Creating and editing webcam videos with Windows

So, you have a webcam and you want to create some simple videos and post them to youtube?

Recording with your webcam software

Your webcam probably comes with software that lets you record a video. Look for it.

Recording with (free) MovieMaker

If you couldn't find a video recorder that came with your webcam, let's see if your MovieMaker program lets you record video. First, see if you have this program: C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\moviemk.exe. If you do, run it and see if the File menu has the option named Capture Video. If it does not, you cannot record with MovieMaker.

Recording with (free) ManyCam

Download and install ManyCam (http://download.manycam.com/)

After you start ManyCam, you see an Effects tab. It has "Text over video". Uncheck the little box by Show ManyCam Logo.

Under the Sources tab, click Cameras and select your webcam. (Or, if you want to record what's visible on your Desktop, click Desktop and experiment with its options (Full desktop, partial desktop, custom desktop).)

Just below the video display, do you see a red "Rec"? Can you click it and start recording?

Editing a video with MovieMaker

[[to do: add basic split/delete steps]]

Adding words/titles

Split (Ctrl-L) where you want a title to be added. Highlight the segment after the split.
Tools > Titles and Credits.
Select "title before the selected clip"
Put text in the top portion if you want it big. Put text in the bottom portion if you want it to be a subtitle of the upper part or all on its own if you just want the smaller text.
Click Done
Click-hold-drag the right edge of the resultant clip to increase its duration upon playback.


Fading out

Right click the segment you want to fade out at its end.
Click Fade Out. (Similar works for "fade in" at the start of a segment.)


Adjusting the length of a segment without further splitting of it via Ctrl-L

Click the segment. It is "highlighted" as evidenced by the darker border on it.
Click-hold-drag either end of the segment and drag toward the middle of the segment to move that end inward. You can later drag that end back to its original length if you want.


Saving the project

File > Save Project
This lets you save the editing facts but doesn't actually create a movie.


Saving the project as a video/movie

File > Save movie file
My computer (next)
Provide a first name, and set the second box to Desktop
Either leave it as "Best quality" OR select Show More Choices and select High Quality, either Large or Small
Next or Finish...whatever it takes :)
Soon you will have a wmv file on your Desktop and you can upload that to youtube, email it, whatever