Project 8: Screencast AI Guide
Pictory.ai
The assignment was to make a screencast about an AI Video Generator.
Pictory.AI Screencast
For this project, I chose to explore Pictory.ai. It features several different capabilities, including converting text, such as websites and PowerPoint slides, into videos, creating videos from images, editing videos with AI, and recording the screen. As a teacher who frequently uses screencasts in my classes, I was intrigued by the ability to convert slides into a video. The site was able to take my slides and generate narration for each slide, turning 15 slides into a 3-minute video. I was able to see the narration created for each slide, and generally, it was decent. I was also able to adjust the narration voice so that it sounded more like my own. I also tried creating a video based on a page from the ebook I use in class to see how well Pictory converted it into a video. The result was mostly amusing, since it did not interpret all the information correctly and picked images based on the words, often with alternate meanings. For example, it chose an image of a student with braces for a section that talked about curly braces ({}).
Pros of Pictory include the ability to convert various types of media into videos and offering numerous options for AI narration. I especially appreciate the opportunity to edit the narration before the video is made. Cons are the cost, and its limited image library, especially when related to computer science. In practice, I would need to spend a considerable amount of time editing the projects before the videos could be considered complete. However, Pictory could potentially save me a lot of time if I did not have the time to create all the videos I need. In this class, we have seen the power of audio and images, and this app would save a significant amount of time in creating videos with images and narration.
I used ScreenPal to record this screencast, as it is the screencasting tool with which I am most familiar. It allows me to perform simple editing tasks, such as cutting out silence, and does not leave a watermark, since I have a paid subscription.