Camtasia Studio by TechSmith gives users the ability to "creat[e] professional videos ... without formal training." With it, users can either generate videos from scratch using the real-time screen recording tool or import existing files (video, images, sound) into the Camtasia media library. Using the intuitive, easy-to-use editor, users can insert a variety of features and special effects into their videos: callouts (dialogue bubbles and arrows), zooming in and out (for emphasis or improving the clarity of a portion of the screen, e.g., typing in a text box), audio (background music and sound effects), transitions between clips (wipes, dissolves, etc.), cursor effects (also for emphasis and clarity), title clips (at the beginning, end, and in between), and more. Camtasia is typically used to create training videos, online tutorials, for teaching (recording live classroom sessions for later reference), for advertising products and services, and for blogging and screencasting.

Pros:

• Low barrier to entry: relatively easy to use straight out of the box.
• Large, diverse library of video editing effects (see above; plus, captioning via automated speech-to-text or manual entry, interactive flash quizzes, and table of contents and search for easy navigation).
• Multiple video format support: MP4/SWF (Flash player), AVI (CD/DVD), WMV (Silverlight), MOV (QuickTime), animated GIF, MP3 and others.
• One-click uploading to YouTube and Screencast.com (TechSmith video hosting service).
• Available for PC and Mac.

Caveats:

• New users may feel overwhelmed – by the variety and abundance of features they can use to create and edit videos. They become less daunting after repeated use and by using TechSmith’s handy online tutorials.
• Cost - $299 per copy. Discounts for multi-user licensing, educational copies ($179), and government and non-profit users. Students should befriend a professor, because faculty have access to institutional copies for use on UTD computers (certain restrictions obviously apply). Lastly, users can download a free trial version of Camtasia Studio that expires after 30 days.
• Additional equipment needed: microphone, dedicated soundcard, and speakers needed. Web cameras can be used for direct, live video input, but digital cameras are not supported (upload video files into the library). Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later is required for uploading videos to YouTube.

Examples:

• Example 1: How to find ebooks at the library (UTD McDermott Library). 
• Example 2: Camtasia Studio in action (class demo).