Video Tutorials - Macromedia Captivate Raises The Bar

I've created a few video tutorials in my day (hundreds, in fact).

From my earliest days on the Web, when I was creating them by hand in a painstaking manner (this was long before there was software for it - major pain in the you-know-what), till now, I personally feel that there are very few online learning tools that can compare to a good audio/video tutorial. That's why I used to devote more than a week for creating them by hand (not recommended for faint-hearted). They work, and people love 'em!

If you tell me, I forget; if you show me I'll remember; if you involve me I am committed

So true!

When software first came out that automated the process of creating these kinds of tutorials, I was more than ready for it. A couple years of doing them by hand brought me to the absolute edge of burn-out in the video tutorial department.

Since then, I've used:

• ViewletCam
• RoboDemo (Macromedia)
• Camtasia Studio
• A few other, lesser known products

Being a Macromedia loyalist, you'd think that RoboDemo would be my tool of choice, but I've got to tell you, I found it to be really powerful but waaaaaaay too confusing to use - and I'm a geek! I'm not supposed to have these kinds of problems with software!

My current tool of choice for video tutorials is Camtasia. Why? It's simple to use, and it allows me to edit my content using a timeline. If you've ever done any type of video editing, you know how important a timeline is. This was something that RoboDemo was lacking.

Well, no more!

Today, Macromedia has announced an update to RoboDemo, complete with a brand new name - Captivate.

Two of my favorite features are the new - it's about stinkin' time - timeline editor (see image), and the built-in (albeit basic) audio editor.

These two features alone are enough to make me seriously reconsider my loyalty to Camtasia (sorry Techsmith).

But wait, there's more! Here's a few links about Captivate to discover on your own:

• Tour of the features
• What's new

How about you, are you using video tutorials to connect with your students/clients? 

• They're faster to create than most print material
• They're a lot more engaging than an ebook
• They have a higher perceived value in the eyes of your audience (can charge a lot more for them than an ebook)
• They do wonders for your reputation
• People love 'em (I think I've stated that already, but I wanted to make sure it was remembered)

In all fairness to Techsmith, Camtasia is about due for an update, so they may yet have a few tricks up their sleeves.