5 tips for making a polished screencast video

A screencast is a video that shows a website or app being used. Whether it’s being used for marketing, sales, or training, a screencast is an effective way of explaining how the software works.

But not all screencasts are made equal. And a sloppy, unprofessional screencast might be scaring your audience more than it’s helping them. Luckily, with the right direction, you can make a quality screencast without breaking the bank.

Here are five keys to making a polished screencast video.

1. Invest in audio

Buying a quality microphone or even hiring a professional voice actor can be done for under $100. While it’s certainly possible to spend even more money on audio, the most important thing is to make sure your audio isn’t bad.

Bad audio quality distracts from whatever you’re trying to say in your screencast. Meanwhile good audio quality will help cover up any visual flaws your screencast might have.

2. Script your screencast

You might know your product inside and out, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to narrate a screencast in a concise way. Script your screencast ahead of time to figure out what you’re going to say and ensure your video is to the point.

3. Eliminate visual distractions

Before you record your screencast, close any unnecessary windows, tabs, etc. You also need to turn off notifications. You want your demo to take center stage.

You’re likely not going to cover every feature, so if there’s a way to simplify the presentation of your software even more – do it. You may even opt for an animated screencast to simplify your presentation even further.

4. Edit your screencast

Your screencast is probably coming along nicely, but that doesn’t mean it can’t get better with editing.

Remove parts that don’t need to be there.

Speed up the parts that drag. (Just the screencast, not the audio.)

Replace any mis-clicks with smoother screencast footage.

Watch your screencast through the lens of your audience. If there’s anything in it that they won’t be interested in, start editing.

5. Polish the presentation

In many instances a screencast by itself can work fine, but for extra polish, you can improve the presentation of the screencast itself.

One technique that works well is recording the screencast on a laptop from several angles then editing them together. You can also achieve this result in After Effects without a camera using our free ScreenMagic template.

Make your screencast

You’re now ready to make a quality screencast video of your own.

If you’d like any help along the way, let’s get in touch.