Archive of Online Surgery Sessions

Introduction to screen capture / screencasting

Session date: 21 October 2009

This week’s session video is Zak Mensah’s Introduction to Screencasting.

#3 Online Surgery - Screencasting from JISC Digital Media on Vimeo.

Topics covered during the session

Topics covered included: webcasting; screen capture; video editing; presentation software; copyright issues; ERA licences.

URLs referred to in the session

http://vimeo.com/7180036

Transcript of questions and answers (edited to remove personal data)

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): At 13:45 we have a 5min screencast to show you, the whole hour is also for questions and answers

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Anthony: Well, one of my present interests is the use of digital media for e-learning. Worked at the OU doing an early form of web casting back in 1997 - but now there are off the shelf apps available (like Elluminate) that people can buy. I wondered if anyone here had experience using video/audio in Adobe Captivate?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Antony I have used Adobe captivate quite a lot in over the last few years. Do you have it, or are you asking about its potential uses?

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Anthony: I’d be interested in general feedback I suppose - if people were happy with it - as it seems to be a potentially expensive service

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Anthony: But better than recreating the wheel of course

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @ Anthony - are you looking at Captivate specifically, or screen capture/casting apps in general? have used audio and video in Camtasia quite a bit (that’s what we’ve been using to prepare the surgery screencasts)

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Anthony: Ideally, looking to use it for a number of things.

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Anthony: Screencapture of course, but also live learning sessions using interactive apps

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Karla (JISC Digital Media): hi Anthony, I’ve heard that Captivate is quite expensive too. I’ve heard people talk about it and experiment with it, but I’m not sure it’s been used as a ‘service’ because of the cost.

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Ant (JISC Digital Media): Hi @Viv @Mike

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Anthony: Mmmm. Budget to begin with will be available to cover costs - but I suppose it’s the ongoing costs post project funding

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Viv: Hi Ant.

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Mike: hi

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Ant (JISC Digital Media): We will be showing a short video in a few mins but feel free to fire away if you have any Qs

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony Do you mean the screencaptrue software or do you mean the adobe service similar to this elluminate as they are different products/services

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Viv: We use camtasia, it was relatively inexpensive for licenses, and it seems to do all I want it to do.

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Viv: Although as I gain more experience perhaps I will find limitations

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Anthony: Fair enough - I have used it and it is good (aside from file size at times)

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Viv: Has anyone used screen capture software that allows you to create interactions, e.g. the video pauses and the viewer has to select where to click in order to continue?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @viv yes - using adobe captivate

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Viv: Ok, thanks, I probably missed that part earlier!

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Joel (JDM): and Flash

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): Hi Viv, Director allows this kind of interaction too

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Anthony: Can JISC recommend a reliable provider for Captivate?

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Ant (JISC Digital Media): @Anthony - if you are not already subscribed you could also join and post a message to our mailing list as there over 500 subscribers some of whom will also have experience of Captivate http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/mailing-list/

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Viv: Yeah, I was hoping to find something that is simple to use, as I have no idea about flash….I will investigate Director, thanks

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): Adobe captivate has a trial version which is worth investigating if your thinking of using it.

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): Flash and Director are both Macromedia (now Adobe) products so it’s really the same solution.

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Viv: oh ok, thanks, i will check that out too

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Mike: can the resultant files be imported into an editor, e.g. Avid/FCP?

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Anthony: OK thanks Ant, will join up

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): Hello all, you should now see in a new window, our 5min screencast. If you are having issues, the url is http://vimeo.com/7180036 and it contains some audio

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): @Mike - from Flash or Captivate?

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Mike: either

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): Yes, there’s more integration all the time. The interaction would be lost tho

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Mike: understood

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Zak (JISC Digital Media) to Anthony: Hi, do you want to do offline screencapture like in our video or were you interested in live stuff like we are doing now?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): Welcome Emily

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Emily: hello

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): hi emily

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Emily: Hi Gavin! just dropping in to learn more on screencasting

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @ emily - any questions, fire away - we have a full panel today! also check out the short intro screencast

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Emily: am just watching

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): Note to all, our screencast advice doc is at http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/movingimages/advice/screencasting/

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Mike: the branding elements we just watched, what file format are they?

