Author Quick Start Guide

Recording Recommendations
1. Use a screen capture application that can record video (iShowU recommended)
2. Don’t record the whole screen, confine the recording to that active area.
3. Don’t follow the cursor unless absolutely necessary. A better technique is to gather everything you intend to use within the recommended 720x480 recording area.
4. Our recommended compression settings are 720x480 (the same as the capture frame), H.264 at or near Low quality, 10 Frames per second, Key Frames set to Automatic (this is critical), Audio set to Mono, 22 Khz, AAC 32 kbps. These settings can be adjusted upwards at need. For example, for a game module, the frame rates should be much higher; if there is text that is unreadable, perhaps the quality would go up. If the module is on a sound app, the audio settings can be higher. Generally speaking, your module should be no larger than 1 MB per minute of video.
5. Exceptions regarding capture area include games that alter screen resolution. The TeachMac and TeachIT applications can handle video of any size, but a user’s monitor space may be limited. Ideally, set the game to the lowest resolution you can get away with and then record an area as close to 720x480 as you can. This may be an entire 800x600 screen.

Editing Recommendations
1. Edit using iMovie or another editor. If you do use iMovie and iShowU, you may have to play with the video format settings in iMovie to fill the screen. Try setting up a new project with the Video format set to DV. If there are bars at the top, try creating a new project with the Video format set to DV Widescreen.
2. Your goal should be to produce a crisp, clean lesson with no extraneous material.
3. Speed up typing using special effects.
4. Use transitions to indicate a lengthy process that requires no human intervention (show the beginning of the process and the end with a transition to join them).
5. If you need to move outside the 720x480 recording area within the same lesson, edit out the extraneous material and use transitions between the shots. Use the voice over to explain your actions, i.e. “then bring up ______ application”
6. Trim extraneous material at the beginning and end of each lesson.
7. If your voiceover extends beyond your video, trim the gaps in your audio and/or extend the video using special effects to slow down a section of the video.
8. Create your text in a word processor and use spell and grammar checks. Keep in mind that the more detailed your description text is, the more likely your module will show up in a search.
9. If you are a first time author, submit a sample module(two or three topics) before proceeding. Early feedback can save a lot of time and frustration.

Final Product
1. Build your module using Module Maker (follow the instructions that come with the application)
2. Note that you can make a link active in your module by typing (pasting) the url into the link field at the bottom of Module Maker, then selecting the text you want to link and clicking the Link button.
3. Review your module by installing it (Module menu) into your copy of TeachMac.
4. Submit your module using Module Maker and make sure you send the notification e- mail. This e-mail is how we know who the author of a module is and is how we can contact you regarding your module.

Pricing Guide
We will make recommendations, but pricing your module is up to you. Our decision is whether to accept or reject. Generally speaking, pricing works as follows:
1-10 topics Free
11-20 topics $5
21-30 topics $10
31+ topics $15

This is modified by having particularly lengthy topics (videos averaging 90 seconds or more might move the module up a price category) or if there is some other value added, such as included linked documents or AppleScripts. The more you charge, the more detailed your description must be so potential purchasers can know what they're getting. If you are charging for your module, you need to set up a free account with our reseller Kagi, as they handle all the money.

After Submission
Free modules that are accepted will usually be posted within 24 hours. Modules that need adjustment take more time, as we provide authors with detailed feedback, usually within 48 hours. Modules that carry a charge must be added to the Kagi database. This can take up to one week depending on staff availability.