Category: VIDEO PRODUCTION

Tips and Advise on Video Production

  • 5 Things to do During Low Freelancing Seasons

    Watch Video

    If there is one great advise any seasoned Freelancer will ever give you- is that there is a pattern in the Freelancing business. There is the low season and there is the high season. Both seasons may occur 2-3 times a year based on the category of service you are offering. Low seasons is that month in the year where you record low sales while high season is the one that you record high sales.

    In the video production business, based on my own analysis- low seasons occur 3-4 times a year while high season are distributed into 4 different months in a year. I will not be specific on the months because it changes all the time.

    High seasons are the most exciting ones because you are making good money from Freelancing. On the other hand, low seasons are the most boring ones because there is less work and the earnings are very small.

    In this blogpost, I will share with you five things that you can do during the low seasons in the freelancing business to build yourself and stand out from the crowd.

    Update Your Profile

    It’s really hard to update your personal profile when you are busy working. It may take you a whole year to update your profile with the latest projects you have accomplished. Commit yourself to do this during the low seasons. It is the best period since you have a lot of free time to do it. Add your latest accomplishments and change a few things to make yourself stand out from other freelancers. In the video production category, take your time to create a very enticing show reel or Trailer.

    Take a Vacation

    You may find yourself busy and working at the time when everyone is going for their summer vacation and free when everyone is back. In such occasions, you will postpone your vacation. Plan your finances well so that you can go for a vacation on low seasons. The best thing about this is-if your vacation falls in a time when few people are travelling- you will get save a lot of money on accommodation and travel cost as the demand for the same is low. This is a good thing as you will be motivated to travel and explore more.

    Learn Something New Related to Your Skill

    Let’s say you specialize is in a specific niche of a particular skill. A good example in the video production business is Video editing with Adobe premiere. During the low seasons, it will be a great to learn motion graphics with Adobe after effects. You will be surprised on how much this will add value to your Freelancing portfolio. On the other hand, take your time to learn how to set up an online business and sell your skills. With more and more people gaining confidence in your skills-you will be a step higher in building a business from the services that you are offering.

    Identify Long-term Investment Vehicles

    While you enjoy doing what you are doing, you will not want to do it forever for money. At some point in your career, you will want to invest your income on projects that generates income passively. This will depend on your experience and a clear understanding of what you are investing in. Do your research each time you have free time and less work on your table. The result of this research is- you will have a better understanding of different investments and the price for each. Having this in mind will motivate you to work towards a goal.

    Meditate/Fast

    Most people don’t take this serious but it is the key. Commit your low seasons to meditation and fasting as this is the only path to enlightenment. Fasting cleanses your body and meditation cleanses your spirit. Renowned Hollywood actors take 8 days of dry fasting. This is one of the greatest challenge that you can give to yourself. Try this and thank me later.

    And that is it.

    If you need help to create and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye and take care.

    You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Cases of Scams in The Freelancing World

    Being scammed by a new client is one case. But being referred by a client as a ‘scammer’ is another case. You can find yourself in both situations as a freelancer.

    In the past, I have found myself in both scenarios.

    During the early years of my Freelancing Career, I practically defined the term ‘scam‘ my own way after falling a victim severally.

    In this blog post, I share with you three places Online where you can get scammed as a Freelancer.

    I will also share with you various occasions where you never see a ‘scam’ coming your your way until .. the business transaction transitions to a scam.

    SCAM DISCLAIMER: Most people think that ‘scam’ revolves around monetary transactions .. while this is true, in this day and age, scammers have gone high tech. The most devastating scammers now are ‘time’ scammers. The ones that wastes your time.

    Back in the Days ..

    It starts with one searching on Google the keyword ‘How to make money online.’ And before they know, they are signing up on various sites that promise to show them -for FREE- how to make $100 a day or more.

    To date, the keywords still works magic. You can tell by the number of video views they get on YouTube on how to make money online.

    In the year 2013 when I started freelancing, I was a victim. I fell into one that promised to show me how to make $3000 every month.

    I stumbled into it after I signed up with 10 other sites that promised to make me money online.

    They required me to fill in different surveys on what I thought of different computer games. Each survey paid $10. In two weeks, I was done with 100 surveys. This was equal to $1,000.

