Video craft guides

Scripting, length, sound, camera and privacy: the craft of short work videos people actually watch to the end.

• Camera on or off: when to show your face in a screen recording Video craft · 12 min read

  When to show your face in a screen recording and when to leave the camera off, plus bubble size, placement, light and backgrounds for the times it is on.

• Hide sensitive information in screen recordings: passwords, keys, personal data Video craft · 12 min read

  How to keep passwords, API keys and personal data out of screen recordings: what leaks, how to set up, when to blur or cut, and what to do after a leak.

• How long should a work video be? Lengths by purpose Video craft · 12 min read

  How long a work video should be for updates, bug reports, walkthroughs and tutorials, what the research on video length says, and how to split long ones.

• How to script a screen recording without sounding scripted Video craft · 14 min read

  How to script a screen recording that sounds like you talking: start from the ask, write a hook, keep context short and record from a bullet beat sheet.

• How to sound good on recordings with the microphone you already have Video craft · 12 min read

  Sound good on recordings without new gear: pick a quieter, softer room, get the mic closer, set levels that never clip, cut noise at the source and test first.