The Visual Lounge

Thumbnails and titles are the bait that reels viewers into YouTube content. Not only are they great for SEO, but they also define your brand and catch the audience’s eye.But what makes a good YouTube thumbnail? And how do you write a great title?In this week’s episode of The Visual Lounge, Matt Pierce, TechSmith’s Learning & Video Ambassador, is joined by Paul Wilson, freelance e-Learning designer and Adobe Captivate Teacher.Paul explains how he creates videos and shares his top tips for creating thumbnails and titles that grab attention and get results. Learning points from the episode include:0:53 – Introducing Paul Wilson2:25 – How Paul got started using screen videos4:50 – How does Paul define success?7:29 – One tip for using videos10:03 – Paul’s introduction to screencasting tutorials12:15 – Interval vs. external videos14:11 – What Paul’s video creation process looks like17:00 – Function vs. appearance20:31 – Paul on consistency and templatization23:49 – Mastering video titles26:48 – What makes a good YouTube thumbnail?34:31 – Speed round questions39:00 – Final take!Important links and mentions:TechSmith Academy: Learn how to use and create better images and videos (for free): https://academy.techsmith.comSubscribe to Paul’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CaptivateTeacherFollow Paul on Twitter: https://twitter.com/captivateteachrFollow/connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/captivateteacher/

What makes a great video script?Whether you’re brand new to scripting or want to brush up on the best practices, there’s so much to unpack from this episode of The Visual Lounge. TechSmith’s Content Marketing Specialist, Ryan Knott, joins the show to share his advice on best practices, what to do vs. avoid, how to nail your tone, and so much more. If you’ve never scripted a video before, it’s easy to overthink it. The good news is that simpler is usually better, and Ryan has plenty of actionable tips to share in this episode to help you get started. Learning points from the episode include:01:18 How Ryan got started using scripts for video02:45 What does a successful script look like?04:18 Ryan’s tip for using images and video05:57 Why writing a script can be useful07:29 What are the essential elements of a script?08:20 Tips for using visual cues11:35 Finding the right tone for your script14:24 Considering language and word choices 18:00 Why you should read your script out loud20:26 What makes a good script writer?22:23 Let the content on screen speak for itself24:15 Consider accessibility27:06 Ryan’s final piece of advice for writing a script29:07 Find out more about RyanImportant links and mentions:Camtasia: https://www.techsmith.com/video-editor.html Snagit: https://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.html TechSmith Academy: https://www.techsmith.com/academy.html

Successful presentations require planning and focus…and one specific part of your presentation that needs a great deal of both is visuals.Visuals play a significant part in how presentations come across and so it’s important to remember a few things.In this week’s episode of The Visual Lounge, Matt Pierce, Learning & Video Ambassador, explores how to use effective visuals to enhance presentations. He explains how they should grab the audience’s attention but not distract them from what you’re talking about. It’s all about letting the audience hear what you say while giving them something visual to connect to.Learning points from the episode include:00:55 – How Matt first got involved in using more visuals in presentations02:16 - How to define success for visuals in a presentation04:24 – Matt’s one tip to help you improve using images07:59 – Different options for visuals in presentations08:31 – Why visuals are so important10:42 – Why you should try to eliminate as much text as possible from the slides15:35 - Use Contrast. Repetition. Alignment. Proximity. (C.R.A.P.)19:39 - Do your elements and visuals go together?20:56 - Make something memorable22:07 – How to use anchoring to tie visuals with ideas 23:51 - How to use dual encoding 24:54 – Think about the unexpected and use that to draw attention26:52 – When to turn off your slides when making a point or when you want focused attention27:17 - Where to find great images for slides and presentationsImportant links and mentions:TechSmith Academy: Learn how to use and create better images and videos (for free): https://academy.techsmith.com Article about presentation design: https://medium.com/@dannysmith/good-s... Article about anchoring http://www.nlpu.com/Articles/artic28.htm Made to Stick Book: https://heathbrothers.com/books/made-... TechSmith Assets: https://library.techsmith.com - with one subscription, you can access a whole library of stock images, music, sound effects, video clips, and more

We've had a great break, but we're coming back soon with new shows, new guests, and some new ideas and approaches. This episode is a short one to give you some of those details. Some of the changes you can expect in future episodes include some new formats to the interviews, slightly shorter shows (in most cases), and a variety of other small tweaks to hopefully make watching & listening to the show even better. To watch the full video, go to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/gMwWX9Ffc7o