    I was eligible to withdraw the money to paypal. Now, here is where the game started. I was required to pay $29 to withdraw the money.

    Out of desperation, I paid it and I was asked to wait for 2 days for my payment to be approved. A week later, the site had disappeared. I could not access it.

    And that is how I knew I have been scammed both my time and money. This was one among the many scams I fell into in my early years of freelancing.

    Scam Revolution

    Everyday someone is being scammed. One need to know that jobs requiring them to do simple tasks with no clear terms and promise to pay highly is in most occasions are ‘all scams.’

    With this in mind, I narrowed down my search. First, I identified the skills I had that I could monetize online. It turned out to be ‘video production’ and ‘writing.’

    What followed next was identifying ways in which I could sell these skills. I had two sure options to do it. First, was building a website where people could buy my services.

    Secondly, was searching for freelance jobs online. At the time, most freelancing sites- Upwork ( formerly Odesk and Elance), Freelancer, Fiverr – was coming up.

    From these two marketplaces-website and Freelancing sites, I have seen scam bugs emerge and evolve. Scammers innovate ways to take away something from you everyday.

    They have relative behaviors, so if you are keen enough, you will detect them early from the first mail they send you.

    Typical Scams From a Business Website

    Guaranteed Website Traffic

    The most common scam pitch I get from the website is ‘targeted website traffic.’ They use key words that many can easily fall into like cheap, get clients e.t.c.

    If you are a beginner, you will be tempted to try this. To me, I tried many of them in my early years of establishing my site and none of them brought me a client.

    Trial Before Hiring

    I have many videos that I need produced but you must do this one first for us to gauge your skills-don’t worry we will pay

    When a client contacts you directly from your website and tells you this, you will agree. I have fallen into this trap a couple of times.

    The clients pays for the first order in advance to buy your trust. What follows is him/her ordering in bunches.

    Owing to the trust and first impression the client gave you earlier, you complete the order hoping you will now be receiving payment in lump sum.

    After you deliver and the client is happy, he will ask for an invoice. And weeks later, he/she stops replying to your followup e-mails.

    That’s when you realize you have been scammed.

    1,000 videos needed – can you give us a bulk price per video?

    This one is really tricky. If you are not careful, you will loose 20-30% per video. In accumulation, you will have lost a lot of money.

    It works this way; after you have given them say 20% discount, the client ends up ordering only 10 videos.

    So to save yourself from this mystery, first, gauge if your prospect really wants 1,000 videos by asking them to order the first say 50 videos at the original price.

    Scammers From Freelancing Platforms

    Scammers from Freelancing sites vary. Freelancing platforms do not compromise with them either. So to keep up with the changes, they verify themselves as serious clients. And there and then, their show begins.

    Now, if they catch you- you both suffer suspension from the site for failing to keep up with the platforms terms. So how do they scam you?

    Request for Free trials

    For those who have been freelancing for a while, they know that doing this is violating the terms of service and will get you suspended.

    But not withstanding your desperate need for the job, you agree to do a free sample to demonstrate your skills.

    At the end, the client hires someone else and you are left out. There are many reasons why it is not a good idea to offer free samples for video services.

    One common reason is that the client may be using it to pitch- then sub-contract the project to you.

    If his/her pitch is not accepted, you both loose.

    Additional Small Tasks in the Middle of the Project

    Don’t dismiss small additional tasks that comes in as you accomplish a task assigned to you by a client.

    If you do, the client will take advantage of it. They will assume that this is part of the package.

    Don’t be scared that by asking for more pay, you will lose the job. You both know that it was not included in the package.

    Asks you to take the conversation outside the site

    This was ok 3 years ago because the video and voice call features had not been incorporated into the platforms. But now, it is.

    So why take your conversation outside when you can have it directly on the platform? Well, they know you will fall for it.

    Here they will suggest that you work with them directly and save Freelancing Platform fees.

    This is risky. Don’t ever accept to work outside the Freelancing site that connected both of you.

    These are few among the many techniques used by scammers to fleece freelancers. Do you know of any? Let me know in the comments below.

