VideoRecordings

Video Recordings Workflow Author: Katia Bulekova

Software List:

• OBS Studio: https://obsproject.com/download
• Presentify: https://presentifyapp.com/
• Adobe Premiere Pro

Preparation

1. OBS Studio Setup: obs.md

Video Recording

Pro-tips:

• For each video create a separate drectory
• Generate a file where you keep the verbose version of what you plan to say in the recording
• Record small sections - it will be easier to re-record when/if needed.
• Name the file so they are sorted in the order they will be merged, i.e. Linux_01_Introduction, Linux_02_Terminal, etc.

To start a new recording in OBS, use the Controls dock. The step-by-step process of setting OBS for the screen recording and screen capture is described here: recording.md

Once the Recording is set up and the HotKeys are set, click on the window you want to capture and use hotkeys to start (⌥ Option + ⌘ Cmd + S) ,pause (⌥ Option + ⌘ Cmd + W) and stop (⌥ Option + ⌘ Cmd + E) recording

Remux

If the recordings are generated in the mkv format, use the "Remux" in OBS to convert them into mp4 format: File -> Remux Recordings

Importing into Premiere Pro

Once you have your files in .mp4 or .mov format, here is what you do first:

1. Create a New Project: Open Premiere, click "New Project," and name it (e.g., Merged_Data_Videos).
2. Importing: Double-click in the Project Panel (bottom left) or press Ctrl+I (Cmd+I on Mac) and select all your converted files.
3. Create a Sequence: Drag your first clip onto the Timeline panel. This automatically creates a "Sequence" that matches your video's resolution and frame rate.
4. Arrange and Merge: Drag the rest of your clips onto the timeline, snapping them end-to-end in the order you want them to appear.

Cutting/Removing sections

If you have a section in the middle of a clip (like a mistake in a terminal command) that you want to remove:

1. Select the Razor Tool: Press the 'C' key on your keyboard (or click the razor icon in the toolbar).
2. Make your cuts: Click on the clip at the exact frame where the unwanted section starts, then click again where it ends.
3. Delete the section: Switch back to the Selection Tool (press 'V'), click the middle segment you just created, and hit Backspace or Delete.
4. Close the gap: Right-click the empty space (the "gap") and select Ripple Delete. This slides all following clips over so there’s no black screen.

Adding Captions

Generate the Initial Transcript

Before you create the visual captions, Premiere needs to "listen" to your video.

1. Open the Text Panel: Go to Window > Text.
2. Select Transcript Tab: Click on the Transcript tab at the top of the panel.
3. Transcribe: Click the Transcribe button.

Tip: In the settings that pop up, you can select the specific language and choose to "Transcribe in-point to out-point" if you only want a certain section captioned.

Review and Edit the Text

1. Search and Replace: Use the search bar in the Transcript panel to find common misspellings (e.g., if it wrote "hawk" instead of "awk").
2. Manual Correction: Double-click any word in the transcript to fix typos or punctuation.
3. Create the Caption Track: Once the transcript is perfect, you turn it into visual blocks on your timeline.
4. Click the CC Icon: At the top of the Text panel, click the CC (Create Captions) button.

Caption Preferences: A window will appear. For technical tutorials, use these settings:

• Maximum length in characters: 42 (keeps them easy to read).
• Minimum duration in seconds: 2.0.
• Lines: Single (this prevents the text from covering too much of your terminal screen).

Create: Click Create Captions. A new "Subtitle" track will appear at the very top of your timeline.

Style Your Captions (Updated for 2025)

In the 2025 version, styling is primarily handled in the Properties panel.

• Select All Captions: Click and drag a box over all the new caption blocks on your timeline.
• Open Properties: Go to Window > Properties.
• Font: Use a clean, sans-serif font like Arial or Roboto.
• Color: White text with a Black Background (set to ~75% opacity) is the standard for high visibility.
• Position: Move the "Align" slider to ensure the text isn't blocking your code or terminal window.

Pro Tip for Tutorials: "Burned-In" vs. "Closed"

When you go to Export (Ctrl + M), look at the Captions tab:

• Burn Captions into Video: This makes the text a permanent part of the video file. This is best for tutorials shared on social media or direct file links.
• Create Sidecar File (.srt): This creates a separate file that viewers can turn on or off (like on YouTube).