2014

HOW TO MAKE A TOUCHCAST THE OFFICIAL TOUCHCAST MANUAL BY CHARLEY MILLER, PRODUCT MANAGER UPDATED: OCTOBER 15, 2014

FEBRUARY

  TouchCast authoring best practice The purpose of this document is to provide a generic best practice guide for recording and authoring with TouchCast.

Preparation: ● It is always advisable to plan and storyboard before you begin your recording. Plot out when interactivity (vApps) will appear. In a 2-3 minute TouchCast, probably five to six vApps is ideal. ● Try to pace the vApps (interactivity) so that they appear at regular intervals, no longer than every 30 seconds. ● Make sure the first vApp appears in the first 15-20 seconds. ● Make sure the content behind each vApp is as attractive and editorially compelling as possible – you wouldn’t include a boring interviewee in a TV package or quote in an online article so don’t include a boring webpage, for example, in a TouchCast. Videos are compelling, or other unique content suits vApps well.

General: vApps should stay active for at least six seconds, but can stay on screen longer Try to use at least three types of vApps (not just web pages) to encourage viewer interaction Use video vApps so elements are not just static images Frame shots so that the vApps appearing on screen have room to breathe If a website doesn’t frame well because it’s too large for the vApp window, try using the mobile version of the URL or use an image vApp and place the URL on the link (found inside the vApp options) ● If a brand logo appears make sure it links to something as people will try to click on it ● One technique you can also use to display vApps – single or multiple – is to cross-fade to a full-screen brand/graphic for 10 seconds and display the vApps there, along with calls to action, before returning to the presenter. ● ● ● ● ●

Recording on iPad: ● In Camera mode, keep the teleprompter / camera on the left to prevent reading blindness ● Use an external microphone for great audio ● In Video Import mode, use the Pause button freely during processing (recording) to allow vApps to load on slow wi-fi or to resize web pages that load awkwardly ● You can divide your TouchCast into segments and record each separately, then merge them into one later; this takes the pressure off having to get the whole thing right first time

TouchCast video import guidelines: If you are recording externally and importing into the app to add interactivity - please follow the best practice below. ● Export video from Final Cut Pro or other sources as an MP4 file and import to TouchCast via Dropbox or another support cloud storage service. ● Codex: H.264 ● Frame rate: Ideally 30 f/s but 25 f/s should be ok ● Bit rate: 2-3MB ● Res: 720 ● Audio only files: Just needs to be an MP3 file in Dropbox or iTunes. Levels then set automatically.   1/2 |  July 2015 

  TouchCast authoring best practice

Calls to action: ● You need to provide very clear calls to action for the vApps so the viewer knows what to click on and more importantly what they will get if they do. ● Phrases like ‘Touch or click on the video…’ or ‘Take part in our quick poll now by touching or clicking here…’ are all it takes, but try to avoid repetition. ● A good tip is to include a line near the start of the video that tells viewers what to expect, something like: ‘This is an interactive video and you can click on the links that appear on screen to find out more about xxxxxx’ ● If you are an on-screen reporter, try to pause after each call-to-action to give viewers enough time to interact; a short pause also has the benefit of enabling the viewer to return to the main video before you start speaking again ● If using hotspots to introduce vApps, not only does the call to action need to be very clear, but the shot needs to be held long enough for the viewer to click on the hotspot

End sequence: ● At the end of your TouchCast, you can make the whole screen a hotspot that links to another site, for example a special report or index page where viewers can access more content on your subject. It’s a good idea to do this – and explain to the viewer that they can click and get more – at the end of your piece ● You can also finish the TouchCast with ALL the vApps repeated and delivered over the end shot, explaining to the viewer that they can touch or click on any of them if they missed them while they were watching

Adding interactivity and recording: ● Assemble all your interactive elements before recording. ● When you add a vApp it will land in the tray at the bottom of your screen. Next step is to select each vApp in turn, use the cog setting and then set the position and timing of each vApp, along with any other settings you choose. ● Once you are happy with all the positions and settings, move on to recording ● Use the Pause button freely during recording to allow vApps to load on slow wi-fi or to resize web pages that load awkwardly.

