Category: VIDEO PRODUCTION

Tips and Advise on Video Production

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

January 16, 2019
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

January 9, 2019
3 Commonly Used Styles to Splice Up Video Presentations

Before I start writing today\’s blog-post, I will like to wish you a happy new year 2019. Let\’s toast for more Good Life. More love. More success and fulfillment. And most importantly more Freedom to enjoy life doing what we love most. Cheers!

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Photo by 祝鹤槐 on Pexels.com

Now with that said, lets dive in. There is a secret in video marketing called \’Pattern Interruption.\’ It\’s commonly used in Video Sales Letters. Successful online video marketers utilize it in their videos. It is a psychological trigger that arouses the subconscious part of the brain. This works best on long versions of sales letters.

In other words, pattern interruption is meant to excite you and make you interested in learning more. This technique varies. For longer videos, it\’s more of the \’story-line,\’ while for shorter videos, it\’s the video effects, transitions and sound effects. Here is a list of common ways that you can use to splice up your videos and eliminate monotony.

1. Custom Video Transitions

Note that we have video transitions that comes along with the video editing software. I am not talking about those. I am talking of the custom made ones. This is where your creativity comes in. Most of these transitions take less than 1 second or 25 frames. It\’s that fast. You have to be creative and think outside the box in order to come up with your own transition using the tools inside video editing suite.

Expert Advise: Do not use more that 3 different transitions in a video. It\’s unprofessional. People will think that you are trying hard to sell on them. This is unless its animation.

2. Video effects

This is common when working on motion graphics content. You may add particles, bubbles and even change color to suite the requirements. This works well for film trailers and it bring in certain feeling in the video.

3. Sound Effects

No trailer is exciting to watch if it has no sound effects. It makes the video very pleasing to watch. It goes hand in hand with video transitions and effects. For longer videos, try to limit use of sound effects to be within the first 2.5 Mins.

Bonus

Story-line pattern is another way to splice a video. For instance, if you are working on a 30 minutes Video Sales Letter, changing the story-line and throwing in different videos in intervals is crucial to break the monotony. You can integrate interviews of people whom you have solved their problems in between as well as testimonials.

And that is it.

Do you know of any other way to splice up your video presentations? Share it in the comments section.

If you need help to create a professional video, let me know here.

Until next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

January 3, 2019
Top 5 Free and Paid Video Resources That Made Me Money in 2018

Many video producers will keep secret of their video resources because that is where they make their dollars. Ok, who wouldn\’t? That\’s how to remain relevant in the market.

Now, note that without regular research and updates- these resources will become obsolete someday. Market and trends change. This means that video producers who relied on these resources will loose their market value.

But here is the good news, some sources are always reliable enough in terms of market adaptability. In this blog post, I will share with you top 5 resources that made me money in 2018. Hope you can also utilize the same resources to make the most in the year 2019.

1. Free \’No Watermark\’ Video Resources

Earlier in the year, I wrote a detailed blog-post on this which attracted a lot of responses from readers on Four websites to Download Free no watermark videos. Kindly click on the link to learn more. These 4 websites are my best.

2. Free and Paid Motion Graphics Templates

I purchase a lot of 2D animations and motion graphics templates on Videohive. I have known videohive for more than 5 years. When you register, they will send you 2 free video templates each month with license to use them without any obligation. This is awesome. New templates are uploaded each month.

3. Audio Jungle

Audio Jungle is part of videohive. Here you will find high quality royalty free music tracks to use in any of your videos. The site also has sound effects that you can incorporate in your videos. I bet you will love
sound tracks from audio jungle.

4. 2D Animations

I use Animaker and goanimate (now vyond). Both software\’s are hosted remotely. You can create nice 2D animated videos with these two software\’s but have different pricing. I still prefer Animaker because of it\’s unique animated characters and lower pricing. But then again, it depends, I always pick one of them based on my clients budget.

5. Free online video templates

I found biteable later this year. I know it has been there. Those who were lucky enough to find this awesome site earlier have profited from this resource. Though I haven\’t used any of the video templates from this site, I have previewed existing templates and already like it.

And that is it from me today.

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

Till next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

December 29, 2018
5 Steps to Kick-start Your Video Marketing Journey

2019 is few days away from us. As you reflect on the challenges and lessons you learn\’t along the year 2018 in your business- take a moment to think about how you can include video element in marketing your business.

You see, if you sell online and you have not started using video, then you are missing out on customers who take action after watching a video about your products or services.

According to CISCO, 80% of all internet traffic will be video by 2021. Moreover, Google found that 70% of B2B buyers watch videos on their journey through the sales funnel.

