October, 2015 Durham Technical Community College Page 1 of 6
How to Create Videos with YouTube MyWebcam
YouTube MyWebcam is a free tool that allows you to create a video of yourself, using a
web cam.
This handout walks you through the steps to create a free YouTube
account and record a video, and display or link to the video in Sakai. In
addition, you can upload a script to YouTube, and add captioning which
is needed to make your video accessible to all students. You can also limit who can
see your video.
What you'll need
• A Gmail (Here's Gmail/YouTube account info)
• A webcam for recording; plus a microphone, if your webcam doesn’t
have one
• Adobe Flash installed on your computer
• Script If you know what you’re going to say and do, it will greatly
reduce the number of times you have to re-record your video. Be
sure to create it with Notepad
, so you can upload it to YouTube!
How to get started
1. Set up the location where you want to record
a. Choose a small room to avoid an echo
b. Close your door, turn off A/C or heaters or sources of
consistent humming or buzzing
2. Make yourself look the best for your recording
a. Position your webcam a bit above your eyeline. Using a
laptop? Add a few books under your laptop.
b. Face a light source or a window, if possible.
Steps to create your YouTube video
1. Go to http://www.youtube.com/my_webcam
Note: The web address contains an underscore: my_webcam
2. Log in with a Gmail account
3. Have your script ready. Click Start recording to record your
video.
4. If asked, on the Adobe Flash Player settings screen, click
beside Allow and click Close.
5. Tip: Create a short video to test your sound, before creating your “real” video.
6. When done, click Stop recording to stop the video.
7. Below your video, click the Play button like you would to watch any video.
8. You can click Start over twice to record your video again. Repeat steps 3-7..
9. Finshed? Below your video, on the right, click Continue to upload your video.
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10. In the Video Manager, on the Info and Settings tab, enter info about your video as
shown below (otherwise, click on your Google account icon in the upper right corner,
click on the Creater Studio button, and click on the Edit button beside your video):
a. Enter a title for your video, otherwise it will be called Webcam video from…
b. Enter a description for your video
c. Click on the drop down list (as shown below) to select the video privacy
settings. The recommended setting is Unlisted.
i. Public (anyone can search and find the video)
ii. Unlisted (the video is not available via search, only people with the
link can see the video)
iii. Private (the video is only available to you)
d. Click Save changes or Publish (if public)
TIP: Here is more info about video privacy settings (YouTube)
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Add captions to a YouTube video
1. In the YouTube Video Manager menu on the left side of the screen, if needed, click
on Videos. Move your cursor over the video you want to add captions to and click
on the pencil icon (Edit).
Tip: If you don’t see the Video Manager menu on the left side of the screen, click on
your Google Account icon in the top right of the screen and choose Creator Studio.
2. At the top, on the right side of the menu, click on Subtitles and CC tab (you may
need to click on the Select language dropdown, and click English).
3. Beside your video, click on the “Add new subtitles or CC” button
4. Click on English (or search for the appropriate language)
5. Select a method for adding your script, to generate closed captioning (CC):
a. Click Upload a file to browse your computer for your script file. File type is
set to Transcript by default (if a pop-up appears, ignore it).
b. Click on the Browse button, select your file, click Open, click on the Upload
button. You’ll see your transcript displayed beside your video.
c. Click the Set timings button on the bottom right of your video. Under MY
DRAFTS , you’ll now see a new buttonwith a gray circle titled, “English
(setting timings..)”.
Note: Depending on the length of your video, it may take a while for your
closed captioning to be synced with your video.
d. Click on the new button, English (set timings). If you see your transcript
beside your video, it has been synced.
e. Click on the Publish button to save your new closed captions with your video.
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6. Otherwise, after you see an English button without “(setting timings…)” on the
button, your transcript is synced with the video. (You may have to click on the
Subtitles and CC tab again). Click Publish. You’ll receive a confirmation message
Subtitles Published.
7. Below your video, click on the CC icon. Click the video play button to watch the
video with captions. You’re almost done!
8. What if you need to make a few corrections to your transcript?
a. Click on the English button (not English (Automatic)).
b. At the bottom of your subtitles text, click on the Edit button.
c. Click on the video’s Play button, then Pause button, so you can type in your
subtitle corrections.
d. When done with your corrections, click on the Publish edits button at the
bottom right. Repeat step 8 as much as you need to.
9. Now we need to get our video’s web address so we can display it in Sakai.
a. Click on the Info and Settings tab to get the link to the video
b. On the right side of the screen, at the bottom of the VIDEO INFORMATION.
copy the Video URL.
10. Optional: On the Info and Settings tab:
a. If you’d like to change the picture displayed on your video, click on one of
the three miniature photos. Then click Save changes.
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b. Also, below your video, update the Basic Info as needed, then click on
Advanced Settings tab (especially for Public videos):
i. To avoid comments, uncheck beside “Allow Comments”
ii. To avoid displaying your video ratings, uncheck beside “Users can
view raings for this video”. Then click Save changes.
Display a video in a Sakai course in Lessons
1. Logon to Sakai. Click on Lessons. In Lessons, click on the Add Multimedia button.
2. Click in the URL box, then paste your YouTube web address. Click Save.
Add a link to your video in Sakai (in Lessons, Home Page or Syllabus)
1. In case your students can’t play your video, it’s a best practice to provide a link to
your video as well. In Lessons, click on the Add Text button.
2. Click in the Text Editor, type some text, then click and paste your YouTube web
address. Next, highlight your web address, click on the link tool on the toolbar.
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3. In the Link box, paste your web address again, click OK.
4. Click Save to create your link. Click on the link to play your YouTube video.
Note: You can also add info about what students can do if they cannot hear the video’s
sound: If you cannot hear the video’s sound, check your speaker settings, or turn on
captions: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/100078?hl=en
Add a link to your video in Resources
1. In the Resources area of your course site, click Add to the right of any folder and
choose Add Web Link.
2. In the Web Address box, paste your YouTube video’s web address you copied
from You Tube.
3. In the Website Name box, type a name for the presentation that will appear to
students.
4. Click on the Add Web Links Now button. Click on the name of your video to view it.
What if you have problems with your webcam or audio?
• Play a video on YouTube, to check that your sound is working.
• Make sure your speakers or headset are turned on and are not muted
or set too low, so you can record and hear your recording.
If you are still having problems recording your video, plug your webcam into another
location, or restart your computer, or try another computer.
For Advanced tips, check out our YouTube MyWebCam web page:
http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/YouTube_MyWebcam