If you have any questions or require further information regarding the above, please contact: John Lawrence ([email protected]) or Alison Witt ([email protected])

  2/2 |  July 2015 

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Welcome to this guide to authoring TouchCast videos. It’s designed to be read straight through with the software at your side. This first section will introduce you to the bigger ideas of what TouchCast is all about, the second section provides a quick overview of how authoring works, and the third section gives deep walkthroughs of several workflows. 1.1 WHAT IS TOUCHCAST?

TouchCast is the world’s only real-time compositing tool for interactive video. TouchCasts can play across the web in any video player as the system generates h264 video (.mp4 video files) with all interactive visuals baked into the video file. Video players with TouchCast Player integration offer full interactivity. At the heart of TouchCast is a communication engine. Our aim in developing TouchCast is to empower users with better and more efficient tools for the creation of rich and compelling content, whether it’s for storytelling or explanation, for teaching or roleplaying. With TouchCast, there is more value for the viewers who engage with the videos. TouchCast is a very flexible tool that can be used in many different ways and with it, you can tell many different types of stories. The more time you spend with our apps, the more you’ll realize what you can do with TouchCast. 1.2 AUTHORING OVERVIEW

TouchCast offers authoring software for iPads and Windows-based PCs (with authoring tools in development for iPhones, Macs and even a browser-based application). TouchCast is modeled after the workflow of television: first, prepare by setting up your script and rundown of visuals; second, record your performance while queueing the visuals; and third, broadcast the output to the world. The difference between typical video production and authoring a video using TouchCast is that Touchcast does not require timeline-based editing skills. In hopes of avoiding complicated interfaces and bottlenecks in a production flow, TouchCast strives to enable everyone with the ability to make compelling videos. Expect to take about 20 to 30 minutes to get the hang of making your first video with TouchCast. You can make a TouchCast with any video camera. We’ve built the system for speed -- so using a webcam or the built-in iPad camera will be the quickest way to author a video. However, if you prefer the quality of shooting with a HD camera (and you’re willing to take the time to edit the footage), then you can simply import your edited video file (.mp4) into TouchCast to add the interactivity and publish. TouchCast authoring is divided into three interface steps: the Studio, the Editor and the Broadcaster.


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1.3 VIDEO AND PROJECTS

A TouchCast is comprised of two types of elements: the video and all the material placed into the video. Think of the video as the canvas that holds this “other material” -- material like images, web pages, or polls (for example) that viewers engage with when they experience the TouchCast. We call this “other material” a Project. A TouchCast Project can be set up in advance, saved, and updated as often as you please. They can even be shared with others to use in their videos. A Project can also contain elements that simply assist you with making your TouchCast that viewers will never see -- like teleprompter text or green screen settings. Think of a Project like a rundown for a television news cast where they prepare everything in advance. TouchCast offers five tabs in the authoring environment to help you think through your preparation: camera tools, effects, whiteboard (for telestration), titles, and vApps (video applications -the interactive HTML that your viewers will interact). You can set up each of the elements inside the tabs and save them as part of your Project. 1.4 VAPPS

vApps are the heart of the TouchCast experience. These are HTML widgets -sort of like mini-web pages that are just as interactive for viewers as they are for you during recording. You can show a web page, an image or a video. On playback, viewers will be able to access the full media. You can use the Poll vApp to allow your viewers to vote on something. Or a question vApp to test your viewers. The sky is the limit with vApps because it’s an open system anyone can develop for. If you’ve seen something cool somewhere on the internet, you can probably now put it inside the TouchCast you’re making.

Pro Tip: Less is often more, and the same is true with a TouchCast video. Often authors try to cram thirty or more vApps into a single short video. This will likely overwhelm the viewers. A good planning idea is to ask questions like: what are the 3 to 5 vApps that viewers will most want in my TouchCast? What is a viewer most likely to Google after watching my TouchCast? About 75% of TouchCast viewers interact with at least one vApp.


