How to Make Camtasia Videos like a Pro

A couple of days ago, I made a post about Camtasia and Who loves Money.

Admittedly, the video was quite bad and with a good deal of practice, I no longer sound like a zombie that’s had one too many sleeping pills.

The purpose of the video was not to sell Who Loves Money since I really wasn’t impressed with another Adwords Guide. Rather it was for readers to give me some feedback on what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong.

I’m happy to say the readers of Net Frontier Marketing responded to the offer and gave me a lot of things to think about.

One reader, who calls himself “Ray the Canuck” has quite some experience in the voice and pitch quality departments gave me some tips so good I will publish them below instead of leaving them as a comment on the post itself.

Here it is, unedited. Really good stuff.

“Hey Alex,

Whoa! There’s another Ray here. And he’s posting the same date as me…(?!)

Alex, your excellent Clickbank post was what got me off my butt, and convinced me it was time to “contribute” a comment – rather than simply being one of the thousands of “lurkers” out there.

Didn’t see THIS post (and the OTHER Ray) until now. Ok. I guess I’ll be “Ray the Canuck” then…

(And Ray: For the LAST time – we Canadians do NOT have an accent! WE speak the right way – it’s the rest of YOU on this planet, that have accents…)

Ok Alex. About that video…

So far, your “homeboys” here seem to be on target with their comments – so I won’t waste time rehashing their good advice.

When I worked in Hollywood, I was surrounded by people doing “voice work”. Seemed like every actor, actress, model, singer, dancer, band member… you name it… they all did voice-overs to “pay the groceries” – while they starved waiting for the big day they would be “discovered”.

Anyways, I learned a lot from them about how to “project yourself” correctly when doing audio/visual projects.

I wish I could remember it all. But here’s 3 leading points I do recall…

1) Write a Script – FIRST!

In that Camtasia Alex, you sound like you’re speaking from the heart (good), but very un-coordinated (bad), and sort of making it up as you go along (VERY bad).

Your first step in creating a video, should be to get your ideas down on paper, and then expand them into a full-scale script.

Yeah, I know – what a pain in the…!

But if you really want to create a QUALITY video, a script is essential.

It doesn’t have to be Shakespeare – point-form or bullets will do fine. Just as long as it’s detailed enough, that it will carry you through the entire recording – seamlessly.

2) STAND UP!

Alex you said: “I find it’s not the same when speaking to your computer screen in a sitting position”.

BINGO!

DO NOT sit at the computer, when recording the video.
Prop the mic on a podium, stand up, and pretend you’re speaking to a live audience.

Better yet, use a mobile mic – and “walk the stage”.

Move around. Wave your hands. Lean towards the “audience” when you want to emphasize a point. Etc, etc.
All of this WILL come across, when you hear the audio playback.

In fact, I remember actors were the “worst”. When they would record an audio, they’d stick the mic on their collar, then “perform the role” just like they were on Broadway!

No audience. Empty room. I thought they were nuts.

But I’ll be damned, when you listened to the playback, their audio had the energy & vitality of a Broadway Play!

Funny, true story: When Cameron Diaz was recording the lead voice for the original Shrek movie, the Animation Artists said she moved around so much, putting so much physicality into the role (even though she was alone in the recording studio with nothing but a bare microphone in her face), that they simply watched her and drew the storyboards for the WHOLE FILM, based on how Diaz moved while she was recording the audio…)

3) Find a PARTNER.

“Interview videos” work!

They come across MUCH better, than a solitary video (like the one you recorded here).

If possible, rather than delivering your “message” alone, have someone “interview” you. Even if the interviewer is reading questions you’ve arranged to be “asked” in advance, your points will STILL hit ten times harder. (That is, if the interviewer is GOOD, and knows what he’s doing.)

Plus, no matter your subject, having someone “professionally interview you” on the subject, will sound ten times more believable, twenty times more credible, and a HUNDRED times more sales-worthy!

If you’re still in doubt, watch one of the endless Interview-Infomercials on late-night TV.

These guys sell $Millions$ with those!!

(I did lots of “favours” for people out in Hollywood, being a last-minute “audio-interviewer” for people, to help punch up their Audio-Audition tapes. So I can add a LOT more pointers on creating Effective interview-audio/videos. But this post is already too long…)

There’s more Hollywood taught me – but those three points top the list. And they should go a long way towards assisting you, Alex.

Hope this helps;

Ray the Canuck

P.S. Oh yeah. “Discreet” is my middle name, so if there’s a pending Alex product that needs beta-testing… (gamma-testing?)…

Here’s what I have to say:

D’oh, you’re so right it hurts. This is gold.

Thanks Ray.

And another thing. Notice how Ray the Canuck says he’s been lurking around and decided to come out of the Shadows?

How many other geniuses in lurking do we have here? For Pete’s sake, have an opinion and share it here.

Ray the Canuck doesn’t know it yet but he’s getting a beta copy of my next products. All my readers deserve special treatment but I don’t know you’re there unless you leave a freakin comment, ok?

P.S. if you have an idea for a post you would like me to cover, let me know.  If you’d like to guest post and you have a big mouth and an opinion like yours truly, let me know.