Does video sound like a good business lead? Of-course yes. So, how do you get started and consistently produce video content for your business on a regular basis at a price that is friendly to your pocket?

Well, here are five steps to starting out your series of videos that your customers will like.

STEP 1- Plan and Break Down the Services You Offer Into Bits

You first have to decide to include video as a marketing tool in your business. This decision has to be firm. Now, once you have done so, sit down and plan, what you intend to share with your existing and prospective customers. Your product or service must be something the adds value to peoples life. So sit down and write down short titles that may work well wit your product. e.g. Why buying a red carpet is perceived as good \’omen\’ in Chinese Fengshui tradition. This might work well to someone selling carpets. Later you can write scripts to expound more on it for the purpose of shooting the video. This will make your content powerful and pleasing to watch. Someone who is not intending to buy a carpet from you will still watch the video.

STEP 2 – Appear on the video Speaking or Demonstrating How Your product Works

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Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.com

This is very important. Prepare to appear on video as the director of the company or the owner of the store that is selling the product. There is no Excuses here. If you are shy, you will not sell. People will trust you more if they see your face. Moreover, they will be confident when buying the product as they are sure who to direct their complaints when the product fails. Many customers will go an extra mile to look for you on social media to confirm you are not a scammer.

STEP 3 – Find a Good Videographer and Editor and Contract Them For a Long Term

Now, remember that you are not doing one video and stopping there. You are publishing a series of videos. In this, I mean you may decide to publish 1 video every week .As a result, you will have 4 videos a month and 48 videos in a year. When looking for a video producer, discuss with them your vision. You will be surprised on how pocket friendly the cost will be. If you need help with this, let me know here. I can be you guy to manage your productions:-). If you are residing in another country or would prefer to hire someone remotely, I will advise you to use platforms like Upwork to find a skilled freelancer to work on your videos.

STEP 4 – Don\’t Be Embarrassed by Your First Video. Publish it. Successful Video Marketers Started there

When you watch yourself on video for the first time, you seem to identify many mistakes like accent, shyness e.t.c. It\’s fine. It happens to many people. So, appreciate your small beginnings and be confident that you will overcome this with time. You define your originality from this. Don\’t let it fade. Let people know who you are without any exaggeration. Whoever will buy from you here will be a genuine a customer. And you will be motivated because they accept you for you.

Step 5 – Use Customer Feedback to Grow Your Video Content

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Photo by Erik Mclean on Pexels.com

Let\’s say you repair broken chairs and leather Sofas. When you show people what you do- before and after- they are thrilled and would want to learn more. So in the comments section of the video, you will see people asking question related to what you have just shared with them on video. This is good for two reasons. One, it motivates you to continue sharing videos. Two, it gives you ideas and leads for your next video. With time, you will not run out of ideas on what to do next. As a result, you will have grown customer base through engagements.

These are 5 important steps to getting started.

There are other many more and you will learn about them along the way once you get started. But the idea here is, to get started. That is very important.

And 2019 is the best time!

That\’s it.

If you are looking for help to kick-start video marketing in your business by creating customer focused videos for your applications/software\’s/SaaS/website apps? I can help. Request a free quote here.

You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

Until next time. Bye bye and take care.

December 19, 2018
3 Keywords that will Attract Qualified Freelancers to Your Job

Now, you might have heard that being very detailed in what you want when looking for a professional freelance video producer or editor is key. Sadly writing a long detailed job post may not help you find one. Irrespective of the freelancing site you use to find a freelancer, know that many other clients like you are looking for freelancers as well. This means that there is a huge competition to find a perfect freelancer.

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Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com

If you don\’t use the correct keywords, you may find yourself editing and re-posting the same job post after failing to find the right match.

Expert freelancers-while sifting through freelance jobs- read titles first and check if it has the keywords related to his/her skills. If it does, he clicks on it to read more with an intention of applying/bidding.

So why does other clients get over 20 applicants in an hour while others takes more than 10 hours to get 10 applicants for a job in video production?

Well, besides the skills, payment verification check and client past reviews; freelancers look at how keen the client is in cutting the BS.

In this I mean, if you write a long detailed description of your job post- freelancers are most likely to skip your post. This means you have to summarize your post if you want many qualified ones to bid. Here are 3 things that will get freelancers bidding for your job;

Narrow in the category of video production service you want

In video production, there are many sub categories namely, screen-casting, videography(shooting video), video editing, Animations, 3 D animation, motion graphics and more. As a client, you know the type of video you are looking for. Name that in your title e.g Animated demo video for my mobile app. A freelancer with good skills in animations and specifically animations for mobile apps will be more drawn to apply for it.

