to use it, and provide 5 best practices for recording a screencast with Jing.

I think you’ll find Jing to be a worthy addition to your tool bag.

[View iPhone version]

Creating a few one-off screencasts is no big deal. But what happens when you have a hundred to create? At that point, you better have a process.

Here is a 5-step screencast development process. This will enable you to consistently produce screencasts in an efficient manner. An added benefit is the ability to localize, or customize your screencast for different markets. When you follow a consistent methodology, it’s easier to re-purpose and re-use your content. It’s also easier to swap out elements.

For example, if you need to create English and Spanish versions of your screencasts, it’s easy to swap out the title slides and audio track if developed in a modular fashion.

The video below shows you one process I’ve employed.

[View iPhone version]

Do you use Skype? Millions of people do. It’s a wonderful way to make free Skype-to-Skype calls all over the world. And you can really push the capabilities by using SkypeIn and SkypeOut to connect to regular phone systems too.

An often overlooked feature of Skype is the video chat. It too is free and allows two callers to connect with one another and see each other. When done properly it’s a great way to conduct video interviews. You might be asking yourself, “Why video interviews?! ”

I’ve brought my friend Terry Brock over to help explain why we’d want to do this. He’s done dozens and can teach us all a few of his tricks. If you’re an entrepreneur, a consultant, or even a freelancer, you’ll want to see this.

You can see our Skype video interview below.

[View iPhone version]

By the way, this video was produced mostly with ScreenFlow recording Skype from my desktop. The video introduction & close was done with iMovie.

When most people thinking of screencasting, they think of computer tutorials. They think of all the software how-to’s out there. And let’s face it, screencasting is a perfect application for these tutorials. However, screencasting can be used for so much more. In this two part series, I’ll share ideas on how individuals and businesses can get the most from this new communication tool.

Part 1: Screencasting for Individuals
Let’s explore the personal uses of screencasting including:

•    Concept Workers
•    Personal Branding
•    Reinventing Ourselves
•    Productizing Your Knowledge

[View iPhone version for Individuals]

Part 2: Screencasting for Businesses
Let’s explore the business uses of screencasting:

•    External communications for Care
•    Branded e-Learning
•    Internal executive presentations
•    Tribal knowledge
•    Training

[View iPhone version for Businesses]

The quality of your audio is an important consideration for your screencasts. In fact, poor audio can ruin an otherwise great screencast. But which microphone is best?

This tutorial compares 5 different microphones so you can hear the difference between them. Now these preferences may be subjective. The different microphones compared are:
•    The built-in Mac microphone
•    Andrea NC-61 USB headset microphone
•    Audio-Technica lapel microphone
•    Samson CO3U desktop USB microphone
•    Griffin SmartTalk iPhone microphone

These range from free to about $120. Which one do you prefer?

[View iPhone version]