How to Make Tutorial Videos

If you want to learn how to make tutorial videos or other instructional videos it all begins with with great planning.

Start by spending some time getting to know your audience. Learn how they use your product and find out where they struggle. Then use that information to choose a tutorial topic that will best help your target group.

Once you have your topic, create a storyboard to outline and visualize what you plan to show in your video.

Here are a few tips to help you write a script.

Use words you’d use in everyday conversations. This will give your script a smooth, natural feel.

Don't just tell viewers what’s going on, show them. Instead of simply saying what's happening on-screen, let those actions speak for themselves and use this time to add context with the voice over or narration.

Practice, practice… and then practice again. Read your script aloud and see how it flows. If you find yourself getting tripped up, go back and make sure you’re using natural language.

Finally, get some feedback. Find someone who’s not afraid to tell you what they really think and send them your script. This might seem scary at first, but once you get used to receiving feedback, it becomes an essential part of the scripting process.

Start by getting your hands on the best microphone you can find. Even a middle-of-the-road mic will provide much better sound quality than the one built into your computer. Then, find a quiet place to record.

The Camtasia video editor makes it simple to record your voice over with with built-in voice narration.

When you’re ready, record the script and make sure to speak slowly and clearly. If you make a mistake, don’t start over. Simply pause and start again right before you made the mistake. You can always remove mistakes when you’re finished.

The next step is recording your screen video. Start by cleaning up your desktop, closing any applications you don’t need, and turning off any notifications that might pop up.

Open the application you you want to record and walk through exactly what you want to show your viewers. This will help you get those smooth cursor motions and, in the end, you’ll have less editing to do. When you’re ready, open the Camtasia recorder and record your screen.

Remember, if you make a mistake, simply pause... and then start right before the mistake. You can always edit it out in the end. You’ll want to make sure the screen recording software you use has built-in video editing.

When you’re finished recording your screen, it’s time to get all hack and slash with editing. 

To start, cut out mistakes and trim extra footage from the ends of your recording. When finished, bring in your audio narration and any other media needed for the project.

With your audio narration on the timeline, use clip speed and extend frame to sync the pace of your video with your narration. 

For example, if you need more time to explain a concept, split the clip and use extend frame to freeze the video. Or if you want to speed up a boring part of your recording, add clip speed, then drag the handles to speed it up.

The last step in creating a tutorial is to save the video. Think about where you want this video to live and choose a share destination.

As an extra last step, we recommend sharing your video with a few people to get feedback. This is a great way to make sure your message is clear, and your video is accomplishing your goals.