11 Easy Screen Recording Tips to Help You Create Better Videos
Screen recorders are one of the most useful tools of the remote work era. They help us stay connected and on the same page, even when we’re not physically in the same space.
In this blog, we’ll help you master the art of screen recording! By using these 11 screen recording tips, you can create polished recordings and easily turn them into professional, shareable videos.
What do you need to make screen recording videos?
The beauty of screen recordings is in their simplicity. With the right screen recorder, you won’t need very many extra bells or whistles to make a great video. For a top of the line screen recording, here’s what you should have ready:
- A great video concept
- A microphone
- A quiet space or room
- A screen recorder
11 easy screen recording tips for better videos
Screen recordings are great communication tools on their own. They show viewers exactly what they need to see in full context. And with just a little bit of planning beforehand, you can make sure your recordings are smooth, clear, and concise. These screen recordings can then be used in product demos, instructional videos, and more!
Here are 11 easy screen recording tips to help you create even better videos.
1. Create a storyboard
Storyboarding is a great way to plan any video, especially screen recordings. By creating a storyboard, you can take note of what screens, programs, and steps to show and when. While storyboarding, you may find that you want to break up your recording with written instructions, calls-to-action, and/or screenshots to add further context.
Check out this blog for tips on creating your own video storyboard.
2. Write a video script
Audio is a great pairing with screen recordings. As you complete steps on the screen, you can use voice-over narration to explain and instruct viewers along the way. But knowing what to say and when can be tricky.
Writing a script before you hit “start recording” will help you make sure you’re ticking all the boxes and sharing the right information. Whether you record audio as you go, record your webcam, or choose to add a custom voice-over afterwards, a script will help you stay on the right track.
3. Test your microphone
If you’re recording microphone audio with your recording, you’ll want to give it a test run first. Test your mic by running through your video script. Two birds, one stone!
4. Clean up your desktop
Keep in mind what areas of your screen you’ll be recording and what your audience will see. Long story short, now might be the time to change your wallpaper or get rid of all those screenshots saved to your desktop. It’s a small detail but it can help your final video look more professional and clean.
5. Close unnecessary programs
Before you begin, close out any unnecessary tabs or programs to avoid unwanted pop-ups, sound, or distractions.
6. Do a practice run
The chances that you record the perfect screen recording on the first try are slim. But don’t sweat it! Go through a practice run (or two) to make sure you know exactly what to say and show on your screen. Then, once it’s time to hit “record”, you’ll already be a pro!
7. Pause and resume when needed
You don’t have to complete your screen recording all in one go! Pause and resume your recording as needed to get yourself organized and avoid awkward transitions. You can always upload your screen recordings piece by piece and stitch them together to make an easy-to-follow video.
8. Be intentional with your mouse movement
Be mindful of where your mouse is and how quickly you are moving it. If possible, you may want to increase the size of your mouse cursor and show mouse clicks to help viewers follow along.
9. Remove silences and pauses
To make your video as short and concise as possible, you’ll want to remove any excess down time in your video. You can use programs like Animoto to trim and edit your screen recordings quickly and easily. No more lingering uhms and ahs!
10. Add intros and outros
Intros and outros can do wonders for making your videos look and feel professionally-made. Intros help set the scene for the entire video. You can explain what tasks you are going to complete, what tools the viewer may need, or you can simply introduce yourself and your brand. Similarly, outros help keep your brand top of mind and leave viewers with a clear next step. You can create your own custom intros and outros for free with Animoto!
11. Know where your video will be shared
Lastly, keep in mind where you will be sharing your video. Depending on the platform, you may need to change the length and dimensions of your video. For instance, a video shared on your website might be 1-2 minutes long whereas a video shared on social media should be much shorter.
How to record your screen with Animoto
With Animoto, creating professional videos with screen recordings is simple. Everything you need to record, edit, and refine your screen recordings is all in one place.
Screen and webcam recording is available with the Basic plan. However, if you want to show and tell with simultaneous screen and webcam recording, you can upgrade to a Professional plan.
Here’s how you can make your own videos with screen recordings in minutes.
1. Choose a video template or start from scratch
Everything starts with our free video templates! Choose a template for your product demo, tutorial, how-to, onboarding video, and more. These templates have expertly-designed fonts, colors, and media blocks already in place for you. Or, you can create a totally unique video by starting from scratch.
2. Start recording your screen
Once you’ve started your video project, you can start recording your screen!
Once in your video workspace, click the RECORD button with the black record icon at the top of your screen. You’ll see a small pop-up in your browser requiring you to grant permissions and choose the screen, webcam, or screen and webcam you want to record. Whether you want to record your screen alone or make a personal connection through webcam too, you can choose to share your entire screen, window, or specific browser tab.
Next, click the SHARE button in the pop-up window. Lastly, click the red Record button to start a countdown and begin recording.
For more in-depth information about recording your screen with Animoto, check out this blog.
3. Edit your screen recording with Animoto's built-in tools
Once you’ve ended your recording, it will be automatically uploaded into your video workspace. To add it to your video, drag and drop it into a Media Block alongside other photos, video clips, text, or on its own.
Next, you can use our integrated tools to edit your recording to perfection! You can trim your recording, split it up step by step into different blocks, mute your video, add a voice-over, and more. This blog has everything you need to know about editing screen recordings.
4. Download and share your video online
Lastly, it’s time to share your video with the world! You can download it to your device and add it to your website, online drive, and more. Or, use our built-in sharing tools to instantly share your video on social media or embed it in an email.
Create better videos with Animoto's screen recorder
With Animoto, you can make the most of your screen recordings. Not only can you start, stop, and store your recordings, you can transform them into just the kind of video you need. And with easy-to-use editing tools like these, anyone can create a professional video in a matter of minutes. Sign up and start recording!
Screen recording tips FAQ
How can I record my screen without losing quality?
The default settings of your screen recorder and dimensions of your recording both influence the quality of your screen recording. If you record the full screen, it usually has the same resolution as your monitor. To create high-quality recordings, minimize the recording size to only what’s needed and use a high-quality screen recorder that doesn’t compress video files.
Should I record my entire screen?
You should record your entire screen if you want to accurately show an entire program and help users navigate to specific areas. Keep in mind, your background, toolbar, and more may be visible in your recording.
How should I share my screen recording video?
Screen recording videos can be shared on your company’s website, on social media, in emails, and via online cloud storage sites. Where and how you share your recording depends on where your audience is.