What is an ideal size for a 15-minute screencast (or is there one)?

Question

I am trying to create my first screencast. My screencasts, which are designed to educate users about certain industry standard and demonstrate the application. I'm using a combination of a simple Keynote presentation interspersed with app screencasts. After much trial and error, which is the only way I learn anything, I have struck upon the following workflow:

1) Script the screencast into sections.
2) Record the individual sections (I use `iShowU Studio` for this).
3) Import those sections into a new `Final Cut Pro X` project.
4) Create a `Compound Clip` out of all of the clips in the `Timeline`.
5) Laboriously remove all breathing and background noise using the `Range Tool` and dragging volume to zero.
6) Use the audio `Compressor` effect to lower the volume.
7) Share.

I am storing my videos on Vimeo privately and pasting the share code into my application help screens, which works fine. But I just completed the first video in which I employed this new workflow, and it is over 1.3 GB in size, which seems monstrously huge. I do own Compressor, but to say it has been difficult to work with would be generous. It is very confusing to me.

I have another program made by the same people that make iShowU Studio called Stomp. That has worked for very small demonstrations that I have done.

Should I expect a size smaller than 1.3 GB from a 15-minute video? If so, what kinds of things can I look at or what kind of workflow can I engage in order to achieve a more optimal size? While I ask this question, I've also subscribed to some training videos as the whole video/audio editing process is new to me, and I am a programmer by trade. I appreciate your help.

Answer 1

Should I expect a size smaller than 1.3 GB from a 15-minute video? Yes

1MB per minute is reasonable for screencasts.

If you look at recommended youtube video sizes, one option is 854x480 For a video of that resoultion, with H264video compression and AAC audio, we get 1MB per minute.

If so, what kinds of things can I look at or what kind of workflow can I engage in order to achieve a more optimal size?

Your work-flow looks correct, you just want to compress the result further at the end. I use camtasia, there are free alternatives, easy h 264 perhaps. If you're really stuck, upload your video to youtube and let them take care of it.