Find one \’word\’ that describes the purpose of the video

Videos are created for different purposes. And when you mention the video purpose in your title using the right word, it will trigger creative part of the brain of the person reading. e.g In the example I have used above in point No.1, \’demo\’ is the purpose. This thus means that when a freelancer reads this in the tittle, before applying, he/she will ask himself, is this what I can create? That means if he/she decides to bid, he will provide examples related to that. And you can use the examples provided to narrow in your search.

Mention the results you expect after someone watches the video created

Freelancing has evolved from the year 2010 to now. So, it means that freelancing sites have their own algorithms to help clients quickly find suitable freelancers. But this only works if you use the right keywords from the word go. Using an opposite keyword is a total disaster. It\’s like searching for \’truck\’ on google when you are actually looking for a pick up truck. It won\’t work. The same applies when looking for a freelancer.

I have seen clients use the right keyword on their titles, and one paragraph in the description with a small budget and the post attracted over 50 candidates. Such clients are guaranteed to find and hire the BEST freelancer who require little or no supervision at all.

And that is it from me today.

In-case you need help with hiring a video editor or video producer, you can request a free quote here.

Till next time, bye bye and take care.

You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

December 12, 2018
How to Eliminate Background Noise in Your Video Recording

This will be one of the shortest blog post I have ever published. If you are reading this now, I am sure you are looking for the quickest way to eliminate audio noise in the video that you recorded.

I recently found out a way to easily reduce or completely kill background noise in Adobe Premiere CC.

This quick trick best applies to audios which were recorded using a lapel/boom mic.

STEP 1

Open the video project containing the audio you want to edit.

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Open the video project

STEP 2

Hover your mouse on the audio channel on your timeline. Expand to see the audio. You will see R and L channels as shown in the screenshot below.

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STEP 3

Right click on the audio and select audio channels.

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select audio channels

STEP 4

On the new window, choose a channel and click play to listen. You will find that one channel is clear than the other.

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STEP 5

Once you find a clear channel, check on the correct boxes then click ok to confirm your changes.

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Choose the clear channel from the (source) and then click ok to save

You will notice the changes in your audio waves in the timeline. Also, you will notice that the audio channel which had most noises is eliminated.

That\’s it!

Till next time bye bye and take care!

If you need help with video edit, you can request a quote here.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

November 27, 2018
3 Reasons Why You Should not Subcontract a Project you are Halfway Working on

Lets say you are working on a project with a 5 day timeline. On your third day, you are done with the first draft of the video. You share it with your client. Your client is impressed but still need few changes.

While you plan to make the changes, you receive a call from a different client who wants you to go out and film something for him/her for 2 days and it\’s urgent. You don\’t want to disappoint the two because they trust your service. What will you do?

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Photo by Marc Mueller on Pexels.com

In a scenario like this, you will have to forego one project and hire someone else to do it on your behalf. Now here comes the problem, some clients(especially in filming) insist that you be there yourself. This is where you have no option but to assign someone else the project you are currently editing.

If you do so, you will be making a big and costly mistake unless you are assigning it to your assistant editor who works with you in the same office. Here are three reasons you should not hire another freelancer to continue with the project you started.

Delivery Time Will be Much Longer

Considering that it may take you 1 day to find a suitable freelancer to take over the project, having them understand the presentation style, idea and so forth will take you another 1-2 days. He/she will have to send you their version then you review it before sending it to the client. This will mean another 1-2 days back and forth. At the end, you will not have met the deadline.

Some Clients Will Notice the Change in Hands

Many online clients are very keen. By just watching the video, they will quickly notice that someone else made the changes/revisions. They ask questions like; The transition effect at 1.02 Minute is not smooth, did someone else edit this video?

You May End up Loosing Both Your Time and Money

Some freelancers are excellent at what they do but they lack one discipline- communication. They may communicate well during the interviewing process but end up taking more than 24 hours to respond to your messages when the delivery time comes. In such scenarios, you may resort to close the job and do it yourself bearing the pressure from your client. If you had made a down-payment, you will end up loosing both your time and money without any progress.

Conclusion

If you find yourself in a situation like this, it\’s important to discuss with your client on the possibilities of extending the delivery deadline. You will be surprised on how cooperative the client is in accepting your request. Such bold step displays your professionalism and honest.

And that is it from me today. Till next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

If you need help with screencast video production or audio productions, go to Techtube videostudio and request a free quote.

November 21, 2018
Top 5 Things Every Client Looks at Before Hiring a Freelance Video Producer

First, get this – most clients who hire freelancers remotely was once freelancers themselves. They have been on the freelancing business and they know how it works. In-fact, some are still freelancers at time of their search.

