Exporting screencast footage

If you've followed Aaron's main course on screencasting, you likely recorded your footage in ScreenFlow or a similar tool. Here, we'll take you through the process of exporting your footage from ScreenFlow, particularly if you're collaborating on a Mac. We will prepare separate video files for import into Adobe Premiere.

Setting up your ScreenFlow file

In ScreenFlow, you'll see the file that Aaron has sent over. The ScreenFlow file contains two tracks: Aaron's full-screen talking head footage on the top track and his screen recording on the track below. Our task is to export these two tracks as separate video files, allowing us to import them into Premiere for further editing.

Preparing clips for export

First, ensure that all clips are set to scale to fit. This adjustment prevents black bars from appearing on either side of the video, ensuring it fills the complete screen. Confirm that the top track is enabled before proceeding.

Exporting the talking head footage

To begin the export process, navigate to File > Export. Choose a location on your disk for saving, determine an appropriate naming convention, and select your preferred codec and format. For courses with extensive footage (e.g., 50 to 100 videos), opt for a high-quality MP4 file. When exporting high-resolution screencasts, ensure the bitrate is sufficiently high. A standard setting for 4K screencasts might be 30,000 kilobits per second, equating to 30 megabits per second. Adjust this depending on your resolution, lowering it for 1080p or increasing it if you're exporting higher than 4K.

Exporting the screen footage

With the talking head footage successfully exported, proceed to export the screen footage separately. Toggle off the talking head track and ensure all clips are scaled correctly. Follow the same export process, ensuring the preset and resolution are correct. Name the export file distinctly (e.g., simply call it "screen") and proceed with the export.

Finalizing the exported files

Once both exports are complete, verify that you have two clips: the full-screen talking head and the screen footage. Both clips should contain audio tracks, making it easy to align them in Premiere. With the footage exported and ready, you can drag them into your Premiere project and start editing effectively.

Wrapping up: Ready for the next step

After exporting both tracks, you have the essential components needed for high-quality screencast editing in Adobe Premiere. Your footage is prepared, ensure it is aligned correctly in your editing timeline, and move forward with your post-production process. This streamlined approach sets the foundation for efficient and effective video editing.