Register for the Level Up Event by TechSmith here: https://bit.ly/3oBpi9l Looking to Level Up your video creation game? We have the event for you! Come hear more amazing speakers like Adam Avermascu, Tiffany Taylor, Dee Kapila, Matt Pierce, and more! Whether you’re making product demos, software marketing videos, explainer videos, onboarding videos, tutorials, or other screen recordings, this event will help you create more engaging content faster.At TechSmith, we’ve been helping our customers with various explainer and screen recording videos for over 30 years.Everyone seems to need this content, and we want to share our knowledge with you!Register for the Level Up event here: https://bit.ly/3oBpi9lAlso, don't forget to check out and subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/thevisuallounge

Creating your first video can be a daunting experience, and this week’s guest has to do it in front of the entire The Visual Lounge audience!In this week’s episode, we’re joined by return guest Kassy LaBorie, Founder and Principal Consultant at Kassy LaBorie Consulting, LLC., as she navigates the ins and outs of creating her own video. Matt takes her through some editing basics, such as cutting, adding all sorts of media to her finished video, and even how to pick some accompanying music.Kassy is the Original Virtual Training Hero, and she’s on a mission to transform the virtual learning space into a more interactive, interesting, and engaging one. She specializes in developing trainers to be engaging and effective when facilitating programs in platforms such as Zoom, WebEx, Adobe Connect, and others.Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – 03:26 Intro 03:27 – 10:47 Preparing and scripting your video10:48 – 12:06 Matt and Kassy discuss editing issues12:07 – 18:40 Adding your assets to Camtasia18:41 – 19:53 What’s the right size for your video19:54 – 29:02 Cutting your video29:03 – 34:10 Cutting your audio with Audiate34:11 – 43:49 Adding assets to your video43:50 – 46:27 Adding themes and your brand colors46:28 – 47:46 Matt explains Z-order 47:47 – 53:30 Using Screen recordings in your video53:31 – 55:00 Fine-tuning the B-roll 55:01 – 59:43 Adding music to your video59:44 – 01:02:59 Adding animations01:03:00 – 01:05:05 Tweaking final details and exporting the video file01:05:06 – 01:11:30 Matt’s final pieces of advice  01:11:31 – 01:15:19 Outro Important links and mentions:Kassy LaBorie Consulting: https://kassyconsulting.com/Connect with Kassy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassylaborie/Learn more about Content 10x: https://www.content10x.com/Learn more about the TechSmith Academy.To watch the full video, go to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/kpA2WuWoeRM

Looking to take your video and image content to the next level? Well, you’re in the right place!Matt Pierce, Learning and Video Ambassador at TechSmith, is joined by eight industry experts on this episode of The Visual Lounge. From embracing video imperfections to keeping things consistent and double-checking image attributions, these guests have a lot of helpful advice to offer.Joining this episode are:Andy Owen, Social Engagement and Video Manager at TechSmithTricia Ransom, Senior Learning Experience Designer at TaskUsJason Valade, Instructional Designer/ATD Master Trainer – Customer Education at TechSmithJoseph Suarez, Independent Learning Experience Designer at Suarez Media ProductionTracy Parish, Education Technology Specialist at Southlake Regional Health CentreMike Taylor, Learning Consultant, NationwideLeslie Chamberlain, Senior Director of CX at CareerPlugDave Derington, Director of Customer Education at ServiceRocketHear eight invaluable tips to take with you on your video and image creation journey – whatever stage you’re at. Listen to the full episode now and head to the TechSmith Academy website for more.Learning points from the episode include:0:00 – 1:48 – Intro1:48 – 7:30 – Andy Owen’s tip7:30 – 12:52 – Tricia Ransom’s tip12:52 – 18:32 – Jason Valade’s tip18:32 – 27:27 – Joseph Suarez’s tip and Tricia’s thoughts on consistency27:27 – 32:23 – Tracy Parish’s tip32:23 – 38:01 – Mike Taylor’s tip38:01 – 44:38 – Leslie Chamberlain’s tip44:38 – 56:31 – Dave Derington’s tip56:31 – 57:34 – Outro Important links and mentions:TechSmith Academy: https://academy.techsmith.com/Andy Owen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenfilms/ Tricia Ransom on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TriciaRansom Tricia Ransom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciaransom/ Jason Valade on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvalade/Joseph Suarez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joseph_Suarez Joseph Suarez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephsuarez/ Tracy Parish on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tracy_ParishTracy Parish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyparish/ Tracy’s Creative Common and media resources: https://e-learning.zeef.com/tracy.parish#block_18269_imagesMike Taylor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tmiket Mike Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miketaylor/ Leslie Chamberlain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-chamberlain-a3475121/ CareerPlug: https://www.careerplug.com/ Dave Derington on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davederington Dave Derington on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derington/ Dave Derington’sServiceRocket programme: https://www.servicerocket.com/dave-derington