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1.5 RECORDING, EDITING AND SHARING

In the TouchCast Studio, once your Project is set up and you’re ready to record, you simply perform (feel free to pause as much as you need) while you queue the elements from your Project (you can optionally add these to video after you record). Every time you pause the recording, you’re creating a new video clip. When you tap the Done button, you proceed from the TouchCast Studio and into the TouchCast Editor. The TouchCast Editor can be bypassed if you like your recording just the way it is. But in this interface, you have the option of manipulating your video by adding transitions, more media (like additional video), more vApps to existing video, and editing any particular video clip (you can trim, cut, duplicate, etc.). Once your video is set, you will have the option to broadcast this TouchCast or save it locally to use later. When you tap the Done button, you proceed from the TouchCast Editor to the TouchCast Broadcaster. Pro Tip: On the Cast side of the app on the “New TouchCast” tab, you will find the Theme Menu. At the bottom of the screen, there’s a button labelled “Tutorials.”

When you select “Tutorials” this will take you to the full library of TouchCast videos about making TouchCasts. 


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2.0 BASIC AUTHORING

This section is meant to give you a very quick tutorial of how the authoring works at the most basic level, start to finish. Section 3.0 will take you through several walkthroughs and provide details for all of the features inside TouchCast. Note: TouchCast is meant to be a video tool made with and for the internet. We always recommend having a strong network connection when using our software. 2.1 INSTALLING

You can skip this section if you already have the software up and running. Note: If you are using an enterprise version of TouchCast, your organization will have distribution management for special versions of the applications. 2.1.1 INSTALLING THE IPAD APP

Using the App Store App on your iPad, search for “TouchCast” and you’ll find the app with the T logo. Make sure you know your Apple ID and Passcode. Assuming you do, you’ll have no issue installing the app. We recommend using iPad versions 4th generation and newer (video import features are not supported on older models). Make sure you update the app on a regular basis (always noted in the Updates section of your App Store App). 2.1.2 DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING THE PC APP

Visit touchcast.com on your Windows-based PC and look for the download button in the top right corner of the header. Provide your email address and we’ll send you the link to download the software (this link is only active for 2 weeks). Once you’ve downloaded the .MSI file, open this package and follow the onscreen instructions. The PC software will auto-update anytime there is newer software (upon launch). It may even update the first time you use it.

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2.2 TOUCHCAST LANDSCAPE

When you launch the software, you’re greeted with a splash page showcasing a featured TouchCast video. A small menu will surface that offers the options: Touch or Cast (once you choose an option you will not return to this splash screen unless you restart the software, but you can always navigate between Touch and Cast from prominent tabs inside the app).

You can create an account at this point (or skip for later). Every user inside TouchCast is a Channel (to which you will publish your videos). Pro Tip: When you first enter the application, you’ll notice some overlay marking explaining the interface. These are called “coach marks” and you can toggle them ON and OFF with the “?” button found in a lower corner on most screens. 2.2.1 TOUCH SIDE

The Touch side of the application is where you can watch other people’s TouchCast videos. Every user is a channel in the TouchCast ecosystem. You can follow channels, ReCast someone’s video so that your followers see it, bookmark a video to watch later or share videos externally. Here are the tabs used for navigation: 2.2.1.1 EXPLORE

The Explore tab shows you several lists of public TouchCast videos: Featured (a curated list of great TouchCasts), Latest (literally the latest videos uploaded by the community), and Channels (a curated list of TouchCast users to follow). In any section, select the thumbnail to see the video or learn more about the Channel. 2.2.1.2 MY TOUCHFEED

These are the TouchCasts from Channels that you follow. When you first use the software, there will be some Channels that are auto-followed to get you into the flow. 2.2.1.3 BOOKMARKS

This is a list of videos you’ve bookmarked. To bookmark (or remove a bookmark) long press or right-click any video thumbnail to reveal options.
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2.2.2 CAST SIDE

The Cast side is where you make TouchCast videos. The rest of this document is dedicated to the things that you can do on this side of the software. Here are the tabs to use for navigation: 2.2.2.1 NEW TOUCHCAST

Sometimes we refer to this screen as the Theme Menu. More on how to start making a new TouchCast video at 2.3, but this is the main place to start a new TouchCast from scratch. 2.2.2.2 MY PROJECTS

This is where you’ll store all of your Projects (either those made by you or shared by another author). Projects are all of the things that help you make your TouchCast and the interactive content you want to place into a video. Learn about Projects at 3.1.2.