    If you need help to create professional screen-cast video tutorials for your SaaS application or website, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Write a Video Script Like a Pro Even if You are Beginner

    While I am writing this blog-post from the video producers perspective- the secret formula of video script writing I am going to reveal in this blog post is very practical to any newbie in video script writing business.

    It took me many years to believe that I could write a video script. This is despite having several of them at my disposal that I used in producing videos. Video production and script writing is like art it revolves around imagination. Art is universal. It shares the same goal; to tell a story.

    If you don’t already know, copy-writing is the grandfather of story telling. A small tweak on the words that you use in selling and you get more sales or you lose more sales.

    Video relies on a written copy with an aim of persuading a prospective customer to take action. The ultimate end goal is to sell something to whoever watches the video.

    The formula I am going to share with you today on this blog-post is ridiculously easy. Please don’t complicate it by getting IMPATIENT or letting PRIDE take over. Creative inspiration come slowly and it is inspired by simple things.

    STEP 1 – Identify 3 Marketing Videos That Are Inspiring to Watch

    This step is quite obvious and you might be tempted think that you already know the formula I am going to share with you. I advise you to follow through to the end. You will notice that there is one or two things that you have not been doing right thus you are still certain of your ability.

    If your list of videos are more than 3, re-watch them and narrow them down to 3. This is for practical purposes. Most clients will refer you to a style of video they like and ask you to write a script of something related.

    STEP 2 – Transcribe The 3 Videos Into Scripts

    Yes. watch them and transcribe the videos into scripts. Study your scripts’ structure. See the approach that they have used when introducing the problem, offering solutions and asking the prospect to take action. What makes you get hooked to it?

    Step 3 – Take a Break For a Day and Think of Products That Fits into the Script Structure You Have

    Change a few keywords in the script and put in your words from the new product(s) you have picked. While doing this, read it loud and hear how it sounds. You will get encouraged when doing this exercise. The more you do it, the more you master the process. Also, you will realize that you can apply the same structure on many products and it will inspire you to write more using your own language.

    Step 4 – Use This Formula To Write Scripts For Use in Your Portfolio

    Believe you me, when a client says he/she wants a similar style of storytelling, they mean it. If you can write a script similar to the one they are referring you to in your own language, they will love it. And when this happens, you confidence and creativity will blow up. Before you know, you will be writing more and more for TV.

    Step 5 – Use the Same Formula in Writing Scripts For Use in Different Industries

    When you master this formula in writing scripts for short videos, it will be easier to apply it on longer version of video copies. You just need to be a good story teller.

    And that’s it.

    If you need help to script and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • 6 Common Challenges New Clients Go Through on Their First Days of Hiring a Freelancer

    Signing up as client on any Freelancing site is the first exciting step towards hiring your first Freelancer online. Anyone who has been hiring and collaborating with Freelancers online for longer than 2 years will tell you that the process is not as easy as it sounds.
    One may argue that they are good at tech, but it’s more than tech because you are dealing with human beings. And if you don’t play along with them well, you will find yourself always distressed.

    In this blog post, I share with you 6 common challenges every client goes through before hiring a Freelancer.

    Identity Verification

    Even though no one speaks about this, people hate to verify their identities. With more and more security measures being implemented in most of the Freelancing sites, you might be tempted to give up the moment you are asked to confirm your identity. The identity verification process may require you to scan and upload your National ID or passport. The reason for this request maybe so that the admin can verify that you are the real owner of the Credit card you are using to pay the freelancer you hire. Also for compliance with GDPR new rules. It is also used to eliminate users joining with plans of defrauding Freelancers.

    Payment Method Verification Process

    Someone may think you just enter your card number and your secret code and voila! you are set. But there is more to this process. You will be charged a small fee as part of verification. You will be required to go to your bank and read the amount from your statement then confirm with the freelancing site to be verified. This process usually takes 1-2 days depending on your bank. If you wanted to hire a freelancer ASAP, this process- which is mandatory may irritate you. You just need patience.

