In a recent blog post, I demonstrated how to create flipped classroom content with Articulate Replay. A number of people asked how I created the video, so I thought I’d share my production tips in a series of blog posts. In this article, which follows my post on creating quality webcam lighting for $15, I’ll share tips to help you create animated splash screens, complete with royalty free music.

In my Replay video, I used a splash screen and an animated objectives slide. To create this, I first downloaded a free Replay template from our downloads section. Then, working in PowerPoint, I added a few flourishes to the main title screen and animated the text. I set the animations to begin “after previous” and added a delay of a few seconds between each. Then, I exported the video via PowerPoint’s Create Video feature to create the video that can be viewed by clicking this image:

I then imported the video into Replay and placed it on my timeline right after my opening video shot.

Royalty Free Music for Your E-Learning Project

Next, I found an audio track from YouTube’s newly released royalty free audio library. These are high-quality tracks that you can download and use in your projects for free. For this particular video, I used the track called “Locally Sourced.” I chose it for its bright and playful style. It evokes a bit of a childhood vibe, so I thought it paired well with the blackboard background and Amatic font.

The cool thing about Replay is that when you bump two media elements together, it will crossfade them. It will even fade audio in or out automatically when your video abuts another element. So to finish your splash screen element, insert and place your audio track on the opposite track from your PowerPoint video. Cut it to the correct length, and then bump it up against the next media element. By playing with the start and end points, you can align the start of the audio with the start of the PowerPoint video. And that’s all you have to do to add a cool splash screen element to your Replay project.

 

Free Animated Replay Template

To help you out, I’ve altered two of the text based templates so they’re easier to animate. I’ve moved the elements off of the master slide and placed them front and center so you can animate as you see fit. Feel free to download and modify as you’d like.

If you have ideas for creating awesome screencasts with Articulate Replay, please share your thoughts in the comments section below.   

_________________________________________________________________________

If you want to try these tips for yourself but don’t have Replay, no problem. Just sign up for a fully functional, free 30-day trial. And don’t forget to post your questions and comments in the forums—we’re here to help! For more e-learning tips, examples, and downloads, follow us on Twitter.

6 Comments
Mike Enders