2.2.2.3 MY TOUCHCASTS

Here are the TouchCasts videos you’ve made and saved. Sometimes it might just be clips or takes. Other times it might be a full video. For each video the lock icon means this video has not been shared, while the people icon means it has been uploaded to your Channel. More on My TouchCasts and the Merge feature at 4.1.

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2.3 WHERE TO START

Here are a few ways to start making a new TouchCast: 1) Start from scratch with “Create New” or use a Theme (both under “new TouchCast”) 2) Start from a saved or shared Project (under “My Projects”) 3) Start by importing a video file (a special theme in the theme menu called “Video Import” under “New TouchCast”) However you choose to start, the TouchCast Studio is the same interface with the five tabs: camera, effects, whiteboard, titles, and vApps. There are two modes of working inside the Studio. Some authors like to work all-at-once (record their video while adding all of the material — i.e. vApps — in real-time) while others, especially beginners, like to work in steps like 1) record themselves first and then 2) add graphics and vApps to the video later. It’s important to read through both workflows to get notes on all of the tools built into TouchCast so that you’re aware of the possibilities. But don’t be intimidated, no one ever uses all of the features in one video! Note: Before we walk you through these two workflows, note that you will always have the option to save multiple recordings and combine these into one TouchCast through the Editor. Pro Tip: Before making a TouchCast, it’s smart to turn off other software that might be stealing memory from your computer or iPad. This will help TouchCast perform better and make your video look sharper with a better framerate. In iOS7 and 8, double click the iPad home button. This reveals apps running in the background. Swipe up on any app to have it stop running. 3.0 WORKFLOWS

This section will take you through a few different ways to make a TouchCast. Because it’s such a flexible tool, there are many ways to use the software and author with it. 3.1 BASIC PROCESS

Before we teach you the two main flows for making a TouchCast, here’s a quick runthrough of the entire (most basic) process so that you understand the basics. Generally, the process runs in this order: I.

On the “New Touchcast” tab on the Cast side, choose the blank theme (“Create New” in the Theme Menu). II. Prepare in the Studio (in this scenario we’ll add one vApp). III. Record in the Studio. IV. Polish in the Editor. V. Save and/or Upload in the Broadcaster.

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3.1.1 CHOOSE YOUR THEME

As mentioned in 2.3, you can start a TouchCast in many ways. In this quick tutorial, simply choose the “Create New” theme which is listed first in the Theme Menu. 3.1.2 PREPARE

Once you’re inside the authoring screen, you likely see yourself on your webcam or your iPad camera (this is good!). Note the five tabs and the record button situated at the bottom of the screen. For this tutorial, simply add one vApp by selecting the vApp tab (which is the default section when you start a new TouchCast). A vApp is a Video App, which means this is an HTML widget that you can place in your video to give your viewers some form of interactivity to play with. Select “Add a vApp” and this launches the vApp Menu. Select the Web vApp option. This launches a browser-like interface for you to search for a webpage that you want to place inside your video. If you’re not sure of what page to add, try “bbc.co.uk” or use the Google search bar (top right corner) to search for BBC. Once the webpage loads, select the “Create vApp” button in the top right corner. Now you’ll see this webpage superimposed on your video. You can move it around and manipulate it in many ways, which we cover fully in section 3.2.3.1. For now, let’s record with this webpage. 3.1.3 RECORDING

Note the uniqueness of the red Record button: the first time you tap it before you’ve started recording, you will get a 3-2-1 countdown (on iPads, this can be disabled in the Touchcast settings inside the iPad settings menu). Another unique feature to iPads: the Record button can be held to make it “hot,” meaning after the button is held down for more than a full second the button will show a red glow and once the finger is removed from the button, the video recording will automatically pause. If the Record button is not hot after tapping, then the button becomes a Pause button and this button must be tapped to pause the video recording. In this flow, you simply need to record as much as you want in this take. Select the red Record button, then wave your hand and say hello to yourself. When you are finished, select the Record button again (the Record button turns into a Pause button during recording). Feel free to use the pause button as much as you need during a performance. Note: Currently uploading TouchCasts are limited to a length 5 minutes in total video length.