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So what does this mean? It means that they are aware of most things happening in the freelancing world. As a result, they have a clear picture of the kind of freelancer they want to hire.

Even those clients who have little on no experience in the freelancing business, they are clever enough. They paint a clear picture (in their job brief) on the kind of freelancer they are looking for.

So, how do you ensure that you fit into their requirements? Well here are top 5 things that they look at before hiring.

The budget

Every client, have a budget for any video that they want produced unless they are doing something new for the first time. So, send your quote based on their budget-don\’t over quote. If you feel their budget is not enough, break down your quotation indicating the cost of the \’add-ons.\’ This way, the client will make their decision based on the value they will get.

Your proposal

First, your client will share a brief of what they want. Your response to the same is what will determine further communication with the client. Make sure you address their problem clearly and propose how you are going to solve their problem.

Timelines

Most clients have a set timeline for any of their project. If they don\’t, you have to be clever enough to propose one. By having timelines, you will commit yourself to complete the project thus saving time and allowing you to work on other important activities.

Communications

We are living in a generation where we rely a lot on e-mail communication because of many reasons one being that we live in different time-zones. That being said, you should let the client know the best time that they can chat and communicate with you either via call or e-mail for prompt response. Many clients will opt to work with a freelancer who communicates promptly.

Revisions/Iterations

This is the last thing that the client will consider. So, to be on the safe side, be clear on the number of revisions you offer. Also, indicate how much you charge if the revisions exceeds the number of free revisions. You will still get the job without mentioning this last point. But just do it anyway, it might be the only thing you need to get the contract.

Are you are client? what are some of the things that you consider before hiring a freelancer? Share it in the comments below.

Till next time, bye and take care.

And if you need help with video or hiring a freelancer, you can request a free quote here.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

November 12, 2018
5 Tips to Start and Grow a Screen-casting Video Business Remotely

Like photography, anyone can do a screen cast video- all they need to have is a computer installed with a screen-casting software and headphones with a microphone to record their voice-Period!

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Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

So, how can you make this a business if anyone can do it? Who will pay for a such service?

Well, here is a little secret, the companies which develops and distributes screencasting software\’s uses the keywords-easy to use and anyone can use– as their marketing hook. Many of those who have purchased and used any of the screen-casting software are surprised with what follows after they have recorded the screens that they needed with narration.

They realize more is needed in terms of editing. e.g sections where there was some silence or where the is uhmms and uhs. Besides, some sections need to be highlighted and zoomed in. In other occasions the audio may need some cleaning up to reduce the background noise.

This thus means, the user has to spend more time learning how to edit their recordings. This is besides other things like \’sharing settings.\’ At the end of the day, if he/she is a busy executive, he will have to spend a lot of time perfecting the video. This is not good when it comes to productivity.

With this awareness, you are able to begin your research on this niche to identify and segment target clients/markets for yourself. For example, SaaS businesses with high customer volume will prefer to hire a freelancer to help them handle their screen-casting projects in response Frequently Asked Questions by their customers.

Here are 5 tips to help you start and build a successful business in screen-casting;

Do a Research On Areas Where Screen-casting is Used

This may sound simple. Writing this down will surprise you even more. You will realize that the market is so wide. Coming into realization that clients with high volume customers will not mind spending money on your service will inspire you even more.

Produce Screen Casts\’ That Stands Out

Why would someone pay you to produce something that they can do themselves apart from saving time? Make you presentations stand out by adding simple animations, motion graphics and more.

Be Good In Writing –Know how to script tutorials

Now, some clients will ask you to script their tutorials (especially if it\’s a software) after familiarizing with it. You may miss this opportunity if you have poor skills in writing and do not like writing. Even if you do not like writing, partner with a fellow freelancer who can write and negotiate extra to accommodate their service.

Deliver With a Studio Quality Voice Over

Not all of us have good voice or speak in native English accent. But will you miss opportunity because of this? No. Think outside box. If you don\’t know anyone you can contact to do voice over for you, sign up and hire a freelancer to handle this for you on sites like Upwork.

Scale Up Your Pricing Once You Have Gained Confidence in The Market

When I started up as screen-cast video producer, I used to charge $30 for a 3 Minutes video. Since then, I have scaled up and now charge $500-1000 for same service and more advanced quality based on my experience. Busy professionals would rather pay more to someone who needs little or no supervisions once the deliverables are clearly defined.

Summary

Like any other niche, you will grow based on your tactics and ability to bring in more value to the service for more money. It\’s an art and the price is infinite. You choose how much you should charge.

That is it from me today.

Until next time, bye and take care. Once again, do a good job and You will be handsomely rewarded.

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

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

October 31, 2018