Kennedy Library Tutorial Style

Guide
A style guide to assist in the development online video tutorials for
Kennedy Library that are similar to the proof-of-concept tutorials created
by Kaila Bussert and Rebecca Greer in Spring 2015.
Prepared by: Rebecca Greer, Directed Fieldwork Graduate Student
(rrgreer@uw.edu)

About this document:

This document is intended to assist you with creating an online tutorial similar to the
proof-of-concept videos created in Spring, 2015 by Kaila Bussert and Rebecca Greer:
Find a Print Book using Search Everything, Find a Print Book using PolyCat, and
Using a Call Number to Find a Print Book. Here you will find all the information you
need as to create your own tutorial using similar techniques and formatting. Helpful
tips and useful resources are provided for future training purposes as well.
Online Tutorial Links:
Find a Print Book using Search Everything: https://youtu.be/CQYasabxtEg
Find a Print Book using PolyCat: https://youtu.be/Ipdyiyi54Ks
Using a Call Number to Find a Print Book: https://youtu.be/pYF_69NeS0Y

Storyboarding
Before starting the recording process, identify what content you wish to convey in the
video and how this information can be displayed clearly and succinctly to the user.
While brainstorming, you can use the Blank Storyboard Handout from Ronald Williams
Library (http://libguides.neiu.edu/ld.php?content_id=9374286). This handout provides 8
boxes (4 for images and 4 for affiliated narration or text) to help facilitate the
storyboarding process. While this handout is useful, do not restrict yourself to
conveying all information for the tutorial in only these 8 boxes. Instead, write the
sequence as needed, working outside of these boxes or only using some of them, to
storyboard the tutorial. Keep in mind that images can also be screencasts/screenshots
or simply text by itself.
You can also use the In-House Video Topic Outline from Ronald Williams Library
(http://libguides.neiu.edu/ld.php?content_id=9373126), found on page 4, to assist in
the storyboarding process. In this document you will identify the topic, audience,

relevant standards, and student learning outcomes associated with the video tutorial.
Additional content such as terminology suitable for a glossary, related conceptual
videos, and affiliated in-house tutorials can be identified as well.
Templates
Depending on preferred tutorial styling methods, you can institute the use of a
template to prepare the text portion of the video. For example, the tutorial, Using a
Call Number to Find Print Books uses Microsoft PowerPoint slides to display text.
Opening Slide

Content Slide

Closing Slide

Since these tutorials were created using Camtasia, youll first want to size the slide to
the appropriate recording dimensions. It is important that you do this before creating
the slides, as doing this adjustment at the end will likely compress all of your text and
images, forcing you to resize all of your content to display it within the slide as desired.
Adjusting the slides to these dimensions also prevents the text portion of your video
from having black bars on either side of the slide in YouTube.
Note: All directions for set-up within Microsoft PowerPoint are for the Mac, 2011
version.
How to set up slide dimensions:
Open Microsoft PowerPoint, click File and choose, Page Set Up. In the Width field
enter 10 inches and in the Height field enter 5.63 inches and click, OK.
1.)

2.)

Slide Styles for Using a Call Number to Find Print Books:

All slides:
Font: Georgia
Bar: Neutral Dark (hex: 373533) & Gold (hex FFC10E) Official Cal Poly Colors
Images:
Sketches: imported using a flatbed scanner and cropped/sized as needed
Post-it: Clip art with inserted text (Comic Sans, 18 point)
Size: Height 3.1 inches, Width 3.9 inches
Kennedy Library Location Handout: inserted using pdf
(http://lib.calpoly.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/book_location_letter.pdf)
Opening Slide:
Font Size: 44 point (Text: Finding a Print Book in the Library)
Position: Horizontal .11, Vertical 1.175
Font Size: 30 point (Text: Robert E. Kennedy Library)
Position: Horizontal 2.4, Vertical 3.02
Text Color: Green (hex: 29551A) Official Cal Poly Color
Cal Poly

Logo:

Position: Horizontal 3.56, Vertical 4.51

Content Slide:
Font Size: 40 point (some exceptions with font at 32 point)
Position: Horizontal 2.77, Vertical 2.1
Closing Slide:

Font Size: 32 point (Text: Need Help? Ask a Librarian)

Position: Horizontal 0.85, Vertical 0.27 (Text: Need Help?)
Position: Horizontal 0.85, Vertical 1.01 (Text: Ask a Librarian)
Font Size: 22 point (Text: Drop by, Call, Email, Chat)
Position: Horizontal 0.85, Vertical 1.92
Cal Poly

Logo:

Recording and Screen Capture Software (Mac ONLY!)

