Learn ScreenFlow 9 FAST!

Time to start recording! This lecture shows you how to start and stop a Screenflow recording

This lecture will demonstrate making your first type of recording: a simple presentation slide(s) with a voiceover. We'll record a very brief slide/voiceover and then save it to your project. Finally, we will move the video clip to the project timeline.

This lecture will describe the function of the timeline and the playhead.

Now you're ready to record yourself demonstrating something on your computer. In this lecture I'll record a demonstration on creating a simple spreadsheet using Google Sheets. Then I'll add it to my project timeline.

In this lecture you'll learn how to add a JPEG image file to your project.

We'll also cover what to do if the aspect ratio of the image file does not match the project.

You've just added a JPEG image file to your project. Now you want to add a voice recording that goes with it.

In this lecture we'll make a voice recording, then drag it into our timeline to go with the JPEG image. Finally, we'll adjust the duration of the JPEG file so that it exactly matches the length of the audio.

In this lecture we'll learn how to import a video file into your ScreenFlow project, add the clip to your timeline, and resize if necessry

Sometimes you'll want to record yourself using your computer's webcam. This lecture will show you how to adjust your recording settings to add your webcam. Then we'll review how to resize the webcam video if you want to create a picture-in-picture effect.

Markers are useful visual indicators to use as reminders. For example, you might want to mark an exact location where you want to insert another clip. They are also functional, as the playhead will "snap" to a marker.

Hopefully you have been replicating each lesson immediately after viewing them. But if you haven't done so, now's the time to start recording. Go ahead and complete all of the different types of recordings in this video. Then we'll be ready to move on to editing.

We're done with the "recording" section of the course. Now we'll move on to editing. This is a video of what we've done so far.

In this lecture we'll be adding text to your project. We'll cover creating text, formatting it, placing it in the timeline and increasing or decreasing the length of time. 

The most important special effect in a ScreenFlow project is zooming and panning.

That's because when you're doing a screen capture your viewers may not be able to clearly see what you're doing on the screen - it will probably be too small. Zooming increases the emphasis on just the area you're working on, making it much more clear for your viewers.

Similarly, you'll need to pan because unless you're zooming into the exact center of your screen the zoomed in area won't be visible.

This lesson will cover everything you need to know about zooming and panning actions.

Practice adding text, zooming, panning, positional and rotation actions.

This lecture will cover positioning actions and rotation actions.

Position actions will move your screen right/left up/down.

Rotation actions rotate the screen around an axis (vertical or horizontal).

Annotations are ways to call attention to certain areas of your screen. You can add arrows, lines or shapes.

This lecture will cover adding annotations and adjusting them for location, size, thickness and color.

video motion actions can be used to add some movement to elements on your project.

Adding a freehand callout to your project.

Freehand callouts are especially useful when you want to blur out areas of your screen that you don't want visible to the public.

Mouse cursor callout actions allow you to add a "zoomed-in" circle around your mouse cursor to allow your viewers see more clearly what you are clicking on.

Adding a foreground window callout to your project.

Foreground window callouts allow you to enlarge and make more prominent any window that's on your computer screen's foreground.

The appearance of the mouse pointer can be changed to adjusting the mouse pointer options.

Add a sound to your mouse clicks and identify your keystrokes to make it easier for your audience to follow.

This lecture covers project opacity, cropping your project and adding reflections.

These functions are typically not required or "core" functions of ScreenFlow and are more in the nature of special effects.

Exercise 6: annotations, keyboard and mouse recording options.

This lecture covers the most important editing basics, which include:

• splitting clips
• moving clips
• deleting clips

Sometimes you don't want to put new clips at the end of your project, you want to put them somewhere in the middle. This short lecture explains how to quickly make clip insertions.

Adjusting your video clip's brightness, color and contrast.

It's important to understand that it's best to record your video properly in the first place (brightness, color, etc.). If you want to make sophisticated adjustments it's best to use dedicated video editing software.

ScreenFlow 5's color controls are very basic controls but they can be helpful for quick, non-critical adjustments.

How to add transitions between video clips.

Without any transitions, the change from clip to clip will be abrupt. In the movie business, these are called "jump cuts".

Sometimes that's what you want. But what if you want to add a smoother or fancier transition between clips? That's where clip transitions come in.

This lecture covers how to add transitions, as well as ScreenFlow's library of transition options.

Sometimes you'll want to speed up or slow down a clip. ScreenFlow 9 allows you to easily do that. In addition, you may want to "freeze" any frame of a video clip - usually when you want to extend the time for a voiceover.

These are very simple functions - this lecture explains how to do it.

In this exercise you'll put into practice the editing techniques that you've learned.

Audio quality is just as important if not MORE important than video quality. Nothing will make your audience "tune out" more quickly than poor audio.

In this lecture we'll cover:

• the importance of using a real microphone

• adjusting audio recording input volume on your Mac

• adjusting audio volume of your finished recording

In this lecture we compare 3 different types of microphones. I'll also give you some recommendations for some reasonably priced USB microphones.

When you import a video clip to your project, it will likely be a single clip that combines both audio and video. Suppose you don't want to use the audio portion of the clip.

This lecture will cover how to detach the audio from a combined audio/video clip.

Music can be a great addition to a video. This lecture will cover:

• adding an mp3 music track to the project
• adjusting the length of the music track to match the video
• adjusting the volume of the music track
• adding audio ducking to make the voiceover clear

ScreenFlow allows lots of adjustments such as smoothing volume levels, suppressing background noise, etc.

Audio exercises.

Once your done recording and editing you'll need to export your project into a finished video file in a widely recognized format.

This lecture will cover the export dialog box, including my recommended output settings.

Here is a quick tweak that can cut your file sizes almost in half.

In this exercise you'll export your finished project to your desired resolution.

Some final thoughts and best practices, not necessarily ScreenFlow - specific.

Congratulations, you now know how to make an awesome ScreenFlow 5 project!

I recommend you get started right away while what you've learned is still fresh.

Lastly, if you've enjoyed this course please leave me a rating and review. Enjoy ScreenFlow!

- Laurence Kim

This is a tour of my setup (light, microphone, mic stand and computer) in case you're interested!