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Viv: enjoyed the screencast, Silverbackapp sounds interesting, the ability to record clicks is useful….is there a similar program for PC userS?

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Viv: windows users i should say

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @mike - i made them in sketchup and rendered them in fcp - .mov iirc

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Mike: ok, thanks, i have avid, so assume quicktime os good to use

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @viv sorry not that i am aware of. Silverback is great though. I hope they bring a PC version out

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Emily: ah ok, I wasn’t sure what screencasting was, we used to use Wink for library demos

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): yes - all compatible mike

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Viv: ok, thanks for that

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Viv: can i ask, are you guys sharing your desktop with us? is that how we can see the Vimeo interface?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Viv, not quite - in elluminate you can share URLS

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @viv but it is possible to share a screen too

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Viv: aah ok, thanks. looks really good. I have been using dimdim to share my desktop but this looks very clear

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @emily - screencasting as i understand it is the delivery of enhanced screen capture/presentations. many tools available for screen capture, some of which allow editing/compilation, or you can comp in a video editor such as avid or final cut

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Viv: can i ask a non-screencasting question?

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Emily: @gavin ok, thanks!

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Anthony: Between Captivate and Elluminate - I imagine the latter is limited to purely this type of interactivity?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Viv we looked at dimdim but had an “incident” so used this instead

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @viv - anything you like!

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Anthony: What was the incident - we were considering that as well

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Viv: i am finding dimdim ok actually. we have users in colleges whose computer setups are locked down, so to speak, so I thought best to go for something where they didn’t need to download anything

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @viv you can ask any type of Q.

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Mike: I like the idea of comping in a video editor but bringing back in the the screencaster to re-introduce interaction

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Viv: my question was dimdim related - i recorded a session and i downloaded the file, but it’s in FLV format. what can i use that will let me edit that?

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Viv: i just want to break it up into smaller sections

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): Hi Viv, .flvs can be imported into editors such as Premier

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Anthony my mistake, it was ustream where something bad happened.

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Mike: Have Avid and Sorenson Squeeze, would use Sorenson to bring back to qt or mpeg4

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Viv: right ok. is that adobe suite? i have a feeling only our web designer has that here

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Premiere isn’t included in every version of Creative Suite—you have to check which one.

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): that’s right it’s in Adobe Production Pro Suites but it depends on your version of .flvs

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Viv: I will ask around to see who has Premier

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): .flv develop so quickly it may be tricky, even with Premier

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): downloading latest Premier plug-ins may help

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Viv: ok. well i guess i can always just post the whole thing, but i doubt anyone will sit through a 45 minute web meeting!

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @mike - i’m experimenting with Apple Keynote too - interesting internal/external hyperlinking/nesting possible there and can export as clickable Quicktime

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Mike: sound good, i’ll note that one

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): I can’t guarantee this, but you may want to give VLC player a try: it reads FLV and I believe has limited editing capabilities—and it can be used for screencasting!

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): In the near future we will have advice documents on using several of the popular/useful screencapture software

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @ Mike - a very serious Powerpoint alternative and cheap too

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): Just to note that Google has a FREE presentation software tool online too.

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Mike: Thanks Gavin

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Viv: i will try VLC then, thanks @ Steve. At least it’s free!

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Ant (JISC Digital Media): If you have finished watching the screencasting video, you’ll find you can’t close the window - we need to keep it open for new people joining the session, but you can make it smaller… or feel free to watch the other videos. They are all up on vimeo http://vimeo.com/user2187259 for future ref

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Viv: ok, I have to go. Thanks very much for this, it was useful

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @viv thanks

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Anthony: Yes thanks.

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Viv: that was meant to be a smile!

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Viv: bye

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Mike: Me too, iTunes U calling. I benefited from this greatly tha

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): cheers mike

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Emily: lol iTunes U, everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon!

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Anthony: BTW, last question

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Anthony: As you also use Captivate - why use Elluminate?  Is it better for this sort of event?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Anthony I’ll asnswer this.. 30secs

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony Captivate isn’t the online Adobe service. so we need a live online tool and our service already had a license.