Mistakes – everyone makes them, but most of the time we try to hide them. What should we be doing instead?Acknowledging that we’re not perfect while looking for ways ‘level up’ in every single video we make.That’s why in this episode of The Visual Lounge, Matt Pierce, Learning & Video Ambassador, explores the six top mistakes he still makes in his videos. Matt doesn’t just point out the blunders, he also gives clear and precise steps on how to tackle them.So, if you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over in your videos, you’re in pretty good company. In Matt’s view, perfection is a tough goal to meet, but taking a proactive approach to get better at video creation is the way forward.Learning points from the episode include:00:00 - 00:19 Intro00:20 - 02:08 Why we’re going to be discussing common video mistakes02:09 - 04:51 The importance of leaving breathing room when making videos04:52 - 07:24 How to solve the issue of leaving breathing room in videos07:25 - 15:55 Why you should map out your video content beforehand15:56 - 17:42 The importance of being intentional about editing17:43 - 19:24 Why people make the mistake of not being aggressive during the editing process19:25 - 20:56 Things to consider when editing20:57 - 26:26 Why you should dial it down on the transitions26:27 - 31:24 The importance of watching your videos before rendering it31:25 - 40:39 Why analyzing your video afterward is necessary40:40 - 42:23 Matt gives a recap of the 6 common mistakes he tends to make in video creation42:24 - 42:42 OutroImportant links and mentions:Download Camtasia 2022: https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia-upgrade.htmlLearn more about the TechSmith Academy

Getting started with video creation? Then one of the most basic things you need to master is how to choose the right types of videos and images to get your message across.With that in mind, Matt Pierce, Learning and Video Ambassador at TechSmith, talks about the ABCs of making videos in this episode of The Visual Lounge. As he tells us, video creation isn’t as hard as some people make it out to be. But there are some key decisions that can either make or break the final product.Learn the secret formula for a great video structure, as well as what kind of videos or images to use in different scenarios in the full episode. Learning points from the episode include:02:55 - 05:08 Matt shares a few things to keep in mind as you start creating videos05:09 - 07:03 Why the purpose of your video is important07:04 - 09:15 How to think about the structure of your videos09:16 - 14:59 The basic parts of a video15:00 - 18:49 Matt talks about video structure in terms of a bigger framework19:50 - 22:21 How to budget the time you spend on different aspects of your video22:22 - 22:56 Picking the right visuals22:57 - 27:56 What equipment do you need to make videos27:57 - 24:21 Goals vs Outcomes when creating videos24:22 - 26:09 Choosing the right images and/or videos for an information share out26:10 - 32:13 Choosing the right images and/or videos for repeated questions32:14 - 39:35 Things to consider as you go through repeated questions39:36 - 45:39 Choosing the right images and/or videos for training45:40 - 49:47 Choosing the right images and/or videos for feedback 49:48 - 55:55 Matt’s tips for anyone starting out 55:56 - 57:22 Conclusion57:23 - 57:47 OutroLearn more about the TechSmith Academy.

Camtasia 2022 unlocks even more great features and capabilities than ever before. Joe Dearman, User Experience, and Brooks Andrus, Product Technical Manager at TechSmith, hopped on to this episode of The Visual Lounge to share their favorite features, what to expect from Camtasia 2022, how its “epic cursors” work, and much more.Joe and Brooks take us behind the scenes of Camtasia’s development and how this new iteration aims to help video creators level up their content. Find out what new features to expect and see some sneak peek demos in the full episode. Learning points from the episode include:0:00 – 4:06 Intro4:07 – 5:39 The elevator pitch for Camtasia 20225:40 – 7:46 The path from idea to delivery 7:47 – 10:59 What’s new with cursors in Camtasia 202211:00 – 14:39 Why the TechSmith team decided to focus on cursors 14:40 – 19:37 Why cursors are the new “lead actor” of videos19:37 – 21:10 How to avoid overdoing it with cursor sizes21:11 – 22:45 Camtastia demo time 22:46 – 27:20 Building a new central location in Camtasia27:20 – 35:08 Camtasia’s new templates and assets 35:09 – 40:06 The stars of the new library and what was most fun to develop40:07 – 46:06 How to use Audiate within Camtasia to edit audio with text 46:06 – 48:08 Brooks' and Joe’s top Camtasia features 48:08 – 50:47 What it’s been like working in the TechSmith development team50:47 – 58:22 Speed round 58:22 – 59:22 OutroImportant links and mentions:Camtasia: https://www.techsmith.com/video-editor.html What’s New in Camtasia 2022: https://www.techsmith.com/learn/tutorials/camtasia/whats-new-camtasia/ Upgrade to Camtasia 2022: https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia-upgrade.html Learn more about the TechSmith Academy.