These tutorials were recorded using Camtasia. It is important to be cognizant of the
compatibility of sharing files from a PC to a Mac. If you record you tutorial using the
Mac software, you will not be able to open the files on a PC for editing, and vice versa.
The final product can be uploaded for public viewing on Screencast.com, TechSmith
Relay, YouTube, and Google Drive, regardless of the platform used to create it.
Camtasia allows you to record your screen directly as well as embed images. You can
manipulate elements of these recordings with the use of an extensive editing toolkit.
A good source to consult for general recording tips and training from Camtasia can
be found:
For PC at: https://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-camtasia.html
For Mac at: https://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-camtasia-mac.html
Steps for Recording
1.) Narration vs. Music
First identify if you are using music or narration. If using music, you can ignore this
step, and move on to step 2.
If narrating, it is best to try and record your text in chunks. You can use audio tools
outside of Camtasia to do this. However, Camtasia allows you to record only audio
and immediately inserts the file into the Media bin.
For the proof-of-concept videos, I recorded my audio using QuickTime and imported
the files by clicking File and choosing Import Media.

Select the audio files from your computer and they will be available in the Media bin
to insert into the recording timeline.
2.) Insert Text Slides
If you are using text slides created using PowerPoint, it is best to insert these slides
into the Media bin by first saving the PowerPoint as pictures.
In the PowerPoint click File, and Save as pictures.

Then in Camtasia, import the pictures by clicking File and Import Media
selecting each slide/image from the PowerPoint to insert into the Media bin.
3.) Adjusting the Camtasia Canvas
Before moving any Media bin items to the timeline, you first want to adjust the
Canvas to your preferred recording dimensions.

The proof-of-concept videos were intended for display in YouTube. Therefore, I used
the Widescreen (16:9) 1080p HD for my Canvas size.
In Camtasia for Mac, you can adjust the canvas by right clicking on the display and
choosing, Adjust Canvas.

Right
Click

4.) Inserting Media into the Timeline

If using PowerPoint slides without narration, go ahead and click and drag your slides
from the Media bin into the timeline. The length-of-display for these slides defaults
to 5 seconds. You can slide the edges of the media in the timeline to increase or
decrease the length-of-display.
When inserting different media elements, you may notice that sometimes these
elements may not initially fit the Canvas size selected.

To ensure your media expands to the predetermine dimensions of the screen, right
click on the media within the display and choose, Scale > Scale to fit.

This media will now fill the entire space of the display. You will need to do this for
each media element you insert on the timeline. Otherwise you will have a black
border or bars around your images and screencasts.

If using narration, you can also click and drag audio files from the media bin into the
timeline. However, these times are preset based on how you chunked your test.
When matching PowerPoint slides to audio, simply drag in the slides from the media
bin and adjust the end to match the audio length as desired.
5.) Screencasting
When matching audio to screencasting, it is best to first listen to the section of text
that will accompany the screencast to identify what needs to be displayed and how
long you have to display it. Unfortunately, you cannot play the audio files in
Camtasia while recording a screencast to sequence the materials. You will have to
rely on the length of time allotted to the chunk of text to be able to coordinate the
display.
You can always take a long recording and trim it down. But you can never extend a
videos length.
The process of coordinating a screencast to a narration can often be quite lengthy.
Its useful to do a test trial first to see how the pacing feels, especially if you are
trying to display multiple navigation points within a webpage. You may end up
having to rerecord an audio section to allot yourself more time. Its important to
remain flexible to adjusting the media elements as needed to ensure your tutorial is
fluid and easily consumable to your users.

To begin a screencast recording, click on File and New Recording.

Click on Custom Region to define the boundaries of your screen you wish to
record.

IMPORTANT: If you intend to use music with your recording, or have already
recorded your audio, youll need to turn off the microphone. If the
is green, then the microphone is on.

icon

While it is possible to record your audio and your screencast

simultaneously,
I personally do not recommend it for the following reasons:
1.) Its challenging to read a transcript and appropriately navigate a screen at
the same time.
2.) Any background noises, including your own clicking/typing will be
recorded as well.
a. If you desire these sound effects, you can obtain audio files that are
far more clear and can be adjusted as needed in YouTubes Audio
Library
3.) If displaying navigation for a website, it is often the case that pages take
time to load. In these instances, you will either have to strategically pause
while the page is loading and edit out this paused section later.

