It looks like I will be doing more screen capture based stuff in the immediate future than I have done before. Mostly training and demo videos.
I have a Setapp Subscription, so the little I have done in this realm before I’ve done with Capto. Which seems decent for the use I have had so far. But going forward I’ll need to be doing more cuts, adding some text, maybe some voice etc.
Since there seems to be a lot of Screenflow users here - is Screenflow something that I with a bit of effort can get a more efficient process out of than what I get with Capto?
Is making captures, handling it and creating cuts, merging different captures etc something that is smooth and shortcut based in Screenflow in a way that won’t require a huge investment in learning?
I tried to make Capto work for a while, and it’s ok for small things that won’t have a lot of editing, but that’s about it. The editing tools are very rudimentary compared to Screenflow, and you’ll spend a lot more time making a noticeably inferior video if you try to work with Capto for something bigger. I’ve also had Capto crash on me many times when editing video.
For a while, I was using Capto just to capture the raw video and then editing in Premiere, which I’m more familiar with and does a lot more stuff. However, while Premiere is a much more powerful video editor, the tools are not as focused or optimized for the kinds of actions and effects you will want to use in a screencast.
I know Screenflow is pricey, but it’s worth every penny. It took me a little getting used to coming from a general-purpose NLE like Premiere or Final Cut, but I’m really glad I did. If you’re doing a lot of this stuff, you really ought to give it a shot.
I was doing something similar using Final Cut Pro a few years back. I was able to make it work, but it drove home the fact that general purpose video editors definitely aren’t as optimized for doing screencasts as specialized tools like Screenflow.
I bought screenflow last week and almost immediately made the two Automators screencasts with it. I’m sure I’ll improve, but I did find it rather easy to use to do zooming in and so on. I’d recommend it.
For short screen recording (<3 minutes) I highly recommend Tapes.app. It records the part of your screen of interest, immediately uploads the video to its streaming server and puts the link on your clipboard. It’s ideal for making short clips to explain the use of some software technique to a coworker or family member. £10 on the Mac App Store. Probably also $10 and €10.
I will be doing more “permanent” stuff for documentation/training and demoing features, and also just expand my skill set to include “knows how to create some screencasts/videos”.
But Tapes seemed to be a good tool for more ad-how stuff.
Comparing ScreenFlow to Capto is kind of like comparing Reminders to OmniFocus. They both serve a common purpose, but ScreenFlow has much more power under the hood.
I’ve been using ScreenFlow regularly for 5+ years and have gotten very proficient at it (thanks, in part, to some excellent tutorials on ScreenCastsOnline). There is a learning curve, especially if you want to use more than the basic functionality, but it’s worth it if it’s a tool you use regularly and need the power and flexibility it offers.
Don McAllister, who’s the founder of ScreenCastsOnline, is a ScreenFlow expert and has some excellent, in-depth tutorials. SCO is a paid service, but you can get a free 10-day trial.
On a side note, ScreenFlow 8 is due out quite soon. If you purchased a license from Telestream directly you may be entitled to a free upgrade. I’m not sure how this would work if you purchased from the Mac App Store.
Awesome! Thanks. I saw they had some stuff, but often the best place for tutorials is a different place than the people making the software. Will check both out!
Bought directly from Telegram, so I’ll see how it plays out. Thanks for the heads-up!
Awesome! Thanks. I saw they had some stuff, but often the best place for tutorials is a different place than the people making the software. Will check both out!
You’re very welcome. What makes the SCO tutorials so great is that they’re created by someone who’s been using the software intensively for many years…and knows the ins and outs. Most of the SCO tutorials are based on ScreenFlow 5, and there’s a screencast that focuses on what’s new in ScreenFlow 7.
Bought directly from Telegram, so I’ll see how it plays out. Thanks for the heads-up!
Good that you bought directly from Telestream. Hopefully they’ll give you a free update to ScreenFlow 8 when it arrives.
i solved this - I’m using Camtasia® 2018 as one of my favorite you tubers Fransceso he runs a pretty good channel centered around most of MPU tools/productivity/lifestyle https://www.youtube.com/user/cesidalessio he listed as one of his tools and I enjoy the type of screen casts/videos he produces. The software is $250 https://www.techsmith.com/store/camtasia If anyone else is interested
Also to clear up the style of iOS capture to meet my requirements I posted a screen shot of Camtasia as you can see it mirrors my iPhone on my laptop screen as I record-- that’s the functionality i couldn’t find in Screenflow
