I'm Ready for My Close-up, Mr. DeMille: Using Video Editing Software to Create Instructional Videos

You just had to be there. Scot Colford, Application Manager of BPL, discussion of using his camcorder to record video was excellent, but it was very visual and process related. In short, not very bloggable. Scott fearlessly took a packed seminar room into the guts of Windows Movie Maker step by step.

"Shoot more than you need."
"Don't trust the sound. Experiment. Add a mic."

He suggested a storyboard site to help you plan your video:
http://www.stripgenerator.com

http://www.rehanfx.org

Then, Elissa Cadillic, Training Coordinator at BPL joined the discussion and they presented a short training video.

Bet this will be the winner of the Academy Awards of Libray Videos. Scot's and Elissa's collaboration video on Branch Serials (branch cereals) was clever and entertaining. Again you had to be there. A really effective use of the skills and educational components. Kudos to these creative BPL staff members.

Other programs mentioned:
Windows Media Encoder
Flash
Camtasia
Fast Capture (FREE)

Lots of advice from Elissa regarding making training videos:

"Highlight the basics!"
"Save it first! Save it once! Save it again!"
"Not everything has to be dull, dry, and monotone!"
"Short and sweet!"
"Tell a story."
"Pick someone who has never done the process."

How long did it take?
Its possible to create in a night, but a full casted production can take a lot longer.

Can this be uploaded to YouTube?

Save it 320X240 from Movie Maker. Follow the process to download on the YouTube homepage. This translates it to a Flash Video. YouTube does the rest.

How can you extract a DVD?

Don't extract copyrighted material.
If not copyrighted, go into the file and save as .mpg. Warning, these can be extremely large.
There is DVD "ripping" software (Nero - http://nero.com)

Are there helpful features in the production software?

Camtasia helps you to organize.

What about webcam?
Webcam are very poor resolution. Difficult to control. Better to use camcorder.

How to get started?
Have a plan. Put photos in Moviemaker. Make sure the outcome is what you want before you save. Make a little music video. Play!