4.) I often like to adjust the page of a website to a certain area of the screen
before recording. If narrating while recording, any adjustments, such as
scrolling, will be recorded as well.
To begin recording, click on the red button. You can stop the recording at any time
by using the keyboard sequence Command > Option > 2
The screencast will be immediately available within the Media bin. As with other
media, simply click and drag the screencast into the timeline as desired.
6.) Once you have completely finished editing the length, display, and sequence of the
media elements, you can find an audio music file to insert with your tutorial.
YouTube Audio Library (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music) has music you
can download for free and use.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you do not choose Ad-supported music as these files have
more stringent copyright restrictions. Free music is not claimed using a Content
ID, which means other video producers can use it to make money from their videos.
While this is not our objective, being aware of copyrighted material is necessary for
attribution purposes and sustainability.
Once you have selected a piece, download the file and upload to the Media bin
using the same method for PPT slides or other audio files.
Insert the music into the timeline by clicking and dragging. The length of the music
can be adjusted by sliding the right side of the media to match the end point of the
screen recording.
Remember: You can always trim music, but you can never make it longer. Always
choose music that is AT LEAST the length of your video if not a bit over. You can use
an audio fade for the music if needed.
7.) Annotations, Transitions, and Animations
Once you have completely finished editing the length, display, and sequence of the
media elements, you can begin incorporating the more fun elements of the tutorial!
For the proof-of-concept videos I primarily used the following elements:
Annotations: Often used to draw attention to something
Call Out: Green (hex: 29551A)
Highlight: Green (hex: 29551A) Opacity 25%
Blur Invert (blur everything except the area)
Sketch Motion Square: Green (hex: 29551A) or Gold (hex: FFC10E)
Sketch Motion Line: Green (hex: 29551A) or Gold (hex: FFC10E)

Sketch Motion Arrow: Green (hex: 29551A) or Gold (hex: FFC10E)

Sketch Motion Check: Gold (hex: FFC10E)
Sketch Motion Smiley: Green (hex: 29551A)
Transitions: Often used at the end of media elements to ease users from one step to
the next
Fade In/Out: Used when transitioning between PPT slides to screencasts, and
vice versa.
Audio Fade In/Out: Used only with music at the end of a tutorial Fade Out
Animations: Often used to focus on specific areas of the screen
Zoom in: Used for focusing on certain sections of a screencast
Restore: Used to focus the screen back out to its original view
Custom: Used sparingly to focus on an area of the screen.
Once you use Custom, you cannot properly Restore your screen
afterwards.
If you wish to learn more about how to use these elements, you can easily view
tutorials for each one by right clicking on the element and select the link for the
affiliated tutorial.

Right
Click

8.) Sharing Your Tutorial

Once you have finished adding all the elements you, are ready to publish!
For the proof-of-concept videos, the files were shared using YouTube.
BUT!!! Before you share, I suggest watching the video at least three times. Try to
watch the video at different times of the day to see if you change your mind on any
the elements used in your video. While you can go back and make changes after
your video is on YouTube. Youll have to go into your YouTube account and delete the
video, and re-upload, which cant take a bit of time depending on the size of your
file.
To upload, click Share and choose, YouTube. Youll be prompted to sign-in to
your YouTube account

Once signed-in, youll be asked to assign the tutorial a title, tags, a description, and
designate the privacy settings for the video. You can also choose to create a table of
contents if you so desire.

Once you click, Share your file will be exported to YouTube.

If your export was successful, youll get a Share History Screen where you can
copy and paste the Video URL as well as the Embed Code.

Congratulations! You have just uploaded your tutorial!

While YouTube is currently a stable platform for housing video content, its important
to save hard copy of your tutorial as well. This ensures that you have the file to
make adjustments to it as the website interface, or other features, change. It will
also enable you to share the video using other platforms as needed.

Kennedy Library Online Learning Object Pilot

Kaila Bussert
Kennedy Library - Foundational Experiences Librarian

Rebecca Greer
University of Washington iSchool Graduate Student