In the mid-1990s, I started working for Columbia Video Network (CVN). Back then, CVN was using a PictureTel C-3000 system to deliver graduate engineering classes. The PictureTel C-3000 was so large it required its own room; the engineering school had to build a special classroom.

In March 2015, I took ATD’s Essentials workshop on Camtasia Studio, which is screen-recording and video-editing software developed by TechSmith Corporation. As part of the prework, we needed to download a free copy of Camtasia Studio 8. When I first opened the main screen, I thought “Wow, there is a lot going on!” It was a lot different from PictureTel C-3000, but the workshop quickly helped me get used to the software.

I’ve been working with Camtasia for the past week and it is really easy to use. When you first open the program, you are looking at the Editor function. The Editor has three main areas: Clip Bin, Canvas, and Timeline. The following is a high-level look at these main areas. All of them are very user-friendly!

Clip Bin

The Clip Bin is the home tab that stores all the video and audio clips you plan to use for your current project. Next to the “Clip Bin” button is a library. It holds video and audio clips that you could add to your project. You can also import other video and audio clips by clicking on the “Import Media” tab just above the Clip Bin. There are five other tabs you can use to add special effects to a clip. When you’re finished editing your project, click the “Produce and Share” button located above the Clip Bin and share your video in a number of formats.

Canvas       

The Canvas is above the Clip Bin. Think of it as a painting canvas or a wall with a window. It is where you preview your video. The Canvas gives you total control over how your video is displayed. As you preview your video, you can make adjustments using the other tabs located next to the Clip Bin. From the Canvas you can scale your image up or down, adjust the angle, or zoom in and out. You can move an image from the foreground to the background, remove an unwanted background color, or change other colors.

Timeline

The Timeline is below the Clip Bin. The Timeline shows you the order of the clips on your Canvas. Each clip is placed in a track. By moving the tracks up or down, you are moving a clip either forward or backward on the Canvas, and changing its sequence in the video. If you need additional tracks, click the + sign. To make precise selections and cuts to your video, zoom in or out using the slider bar.

I’ve given you just some of the basics, but there is a lot more that Camtasia Studio 8 can do. Register for ATD’s Essentials Camtasia Studio 8 workshop for more details, or download a free copy of Camtasia and explore it on your own.

During the ATD Camtasia Studio Essentials class, I kept thinking about CVN’s old PictureTel C-3000 system. Many of its capabilities were now sitting on my desktop, for a fraction of the cost. What first attracted me to distance learning was the promise it holds for making learning accessible to all people, no matter where they live. Products like Camtasia Studio 8 make that promise a real possibility.