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The Screencaster.

Frequently Asked Questions about our Video Creation Services

What does dappertext need from me in order to come up with an accurate price quote?

The following information is very helpful: (1) Exactly what software or web pages need to present in the videos so that we can scout their size and relative complexity; (2) The basic information that needs to be conveyed in the lessons; (3) The level of granularity you want in covering these features; (4) Whether you want us to script the lessons; (5) any extra sound work desired, such as background music or sound effects.

How do you produce such good sound while recording?

We start with a good microphone and preamp, for one thing. At dappertext, we don't skimp on quality when it comes to the equipment we purchase. Also, we use sound editing tools to clean up the original recording:

1. We set volume to optimum levels.
2. We dynamically reduce plosives and sibilants (those annoying popping "p" and hissing "s" sounds.
3. We filter out any background noise (of which there's little to begin with, as we use a special quiet room for recording).

I've heard that Camtasia Studio is a Windows-only product. Can you make videos of other operating systems as well?

Yes. We've had some success using software products like Timbuktu and VNC. These solutions work by broadcasting the desktop of other computers (like Mac, Linux, and Unix) over a network. It can then be viewed on a PC, where it can be recorded with Camtasia Studio. While these products will let you capture other platforms with excellent clarity, the refresh rate is very slow, because the data is being transferred over a remote network.

In addition, TechSmith Corporation has recently released the Ensharpen codec for Macintosh and PC, allowing us to easily create Quicktime videos. On the Mac, we can now use the Snapz Pro screen capture tool from Ambrosia Software, and then use Ensharpen to encode the video. These tools can capture Mac content natively. The file size is low and the image quality is terrific.

We also have a lot of experience recording videos of Palm applications with the Palm OS Emulator (<v5) and the Palm OS Simulator (v5+). We can even use Palm-based movie encoders like TealMovie and Kinoma Producer to produce videos that will run directly on your Palm!

Why do you use Camtasia Studio as your main video production tool?

Because we believe it to be the best screen recorder and production tool on the market today. It's quality and ease of use is unparalleled. For a full description of Camtasia Studio and our choice to use it, see "Why Camtasia Studio?"

If Camtasia Studio is so easy to use, why do we need you?

The answer to this question is fully described in our article, "Top seven reasons to outsource your video project to us"

Do you use other multimedia design and development tools?

Yes, we've used Macromedia Director and Flash, among others. That said, we're not experts in these tools - we use them merely to support our efforts with Camtasia Studio. If you have a project for which you absolutely need to use a different development environment, contact us anyway. We're always seeking opportunities to learn about additional tools. And since we charge by the project, not by the hour, you as the client don't pay for our learning curve.

Can you film "live" video in addition to screen videos?

Currently, we have neither the equipment nor the expertise to make live "talking head" style videos. However, if you can provide live video footage to us in electronic format, we can integrate it into the screen videos we create for you.

Do you have other questions? Please contact us for the answers.