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3.1.4 SAVING

Once you’ve got your first take finished, you should save your recording. Click or tap the green button in the top right corner of the authoring screen interface. This will move you to the TouchCast Preview mode. 3.1.4.1 PREVIEW MODE

Here’s where you can replay the video you just made. If you like it, move forward to save it by finding the green Save Video option in the top right corner (if you want to delete and record a new version, use the button in the top left corner). 3.1.4.2 BROADCAST CARD

On the next screen after Preview Mode, you are on the Broadcast Card. The main decision to make on this screen is: do I want to broadcast this to the world or do I want to save this locally (to use later)? Saving locally will move you to the “My TouchCast” section of the Cast menu. You can always upload later if you want to skip doing that on the Broadcast Card. In this tutorial, we are going to skip it and save locally (slide the toggle to Local). To save (or share), give the video a title and choose a thumbnail (move the light bar up and down and move the slider left and right). You can optionally give the video a description or edit this later. 3.1.5 UPLOAD

When you save a video, it lives in My TouchCasts. For this tutorial, you saved your video to Local and you should currently see a lock icon with the TouchCast you made. Select the video (click or tap anywhere in the region) and a smaller version of the Broadcast Card should appear. Now you want to toggle the slider to Broadcast to upload this video to your Channel. Before you click Save in the top right corner to begin the upload process, edit the title and description if you need to do so. You can also choose external ways to share your TouchCast (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube Channel, or email a link). Note: you must be signed into your TouchCast account to upload. Never use the same login credentials on multiple devices at the same time. Now you’ve learned the basic process for making and sharing a TouchCast. Pretty easy, right? Let’s run through a few deeper tutorials that show the two main flows for making a TouchCast.


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3.2 FLOW ONE: RECORD FIRST AND ADD MATERIAL LATER 3.2.1 FLOW ONE, PART ONE: PREPARATION

If you’re new to TouchCast, we recommend breaking up the authoring experience into two steps. Begin by setting up the basics to record your initial video (all of which are optional): • Camera Tab: Teleprompter • Camera Tab: Focus / Exposure Lock (iPad only) • Effects Tab: Green Screen (iPad only) 3.2.1.1 CAMERA TAB: TELEPROMPTER (AUTOCUE)

Type or paste the text you want to read during the recording. Eventually you’ll figure out the speed that’s comfortable for you. The text will not be recorded with the video. It will always be married to the side of the iPad closest to the camera lens (or at the top of the PC for webcams). Note: for iPads, we recommend flipping the iPad so that the camera is to the left of the screen to prevent reading blindness (where the eyes are not looking into the camera). Here’s a tutorial on using the Teleprompter. Pro Tip: Typing into the teleprompter isn’t easy in iPads unless you have a wireless keyboard. We recommend emailing yourself the script, opening this email on the iPad and performing a copy (long press on the text and drag the blue rectangle over the body the script, then select Copy from the menu that appears). Inside TouchCast, activate the Teleprompter in the Camera tab and select the Edit button. This will give you an editable window of text. Long tap into this white box and select the Paste function when the option appears. 3.2.1.2 CAMERA TAB: FOCUS / EXPOSURE LOCK (IPAD ONLY)

Tap the area of the screen where you want to lock the exposure and focus. If you move the iPad, it will hold this setting. 3.2.1.3 EFFECTS TAB: GREEN SCREEN (IPAD ONLY)