    Posting Your First Job And Attracting the Right Freelancer

    Posting a job is easy. You just put a title, choose a category, indicate the number of Freelancers you are looking to hire and you are ready to post. The first mistake that first time clients make is choosing the wrong category when they are posting their job. For instance, let’s say they are looking for a freelance video editor, but you post your job under ‘animation’ category. You will attract freelancers who are fond of working on animation jobs. While they may do the job well, they will charge you more than a freelancer who specializes in video editing. Animation costs more than video editing. To get good at hiring, regularly do job split test. i.e posting the same job on two different categories.

    Temptation of Choosing the Lowest Bidder

    Fact is, in every decision we make in business, we want to save money. Most new clients will jump into hiring the lowest bidder. However, it’s good to be cautious when making your decision while wanting to save money at the same time. This is what I mean here. Let’s say your budget was $1000 and one freelancer quotes $500 for the same job. Their profile is good and you are convinced. Now before you hire, know this, a freelancer who quotes $1,100 and explains the process in which he/she plans to complete the job is more qualified than a freelancer who just quotes $500 without backing up his/her proposal.

    With a higher quote and a break down on the value you will get from the freelancer is a clear demonstration of professionalism. At the end, you will get more value for your money.

    Dealing With Freelancers Disputes After Unsuccessful Hiring

    Sometimes, Freelancers share a colorful portfolio. And based on that, you hire them. But, when they deliver their first work, you are very disappointed and when you express this to the freelancer, they disagree. You end the contract but the freelancer wants to be paid with the money deposited on escrow. And as result you get into a dispute. And whoever wins get paid.

    If the freelancer has some evidence that he/she did the job, you may loose your money in the process. To avoid this, it’s good not to hire someone because they are cheap, but because they guarantee satisfaction and it’s clearly spelt in their cover letter.

    Defining Working Terms With Freelancers in Different Timezones

    If you are in +8(UTC) Timezone and you hire a Freelancer in +1(UTC) timezone, your working schedule will vary. One will have to work at night in order to cover up for the other. Unless you are flexible when it comes to time or the freelancer is willing to work on your timezone, one of you will not like it at the end. Some Freelancers -especially from Asia- will convince you that they will work on your timezone only to disappoint you at the end.

    If the Freelancer is able to work independently with little or no supervision, that’s the best option. Such Freelancers are open minded and will not lie about their working hours.

    These are the common challenges most new clients experience on their first days of hiring. Are you a client hiring Freelancers online? What are some of the challenges you experience? Share in the comments below.

    That is it from me today.

    If you need help you create and produce professional screen-cast videos, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

  • 5 New Ways to Make More Money Online As a Video Producer

    Producers who have been in the industry long enough, will agree with what I am about to share with you today in this blog post.

    Video production has evolved over time. When I started as a producer back in the year 2010, I only knew videography and video editing.

    In this blog post, I share with you how to make more money by breaking down video editing and production components and offering each one of them as an independent service. 

    If you are creative enough to produce a captivating video, then, you are also creative enough to write the same script. You just need to believe you can do it.

    Clients will love you more if you can go an extra mile and provide a professional voice over. Find ways that you can get the voice cheaply from freelancers and have your client pay more it.

    I recently learnt this. More and more clients are in need of Subtitling service. It can be for a movie or video intended to be viewed in a different language. YouTube has integrated Google translate on their video player so that you can watch a video in any language.

    You can charge between $10-100 per video depending on your clients budget and video duration.

    Every video producer know how to use graphic design software’s like Adobe Photoshop  or Adobe illustrator. You can propose to design a nice custom thumbnail for your client and charge them $5-50 per thumbnail. The rates you charge is up to you. If you haven\’t done this before, here is the best way to get started.

    There are many other things you can do to make more money as a online video producer in 2019.

    If you need help to create and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials, let me know here.

    You can follow me on Twitter @cheptionymutai

  • 5 Promising Artificial Intelligence Tools For Freelancers

    Is artificial Intelligence(AI) simplifying your Freelancing business or are you scared that it will replace your skills? You don’t have to be worried at all. Instead, you need to embrace it and look at different ways of using it to grow your business.

    At the moment, there are several AI tools out there. In order to remain relevant as a freelancer, you need to enhance your existing skills, build your personal brand and view AI as an aid not an hindrance.

    Here are 6 Promising AI tools that you check out and try.

    Calendar

    Calendar harnesses the power of machine learning to give you smart suggestions for when, where and how your meetings can take place. The app is still in alpha mode.

