In this article, we are going to take a look at the first of seven stages in creating a successful screencast, namely planning.

Planning is an important aspect of everyday life, and there is no difference when creating a screencast. Screencasts that are poorly planned will be unfocused and in essence teach very little, a trait that will be picked up by viewers and lead to lower ratings for the coach.

When planning your screencast, remember the "Five 'P' Philosophy":

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

So What is the First Stage in Planning Your Screencast?

The first stage in planning your screencast, is to know exactly what you want to show. It is essential that you write down before you begin the recording process the exact processes that you want to show the viewer. One of the resenteasiest ways to do this is to create a storyboard for your screencast.

In the realms of screencasting, there are two uses for storyboards during the planning phase:

• Individual Screencasts - it is essential that you know all the stages for the event that you will show in your screencast. Before you start recording, it is a good idea to write down the following things:
  • Details of each process that will take place in the screencast
  • Important areas of the screen you need to mention
  • Shortcuts that you could adopt to make the whole process easier
  • Windows you will need open to begin with
  • Windows that may open on the screen as a result of an action you perform
  • Any long processes which may need to be removed during the editing process
  • A series of key learning points for the chapter - these can be used as an ending sequence for your screencast.

• Group Screencasts - if you plan to create a series of related screencasts (such as The Beginners Guide to Camtasia Studio 4) it can also be very helpful to collect your thoughts on paper before you start recording.
  
  While it will be in less detail than the storyboard for a single screencast, it is still essential that you write down what lessons you are planning to recording. This will help to ensure that you include everything that you intended, and do not repeat sections multiple times.
  
  A standard format for a storyboard for multiple screencast product is as follows:
  • List the titles of your chapters
  • Expand your titles into a series of key learning points for each chapter

  A simple way to create a storyboard for a series of screencasts such as this is to use Mind Mapping software. This method allows you to add and expand chapters in any order, as well as reordering when required.

  The above image shows the initial mindmap that I created for Screencasting 101 - The Beginners Guide to Camtasia Studio 4 as an example.

Planning the Narration/Voice Over for your Screencast

While the video side of the screencast is essentially the most important aspect, as the viewer will see what is happening on screen, the most successful screencasts are full multimedia presentations, which means you have to also consider audio.

There are many ways with which you can plan your audio, depending on how comfortable you are at speaking into a microphone.

• 'On-The-Fly' Audio Recording - Some screencasters may need very little planning on the narration front, and may simply voice over their presentation 'on-the-fly' as they record the screen. Ensuring that you remember to record everything you wanted to include in your pation, while concentrating on remembering to say everything that you wanted to can sometimes prove very difficult.

  Recording video and audio simultaneously does have some benefits, in the sense that you ensure the audio and video match up. This can severely reduce the amount of editing that you have to perform, meaning you can produce screencasts much more quickly and efficiently.

• Outlined Narration - if you are fairly confident at speaking into a microphone, and describing things as you see them, then this could be the method for you. Outlined narration involves recording the video and audio independently, and then merging them to create the finished presentation.

  In terms of planning for outlined narration, it is a good idea to note down the key learning points, and have them to hand as you record the audio. Once you have completed the screen recording, you can then record the voice over while reviewing the video and outline script, ad-libbing as required.

• Full Script Narration - this method of creating voice over for your screencast, is for those who are not very confident at speaking into a microphone. It involves writing down exactly what you want to say, and then recording the audio once you are happy with it.

  While it is the most time consuming method of narrating your screencast, it does ensure that you remember to include everything you planned to. A simple tip to make this method slightly more efficient is to review the video as you record. This way you can try and line the audio and video up as much as possible during the recording process, minimising the amount of editing that you must perform.

So Which Method Should You Choose to Create Your Audio?

There is no easy answer to this question - it is simply a case of which method you find best, and easiest. The answer to the question may only become apparent to you after you have recorded your first few screencasts.

As you record more screencasts, you will gradually become more comfortable at recording audio, and the process you choose will become refined. At some stage, you may also decide that the method you had been using is no longer appropriate, and switch to one of the others, or develop you own individual method for creating audio.

Further Audio Considerations

One further thing to consider in terms of recording the narration for your screencast, is whether to record the audio before you record the video.

The argument for recording the audio before the video, is that it will substantially reduce the amount of video editing you have to do. Having pre-recorded the audio, you can then record the video based upon your audio.

The benefit of doing this, is that you can perform processes on the screen, as the relevant section of narration is played. This ensures that the audio and video are synchronised, vastly reducing the amount of audio you have to do.

Again, as with the method of recording audio you choose, the order in which you record the audio and video is down to which is easiest for you, or which you prefer the most. A useful tip is to try both methods, and see which one works best for you.

What's Next?

In the next article in this series, we will take a look at some of the best hardware items on the market to use for creating screencasts. We will explain the benefits of these products over others, and also reveal the exact products we use to make our screencasts.

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·  Step 2 - Useful Hardware for Creating A Successful Screencast ·  Seven Steps to Creating a Successful Screencast