How do I make a video of a PowerPoint presentation using ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic)?

Answer

ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) is a free screen capture tool that you can use to make video recordings with your computer. Follow these simple steps to create a recording of a PowerPoint presentation OR watch this video demonstration.

Note: ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) has an app for both iOS and Android.

To get started with the desktop version of ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic), you will need the following:

a computer
headset with a microphone or a microphone built into your computer
a web camera (only if your assignment asks for you to have your camera on)
completed PowerPoint slide deck

1. Navigate to ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic).

2. Click on the Start for Free button.

3. Click on the Launch Free Recorder button. Once the recorder has launched, you will see a frame and a box with tools.

4. Use the options to select the video's length, the recording area's size, the preferred microphone, and whether or not you want computer sounds recorded.

5. Display the first slide in your PowerPoint presentation and position the frame to fit what you want to be captured in your video. You can resize the frame by grabbing and moving the edges of the frame or you can click, hold, and move the frame with the tool in the center of the frame.

6. Next, test your microphone by speaking into your mic and watching the bars to the right of the narration. Green, yellow, and red bars should illuminate whether the audio works properly. (Tip: Click on the arrow next to the microphone icon, select the microphone you are using from the list that appears, and test the audio again.)

7. Click on the "Start Recording" button. (Tip: Watch the short video introducing the tool before recording.)

8. Before moving to the next slide, click the Pause button. This will stop the recording. Move to the next slide and click again to start recording.

9. When you have completed your recording, click the blue pause button, then click Done.

11. The final step is to save the recording. You can save the video file to your computer and then upload the file from your computer or, if file size is a concern, we recommend uploading the video to Screencast-O-Matic and then sharing the link to your video.

Need help? Follow the steps below for both how to save and how to upload your video.

How do I upload my video so that I can share the link with my instructor?

This is a good option to use when the video file size is too large to upload to dropbox.

Select Save/Upload
Select Upload to ScreenPal
Make sure to type your video's title into the Title field
Select the green Publish button
Select Copy Link after the video has finished uploading. This link can now be pasted into a Word document to upload to dropbox.

How do I save the recording to my computer?

1. Select "Save/Upload."

2. Select "Save as video file."

3. Select "Browse" to choose which folder you want to save your video.

4. Choose "Desktop" then "Publish" to locate your video on your desktop later. This will make it easy to find your video later to attach it to your dropbox.

The four images below can guide you through these steps.