    SpinnerChief

    What this app does may scare many writers who write original content. Not only is able to generate hundreds of new articles in minutes for you, but also in one click it can rewrite articles to a very high level of readability and uniqueness because it uses the best natural language analysis and artificial intelligence techniques to understand your articles in the same way as google does.

    EveryPixel

    This is a search engine for stock images powered by AI. You can filter your search to show only FREE images.

    I started using it this year and so far so go, it is serving me well. The downside of this app is that it does not show videos.

    Logopony

    An awesome logo for your business is just a few clicks away with logopony. By entering the name of your business and a slogan, the app will generate several logos so that you can choose the one you like and customize it.

    Smartertime

    Smartertime is an intelligent assistant to measure, analyse and improve your time use. Currently the app is available on Google playstore and the iOS version of it is still in Beta.

    There are many other AI tools out there being developed. Do you know of an AI tool you think other Freelancers can benefit from? Please let us know by sharing it on the comments below.

    If you need help to produce professional screen-cast video tutorials, you can request a free quote here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • 5 Reasons Why a Prospect Will Kick Your Ass Just When You Are About to Close The Deal

    It doesn\’t matter if the project at hand is big or small – the psychology of closing a sale is the same. Now, if you are fond of copying other people ways of handling business-then this explains why you are always loosing/or getting your a** kicked just when you are about to close a sale.

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    It\’s a no brainier. If your prospect notices a little sign of desperation or display of fear, they will doubt your service and chicken out. All this can be interpreted from the conversations you have with them either on e-mail or call.

    I too, sometimes find myself as a victim. But, I have learn\’t a lot from them. Here are 5 common things that will make a serious client start procrastinating on whether to work with you or not.

    Lack of DEEP Understanding of Your Prospects Video Requirements

    Now, I am talking here of serious clients who are ready to buy your video services… Not the many \’internet window shoppers\’ who are just making inquiry with unclear needs. Serious clients are ready to spend if you clearly convince them that you have the capability of delivering the kind of video they are looking for.

    Watch Video – Deal Breakers in The Freelancing Business

    Now get this, there is \’shallow\’ understanding of the \’need\’ at hand and there is a \’deep\’ understanding of the need. Deep understanding can only be gained from experience of doing the same thing over and over for a very long time. And this goes hand in hand with \’high spenders.\’

    Poor English or Several Grammatical Mistakes in Your Communications

    Now, I admit, English is not my native language. But I had to learn how to communicate well in English. This way, I am able to show how serious I am in engaging with global collaborators. Now, let me explain why this can become the last thing in the list of your requirements. The first thing is usually the \’Skills, followed by timeline, then cost and finally communication.

    In occasions when I am hiring, I can quickly tell from the communication whether someone will be fun working with or not. Any client hiring is looking to reduce their workload. If they find that they are struggling to understand what you are trying to communicate to them, they will re-think on hiring you. I mean you are giving them double work.

    Greed for More Pay

    Again, prospects ready to spend will not look at the cost first. They will look at your skills. They determine this by sharing their requirements. Once satisfied, they will request that you give them a quote. When you provide a quote of say $500. They, will send you an e-mail, saying,

    \’Just to confirm, you say you will charge only $500 to create the video with revisions… Is that correct.\’

    The word \’Only\’ in that sentence will arouse greed in a freelancer. Most guys are tempted to start hiking the amount by introducing \’add ons\’ that was not there before.

    If you are the \’greedy\’ type of freelancer; go take a cold shower before replying that e-mail because you will end up loosing the business by allowing temptations to set their foot on your door:-)

    Too Slow to Meet the Deadlines

    Busy clients set their deadlines. When they contact a freelancer to work on their project, they need it like yesterday. Give them a reasonable deadline and inform them that on request, you can work overtime (in the evenings/holidays of-course), if it\’s urgent. Then tell them how much more you will charge them for overtime. You being honest, they will offer to pay you more if they need the video that FAST. Address them like a fellow human being but stick to the context. They are humans like you only in a different planet.