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Anthony: Ah - what is the online service then if not Captivate?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): Adobe Connect Pro is the tool they use http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnectpro/ which differs from Captivate

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): It’s not a free service but I have used it quite a lot and it’s a great tool

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Anthony: Oh of course, getting them mixed up. So you’ve obviously chosen Elluminate instead. Any reasons? Cheaper? More accessible?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony we chose elluminate as a sister service already had a license that we could use. Having used Adobe Connect, i wanted to use it but it’s not cost effective when we have access to a similar tool.

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony if many people in your institution need online tools like this, then I guess cost becomes more manageable.

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): University of Leicester used Adobe Connect when I was working there.

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Anthony: OK, understood.  Perhaps I’ll ask around the forum link you’d mentioned for personal prefs.

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Anthony: Thanks again

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony no problem - should you need any help please get in touch with us

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Anthony: OK will do. Have been to Bristol a few times. Speaking of which, do you have any courses which focus on the use of any of these apps for the development of e-learning?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony in 2010 we hope to offer more e-learning courses

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Emily: could you access screencasts on handhelds like iPhone / Blackberry? is that the anticipation?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @emily yes you can if you prepare them as podcasts that can be accessed.

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony currently we have 1 e-learning course http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/training/courses/using-digital-media-in-vles/

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Emily: ok, that’s interesting

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Emily: are you aware of campusM, the mobile apps for students thing that Apple are introducing/have introduced?

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Anthony: That’s great thanks - I’ll have a look.

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Emily the Apple iphone/touch cannot use Flash files (so going to vimeo will not work) but you can using youtube or making the screencasts available in other formats

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Emily: ok yeah, I know that as I have an iPod and it’s frustrating! I wonder if they will eventually get Flash

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @emily not come across that yet - do you have a url that you could share?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony what kinds of e-learning would you like us to cover?

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Emily: http://www.ombiel.com/

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Emily thanks will look at this. If a online service is well designed, its not always a requirement to use additional apps etc. Lots of institutions are developing services that support the latest mobile devices.

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Emily: this is true.. Apple say that this will be compatible with other mobile devices like Blackberry though, so could be an interesting development

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Emily it’s an interesting time for mobile services as well as teaching and learning.

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): Welcome to Amanda

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Anthony: @Zak re. e-learning. Will be covering a number of areas. Talking head, powerpoint presentations, desktop sharing, online conferences, chat rooms, interactive exercises, video feeds from organisations like BP or the NHS - really varied

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @emily - an increasing number of apps can export in specific iPod/iPhone formats and Quicktime can transcode too (surprise!)

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Amanda thanks for joining us, we have been discussing a number of topics, mainly regarding screencasting. Is there anything we can help you with today?

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amanda 1: we were wondering what the best way is to convert DVDs to electronic files held on a PC please

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony, thanks will bear those topics in mind. We can support you anytime with these topics via our helpdesk http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/helpdesk/

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): by the way, Quicktime X includes screen capture + audio as a standard feature. out soon for windows (allegedly) and if you are comping in a video editor then it handles the front end perfectly acceptably. simple video and audio capture too

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): and free of course

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Anthony: OK, may well take you up on that.

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Emily:  thanks gavin!

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Re: the DVD question. If you for a moment don’t consider the legal issues, there are a number of free apps available on the web for ripping DVDs. But you do have to consider the legal issues!

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Emily: you’re ok if you’re covered under the ERA+ licence, but even then it’s only for video recorded off air, not pre-recorded on disc

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): @amanda - ripping dvds on a mac is pretty simple - Handbrake is an excellent free tool

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Gavin (JISC Digital Media): open source in fact

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Emily: unless it’s your own stuff

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Stephen (JISC Digital Media): Handbrake is good and is for PC too

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amanda 1: Thanks

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amanda 1: we are wanting to convert all our pre recorded dvds to e files

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amanda 1: is this against copyright?

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): The short answer is: yes!

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Anthony: Out of curiosity, do you ever have problems with Elluminate where guests don’t have Java installed on their machine?

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): I’m afraid that purchasing a DVD gives you no right whatsoever to make a copy of it.

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Emily: @amanda, your best bet is, if you want to do this, budget for an ERA+ licence as you will have access to Box of Broadcasts by the BUFVC

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Emily: that’ll probably contain much of what you want to digitise

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Emily: but the licence is expensive and you aren’t breaking the law by showing DVDs etc in lectures and seminars to students

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Amanda, just to make it clear, are you talking about DVDs that you’ve recorded off-air or DVDs that you’ve purchased?