After the exposure is set, you can replace your background IF you have a solid, evenly lit color behind you (we recommend green or blue). To turn the Green Screen feature on, tap the button inside Effects. Next, tap the color picker (the next button to the right) and then pick a color in the camera field of view to remove. Finally, choose the image or video background you’d like behind you (buttons are on the far right of the video frame). To improve the quality, tap the Settings button and drag the circle around the matrix to find the right balance (note: if your background is evenly lit and a solid color,

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the Green Screen should work astonishingly well). Here’s a tutorial on using the Green Screen and another tutorial on using video backgrounds with the green screen. Pro Tip: if you’re having trouble setting the Green Screen because of poor lighting, try adding the Vignette filter to darken the corners of your video to mask the background. Now that you have these three elements set, you are ready to record. 3.2.2 FLOW ONE, PART TWO: RECORDING AND SAVING

You can find information about the Record button in section 3.1.3. The important thing to remember if you’re using “Record First and Add Material Later” style: do not use vApps yet as this will inhibit the ability to import the video later. We’ll add vApps in a later step. In the “Record First and Add Material Later” flow, you want to save locally -- so select the Local tab. Give the file a title and then select the green Save button in the top right corner (the thumbnail and description are can be edited later IF you’re not broadcasting now). Saving is fully documented in section 3.1.4. 3.2.3 FLOW ONE, PART THREE: VIDEO IMPORT TO ADD VAPPS

The second step of this flow is now to import the video to add more material to it. Do this by visiting “New TouchCast” in the menu and selecting the Video Import theme. This will ask you to pick which video you want to import. Under the tab called “TouchCasts” you should see a list of eligible TouchCasts you’ve made to add vApps and graphics (note: if a TouchCast already has vApps, it cannot be imported again). After you select your recording, you will now see it inside the authoring tool. The Camera tab is replaced by a Video Import tab where you can control the video with a slider (in case you need to jump around) and even monitor audio levels (maybe you want to add narration or an audio track under Effects). Of course, you can add as much as you want now: vApps, graphics and titles, drawing or text with the whiteboard. You can even import a full Project to add -- to do this, visit vApps and select Add a vApp and look for the Projects option in the footer bar. Selecting that will give you a list of all of your Projects to import.


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3.2.3.1 HOW TO CONTROL VAPPS

vApps are the heart of the storytelling experience with TouchCast. Learning how to use them effectively is a key to making a good TouchCast. 3.2.3.1.1 VAPP IN AND OUT POINTS

With all of your vApps in the Video Import mode, you can set In and Out points to make it easier to author. You can order an image vApp to appear at 0:07 seconds and disappear at 1:28. When the video plays, this vApp will display wherever you left it at the exact time and disappear as you asked. This makes it easier for some people to manipulate a lot of vApp content. Alternatively, you can manually place vApps on and off the screen by selecting their thumbnail in the vApp tray. If you want vApps to operate in the order they are listed in the tray (one by one), then simply use the Next vApp button to slide through. 3.2.2.1.2 VAPP POSITIONING

All vApps have a memory. However you size, twist, title, and position them, etc. they will reappear just as you left them. It’s like leaving for work with an unmade bed -- it will still be unmade when you return home at night just as you left it. You can use the positioning control to set up a vApp’s postion: floating (which can be anywhere on the screen in any size or angle you choose), half-screen (set to the left side of the screen), full screen (taking over the whole frame), or full screen with picture-inpicture (so that the camera or video import can still be seen in a small window). 3.2.2.1.3 VAPP OPTIONS

vApps also have options: the most recent vApp you activate will show a blue frame around it (invisible to viewers if you’re recording). This blue frame shows a few tiny buttons around its edges. The most important one to note is the option button in the lower left corner. This houses many options for this individual vApp that you might want to alter (for instance, you can add a link to the an image so that when viewers select the image on playback it opens a website).

