---
title: setup a simple screencast
permalink: setup-a-simple-screencast
date: 2022-01-07T22:35:43-08:00
tags:
---

There's plenty of good software out there for screencasting, but if you're in a
pinch Quicktime Player does a solid job with a bit of prep.

1. Get a clear desktop and open all windows you want to screencast, not full
   screened. Also open Quicktime Player.

   - Don't forget to increase font size in any terminals, browsers, or IDEs to
     increase visibility. 100 columns works okay.

1. File → New Movie Recording

   Don't actually record a movie. This just abuses the webcam preview so you can
   have your face in the screen cast. Resize the window down and position it in
   the corner of your desktop.

1. File → New Screen Recording

   - Choose the "Record Selected Portion" and resize the area to be 1280×720 (or
     a large size of the same aspect ratio if your screen allows).
   - You can't move windows around while resizing the recording area, but you
     can during recording. If necessary, start a recording to get windows all
     lined up.
   - Open options and make sure your microphone is on.
   - Record! Press ⌘⌃esc to stop. Trim the resulting video.

![screencast-setup.jpg](../media/7f2cdba5d3c1f40e.jpg)

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I did exactly this to record a screencast about this very tool!

<!-- aspectRatio isn't required and 16/9 is the default, but I like it -->

<YouTube v="iJn9kZw-hw8" aspectRatio={16 / 9} />