I’d like to talk about Camtasia. It’s a product designed and developed by TechSmith. You can record onscreen activity, make edits on the timeline, add image, audio, video into the project, and produce the video in the end. What I like about this software package is that things seem to be very intuitive. There is almost no need for training in order to be a pro. You can start a new project by either recording a new screen, or importing media.

The easy import and export functions and wizards make the project fun and entertaining. Once a project is created, the storyboard is showing at the bottom of the screen. Video and audio are split on the storyboard. The audio can be adjusted.
You can also insert voice narration after you put everything in place. There are nice slide transition for you to pick from, they add up the space and size of the file but they are nice and really make the production more smooth and professional.
The final production wizard is easy to use as well. Only problem is the dilemma between the quality and size of the file. If you want the best quality with clear original image and sound, the file size would be huge. You can put the file CD, but it’s not possible to email.

There are a few drawbacks of this software product.
1. Audio and video functions are restricted. There are only two audio tracks to be manipulated. You can less control over the audio adjustment than what’s given by the other video products out there such as Audacity and Captivate.
2. Quality of the production is highly dependent on the options of production method. If you choose “Email” (which means you’d like to send the file as an email attachment), the poor quality of the production really makes the “Email” option impossible to use.
Overall, Camtasia is a great tool to put media together in a short timeframe. The screen recording and media merging functions, although limited, can do most of the work. You can produce something presentable quickly and nicely using this software tool.