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3.2.2.1.4 VAPP ORDER AND DELETION

Finally, you can reorder or delete any vApp in the vApp tray. On PCs, click and hold to drag the vApp to change the order and right click to delete. On iPads, hold and drag to change the order or drag a vApp into the trash to delete. 3.2.3.2 RECORDING WITH VIDEO IMPORT

To “process” your video with all your elements, use the record button and your video will automatically play. Pause as much as you like to switch or add elements on the fly. 3.3 FLOW TWO: ALL-AT-ONCE

Once you get comfortable using the TouchCast interface, managing the five tabs during recording will become second nature like playing an instrument. But like an instrument, it does take some practice. Preparation is key. Set up your Project with every element you intend to use. Make sure your vApps are in the proper order. Review section 2.2.1 about setting up your teleprompter, focus/exposure, and green screen if you need them. 3.3.1 USING TITLES

Titles get a tab all to themselves. Some call these “lower 3rds” -- these are graphics meant to be updated on the fly with new text information. You can create a whole rundown of titles (just like the vApps tray). You can even customize the graphic, the text, the font and how long they appear. To load a new Title, select Add a Title from inside the Titles tab. This brings up a menu or prepackaged title styles. You can use one of these or you can add your own custom graphics (more on that below). After picking a style, you’ll see it appear on the camera screen with two text fields ready to be edited: a headline and a subtitle. Select a line of text and type what you want to appear. On the far right of this title graphic, you will see a small blue option button (invisible to viewers during recording). This is where you can pick between font styles. Pro Tip: If you don’t want text on a line, simply select the text (which tells the system you are about to type something) and click your spacebar once. This blank space removes all the text. When you have a title ready in your tray, selecting the thumbnail will activate it onto the camera screen just like a vApp. You have to manually activate titles. But all titles will automatically disappear: simply set the “Time Out” to amount of time you prefer.


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3.3.1.1 CUSTOM TITLES

To load a custom title style, first you need to make a .PNG graphic with a tool like Photoshop. TouchCast offers a Photoshop .PSD template here that you can follow (a full stepby-step guide can be found here). Once you have the .PNG saved, save this to the local storage of your computer (this is the Camera Roll on the iPad -- here’s a tutorial on how to do that). From inside TouchCast, add a title following the normal path. But when you reach the title menu that’s full of preset styles, look for the “+” button in the top right corner. Select this to choose the .PNG file saved on your computer or iPad. Once you select this file once, it will always be inside the TouchCast Titles menu for you to reuse as often as you like. Note: the title text is set to white so make sure the style you create can show white text well. 3.3.2 USING WHITEBOARDS

Whiteboards can be created before your recording and saved to a Project as “Boards.” But they are also a great tool to use during a recording when you need to telestrate something to your viewers. To begin, select New Board and you will see a number listed inside the first button in the tray on the far left that shows you how many boards you have made in this Project (you can select this Board button to show you the full list, which can be edited). To the right of the Board and New Board buttons is a button that shows the surface options: • Glass: this is the default and shows the normal camera or video import. • Whiteboard: this is a white surface which is great for explaining. • Chalkboard: just like the whiteboard but more old school (literally!) • Crosslined: a surface for geometry and math. Once you know which surface you want, then decide what color to use on the surface (default is orange) and if you want to use the Marker (for drawing) or the Text Tool (for typing). To remove drawing or text from the screen, there are three options: • Eraser: this requires manually scrubbing the screen to remove parts of the drawing or text. This is the tool you want if you want to correct a mistake and not erase the entire board. • Clear Board: this erases the entire screen at once. Be careful, there’s no way to retrieve the board once you clear it. • Hide Board: this is how you remove everything on the screen but save it to be used again later (which might be helpful if you’re recording multiple takes).

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3.3.3 USING EFFECTS

There are two kinds of effects built into the Effects tab: those you’ll want to prepare before you record (Filters, Green Screen, Soundtrack) and Sound Effects which you’ll only use during recording. 3.3.3.1 FILTERS

Filters are visual filters you might want to add to your camera to change the feel or style of your video. You can even use these on imported video.