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amanda 1: So just to clarify all “real-time” broadcasts that we have recorded, we can digitise?

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Emily: so you have to consider what the benefit will be versus the cost

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Emily: no, not unless you have the ERA+ licence

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Emily: unfortunately…

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Emily, my understanding is that it’s sufficient to have the ERA licence (which costs a bit less). To be specific, if you’ve made a legal recording off air (i,e, with an ERA or ERA+ licence) you then have the right to convert that recording to a different format.

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony - Yes. Java can be a pain. Last session 2 folk couldn’t get online

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Emily: you can convert from video to DVD

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Emily: but you can’t put it online, e.g. on to VLE unless you have ERA+

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Agreed.  But that doesn’t stop you from converting it.

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Anthony: Perhaps that’s one reason for us to go the Connect Pro route - as the Flash plugin is more available

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Emily: but Amanda’s is already on DVD

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Anthony some NHS locations had firewall issues with Connect Pro. The best thing to do is work out the baseline setup of your majority and work back from this

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): You can convert a DVD to a computer-based format without putting it on a VLE.

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amanda 1: If we have pre-recorded videos/DVDs that we have purchased can we legally hold these electronically for streaming through intranet/VLE/“passworded environment”?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): We need to wrap this session up in a few mins.

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Anthony: Uh oh - that sounds bad - as that’d be one of our clients! :/

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amanda 1: This has been quite informative - Thanks.

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): @Amanda Again I’d say no, as you’d be converting the DVDs in order to stream them.

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @Anthony its worth investigating though. As they may have resolved the issue since 2007 and also the NHS opened the ports in the end

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amanda 1: Still a little confused will be worth reading the transcript.

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Emily: ok, have got a clause in front of me in ERA licence: “to authorise ERA recordings to be communicated to the public by a person situated within the premises of an Educational Establishment but only to the extent that the communication cannot be received by any person situated outside the premises of that Educational Establishment”

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @amanda you cannot rip the dvds for use on the VLE as per Emily’s helpful quote above

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Emily: so, in short: pre-recorded = No… recorded off air under ERA= yes as long as it’s not delivered to anyone outside the institution

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Which also means that you can put a recording on the VLE as long as the VLE isn’t accessible off-campus.

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Emily: this includes VLE as distance learners often have access

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Emily: @steve agreed

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Anthony: Wheh, OK good - not a brick wall.  Thanks for all the feedback guys.

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): If you restrict access to the VLE so no-one off-campus can access it you’re safe.

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Emily: well that’s what the licence seems to say anyway…

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @anthony indeed. If you need a contact at UoL let me know

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Also bear in mind that, even if you have an ERA+ licence, no-one outside the UK may be allowed access to the recording.

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Emily: this is true

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Emily: it just means your students at home can watch things on the VLE

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Agreed.

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amanda 1: Can purchased DVDs be put across a VLE or only on actual premises?

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): @steve you can get around this by stopping international users - Setup a cohort in the VLE splitting the learners

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Emily: purchased DVDs cannot be ripped at all on university premises

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): I’d have to go with only on actual premises: as I said above, you’d have to convert them to put them on a VLE.

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Emily: ok yeah go with @steve’s advice

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amanda 1: thank you, we’re new to this

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Emily: @amanda good luck, it’s a nasty legal minefield that I’m trying to navigate thru too

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): ...and it only gets more confusing the further you get into it!

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Emily: @steve definitely!

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Zak (JISC Digital Media) to Anthony: That’s why I know they had some issues but did overcome them.

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amanda 1: we’re looking at streaming software atm

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amanda 1: straming.co.uk and planet estream

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Emily: @amanda we are trialling some too, think it may be our own

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): @Amanda, @Emily, I’ve been given orders to shut this thing down! Feel free to contact us at any time—or log on to the next surgery in a fortnight.

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amanda 1: thank you everyone

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Emily: @steve ok! thanks for everything, @amanda, hope everything goes well!

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amanda 1: thank you

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Steve (JISC Digital Media): Thanks for showing up!  Speak to you soon, I hope.

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Anthony: Thanks!

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Zak (JISC Digital Media): Thanks everybody. See you online soon