    Inability to Handle a Single Portion of The General Requirements

    This is what I mean when it comes to video production. Sometimes, a prospect needs someone who can handle everything from Scripting, story-boarding, voice over and video production. They don\’t care how you do it. They just need someone who can tell them they can and prove it. If you are a honest freelancer, tell them what you can and what you can\’t handle. This will help them decide and their decision may not be in your favor. That is fine. Joy comes when you do what you can do best.

    There are many other more reasons which will make a prospect choose not to work with you. One among those being uncertainty when explaining yourself in your e-mail. Always be yourself. Be confident in what you think you can offer.

    And That is it from me here.

    If you need help to create professional screen-cast videos, send a request a free quote here and I will get back to you.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Dealing With Difficult Clients -4 Ways to Go Around It

    There is nothing stressful like dealing with a difficult client. In most occasions, you get into business dealings with them while you are in your happy mode. In fact, when they share details about what they want done for them, you are quick to accept. Now, you have started work as agreed, and submitted your draft for them to review. This is where you realize that the client is quite difficult to deal with.

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    Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com

    Even though he/she doesn\’t mention it anywhere, you can sense from their comments that something is not right. Their behavior keeps you in a puzzle. They are not particular on anything. For instance, they may say there is a glitch in the video without indicating which minute the glitch is originating from. When you reply and ask them to be specific, they either keep quite or they respond with another new issue without addressing the former.

    Such clients make producers\’ work difficult by not communicating clearly. If you find yourself in such situation; what will you do? Will you ask the client to close the contract and hand it over to someone else? Or will you find a way to advise your client to help you out (through feedback) to correct the mistakes? Here are 3 ways to overcome this hurdle.

    Understand That There is No Difficult Client – It\’s You Who is Difficult

    If a client agrees to award you a contract, it means they love your work. Now, you should be creative enough to resolve issues that arise while working on the contract. Never accept defeat unless the client himself gives up on you for failing to be answerable. Be that person who never mix business with emotions. Sometimes, the client maybe telling you the truth but you don\’t want to accept it.

    Find New Approaches to Get Your Client Provide a Clear Feedback

    Google (through it\’s products) have made this easy for everyone. You can create an excel sheet or Google docs file and advise your client to use the same in providing feedback. This way, you can monitor progress by striking out resolved comments. Be the initiator. You can create a table with segments to motivate the client to simplify his/her comments. e.g one column maybe for them to enter time-codes and another one for comments related to that time-code.

    Brief Them When You Find Difficulty Understanding Their Comments

    We all look at things differently thus our understanding vary. It thus means that the client will provide their brief and feedback in the best way they know. Be open if you find difficulty understanding. Make suggestions on the best way they can do it. Most of them are willing to listen to you and do it your way. Those who want things done their way will go a step further to teach you how.

    Be Patient And Wait For Them To Communicate Back

    Difficulty with clients varies. For instance, some have a problem with communication. They take long to respond because of their busy schedule. They can go a whole week without communicating back. Don\’t give up so fast. Give them time to respond. But follow up if they don\’t after every 2 days to remind them.

    As they say, there are many ways to kill a bird. Keep going and never let any negative feedback or bad communication bar you from delivering your best.

    And that is it from me today.

    If you need help to create professional videos for your online business, let me know by requesting a free quote here.

    Till next time, bye bye and take care.

    You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Where to Find FREE Background Music And Sound Effects with Up to Date Database

    Most people only know YouTube as a video hosting site where one can freely share as well as learn from others. What they don\’t know is; you-tube also hosts very cool free music that you can use anywhere without worrying about copyright infringement.

    Of-course there are several other Youtube channels that publish free video footage that you can download and use it in any of your project. There are also other users who share different sound effects that you can download and use it as you want in your video.

    While their contribution serves many users who are searching for a particular kind of sound ; they do not have a variety to choose from. In other words, they are not consistent.

    That is why Youtube saw that it was fit to have Free music available to encourage video creators produce good video content.

    You can access the free music here.

    There are thousands of music to choose from. Here are few reasons why youtube Audio Library stands out.

    All Music and Sound effects in One Place

    You can find a collection of different music genres in one place. All of these music are free. You can download and use it right away.

    Easy to Select

    These music are arranged in order of genre, mood, instrument, duration, attribution and more. Choose the category you want and play to preview.