3.3.3.2 GREEN SCREEN

The Green Screen is detailed in 2.2.1.3. This feature is only offered on iPads. 3.3.3.3 SOUNDTRACK

The Soundtrack allows you to prepare sound beds for your recording (currently offered on iPads). Tap the Soundtrack button to activate the feature and then tap the Select Track button each time you want to add a track. Search through your iTunes to find a non-copyrighted audio track to import into your TouchCast. When you find a song or track, you can preview the selection by selecting the name to listen to it. If it’s indeed the track you want, select the “+” button to add it to your Project. Once a track is added to your Project, you will see it listen in the Select Track interface. You can add more by selecting “Add More Tracks” at the bottom of the list. For the entire list of tracks, you can choose to loop the audio and control the level. Even when this menu is not activated, you can tell if your audio bed is ready to automatically play when you start recording by noting if the green bar is illuminated under the Soundtrack button. Green means it’s turned ON and ready to play the audio, starting with the first track in the order. 3.3.3.4 SOUND EFFECTS

Sound Effects work like a sound board where you can tap a button to activate a sound effect immediately. This is built with short sounds in mind and not meant for songs or audio beds (which is what the Soundtrack is for). To use a sound effect, tap the button and you’ll see a menu of sounds to choose from -- each will play as soon as you select it. 


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To add a new sound to the board, select the button labeled with the “+” sign. Choose from your audio library the sound effect you’d like to load into the sound board. It will operate just like the other sounds, so that anytime you select it the sound will play. 3.3.4 Recording The Record button is fully documented in section 3.1.3. Pro Tip: Use the Pause button during recording (the Record button turns into the Pause button during recording). Not only will pauses help you gain composure but IF you’re using the web vapp, the pausing will help the web vapp load faster. Example: you finish a sentence and tap the Pause button. The recording is stopped and you activate two web vApps. You’ll see the spinning circles on each (telling you this is merely a screenshot and the full web page is loading -- viewers won’t see the spinning circles). The web pages will load faster if you’re not recording. And since you’re not recording, there’s no chance the loading of the pages will affect the frame rate (most often noticed on older iPads and slower PCs). 4.0 ADVANCED AUTHORING

Once you’ve mastered both workflows and want to push TouchCast to do more advanced videos, then here’s a brief guide to get your head spinning. 4.1 MERGING

In “My TouchCasts” you can use the edit tool (grey pencil icon in lower left corner) to merge together many saved videos into one TouchCast. This is a great feature if you want to record takes and then choose the best ones to include into a final video. Note: TouchCast currently does not offer a trimming tool for saved video.

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1 After selecting the pencil icon, choose the videos you want to merge into one. The order doesn’t matter at this point. Each video you select should get a green box around it. When you have the ones you want, select the Merge icon in the top right corner. TOUCHCAST 18

This takes you to the Merge screen, which looks a lot like the Broadcast Card. It’s practically the same except you can long press to drag any of the videos to alter the order (they will be merged in order, from left to right). You can also double tap on any of the videos to select a thumbnail for the new merged video that will be made. After you double click the video, you can use the standard thumbnail selector (move the light bar up and down and move the slider left and right). Proceed with adding a title, description and tags to your new TouchCast. Click Save in the top right corner to begin the Merge process. Note: the 5 minute limit still applies to any video you want to upload. Videos longer than 5 minutes will be blocked. 4.2 PROJECT SHARING

Imagine creating a Project loaded with teleprompter text and a great rundown of vApps, but the person you want to record on screen is 3000 miles away. With Project sharing, you can quickly pass this person all of the material and all he or she will have to do is record. To share a Project, visit “My Projects” after you’ve saved a Project that you want to share. Select the edit tool (grey pencil icon in lower left corner) and then pick the Project that you want to share. After selecting it, the Project should be highlighted in a green box and the Share icon should illuminate in the top right corner. After selecting this, the upload should start immediately. When the upload finishes, a confirmation should appear with a six digit code (that’s case sensitive, so be careful when writing this down). You can give this code to anyone (as many people as you’d like) to download the Project file. Pro Tip: There’s an email button built into the confirmation to send the code -- and it’s a good idea to email it to yourself.


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