    Search By Keyword

    Lets say you are looking for children\’s background music. Just type in \’children\’ on the search bar and hit enter. You will be presented with different music/sounds created particularly for children.

    You Can See What\’s New

    When scrolling through the files, you will see \’new\’ beside the audio. Here you will know its a new audio and you can be the first one to preview it and probably download and use it.

    Note: If you already knew about this free resource, share it with your clients and ask them to help you choose an audio they feel it\’s fit for their project.

    That\’s it from me today.

    If you need help to create a professional video for your project, let me know by requesting a free quote here.

    Till next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • 5 Ways to Troubleshoot Problems of Video Quality Issues in Your Camtasia Screen Recordings

    There is nothing frustrating in video Screen-casting like a client telling you that the quality of the videos you sent to him/her are horrible. Considering the time you have spent recording, editing and finally delivering the video; being told this is heartbreaking.

    With this said, the client is always right. So, you have to find a solution or else, the client may decide not to pay you at all.

    Now, before you starting thinking about re-recording the videos, here are the best approaches to solving this problem.

    Ask The Client How He/She is Playing The Videos

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    Video player

    Many a times, the problem may be emanating from the client. Some video players do not play some formats. Also, if the video is rendered in 2K or 4K quality; and he/she tries to play the video on a small laptop of 18 inch screen using windows media player or any other player, it will lag and look as if it has some scratches on it. This is because of high video resolution. If you are sure the quality of the video is good and can play fine on your system, advise the client about it. Tell them that 2K and 4K videos only play smoothly on 24 inch and 27 inch screens consecutively. This way they can try other ways. The best solution for this case will be uploading the video to Youtube and choosing 1080p settings on youtube video player.

    Ask Them To Download The Video To Their Desktop And Play

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    Ask them to download the video and watch them on their system

    Am sure most freelancers and clients collaborate and share files via FTP. The most popular here being google drive and dropbox. If you use one of these FTP\’s to share video files, you will agree with me that playing videos directly online is sometimes a big problem. With this said, while sharing high quality videos, it\’s important to notify the client that the quality of the videos might be compromised when played directly from the FTP thus they should download them for the best viewing results.

    If at this point you find that the problem is indeed originating from you, the the following steps will help you find a solution.

    Choose Full Screen When Recording Screens

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    Choose full screen for \’recording area\’ in Camtasia

    There are two things that will determine the final output quality of your video. First is the screen resolution you choose from the Camtasia screen recorder. The best option is recording Full screen. You can cut out sections of the screen you don\’t want while editing.

    Second, is the zoom percentage of your browser. This is if you are recording a tutorial that requires the use internet browser. if you are recording it on 24 inch screen, set the zoom on your chrome browser to 125% and 150% for 27 inch screen. This will make text on your screen recordings easy to read. Also, the quality of your screen recordings will be good.

    Choose Editing Canvas Dimensions To At-least 1920×1080 Pixels

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    Camtasia editing dimensions

    Most clients are happy with these dimensions. This is good for editing all the recordings as your can stretch video to fit the screen. Also with this setting, you can render videos in lower HD resolution like 720p.

    NOTE: If you edit a video recorded in a 4K screen resolution with 1920×1080 canvas dimension, the final video output will be clear and crisp.

    Video Production Settings

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    Camtasia production settings

    Lastly, the video quality problem may be arising from your final production settings. It\’s important to create a custom present for this in Camtasia. Here, there are two key things to look into; first is the key-frame rate and secondly is the encoding mode. The lower the key-frame rate the higher the quality of your videos. I usually set my key-frame rate to between 5 to 10 depending on the video duration. Lower keyframes results in a large video file. It\’s also good to set encoding mode percentage to at least 75%.

    Bonus tip!

    If you are recording videos of you scrolling down a page, you computer RAM will determine how smooth the scroll will be. Low RAM will record choppy screens while high RAM will record smooth scrolls. Also, it is important to install more RAM when recording Game Plays. 16 GB of RAM or more is recommended.

    And that is it from me today.

    If you need help to create and produce professional screen-cast videos or any type of ex-plainer video, request a free quote here.

    Till next time, bye bye and take care.

    You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony