How to Create Professional Videos from Your Keynote Presentations

Are you hoping to create professional-looking videos for your online course but not sure where to start? Using Keynote or its Microsoft equivalent PowerPoint is a simple and fun way to make beautiful videos. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of turning your Keynote presentations into engaging videos in just a few easy steps.

Step-by-Step Guide: Transforming Keynote to Video

First, let's get started on transforming your Keynote presentation into a professional video. This process will make your content look polished and engaging, without the need for complex animation software or a professional studio set-up.

Step 1: Make Your Presentation

Create a New Keynote: Start by creating a new Keynote presentation. By default, a new Keynote theme starts in "standard" size, but this is not ideal for video. You need to change this to "wide."

Step 1: Select “Wide” at the top and choose the theme you want to begin with.

Set Up the Right Dimensions: Before you start adding any text or images, set the dimensions to match YouTube’s high-quality resolution. Keynote provides a tool for adjusting slide sizes. Go to the righthand bar and select Document Slide Size Custom Slide Size. Enter 1921080, which is the recommended resolution for professional videos.

Customize for Brand Colors and Fonts: After setting the dimensions, you can customize the presentation to fit your brand's colors and fonts. Go to the right-hand corner and select Format Edit Master Slide. Here, you can choose the default colors and fonts for all the slides. This will save you time in the long run as you won’t have to change font sizes, colors, and background colors every time you create a new slide.

Step 2: Play Around with Animation

The true magic of Keynote is its animation features, which can transform your presentation into a professional-looking video. Begin by adding slides with text, images, and shapes as needed. Once your slides are complete, it’s time to bring them to life using animation.

Select the piece of text or image you want to animate. Click on the Animate button in the right-hand corner to choose the animation style. Keynote offers several options:

Build in: Introduce the animation for the first time on the slide. Action: For objects already in the slide, choose the action animation to emphasize or change their position. Build out: Remove the object from the slide, often with an exiting animation.

Test the animations by hitting the Preview button. Keynote also allows you to adjust the Duration, specifying how long the animation should last, and the Direction in which the object appears. Play around with different options to find the best fit for your video.

Step 3: Change Your Screen Formatting

Once your animation is complete, you're ready to record. However, you need to ensure that the screen resolution matches the slide dimensions. To do this, use a screen resizing software like SwitchResX. Set the screen resolution to 1921080 to match your Keynote slides.

Step 4: Select Your Recording Method

There are several ways to record your Keynote presentation:

Keynote Recorder: Built into Keynote, it records the slideshow and notes without showing them in the final product. Pros include a staging area for easier recording. Cons include the inability to use an external microphone and the need for a single recording. Screenflow: A dedicated recording app that records screen and audio simultaneously. Pros include easy setup and use. Cons include potential bugs and compatibility issues. QuickTime: My method of choice. Allows you to record the screen first and then record audio from an external mic. Pros include flexibility and ease of use. Cons include the need for separate audio recording.

Whichever method you choose, make sure to export the video in the correct dimensions (1921080).

Step 5: Choose Your Assembling Method

Finally, you need to assemble the animated slides and audio into a cohesive video. If you used QuickTime and an external mic, you can skip this step. Otherwise, you'll need video editing software:

Apple Movie: Simple and free, but limited in advanced editing features. Adobe Premiere Pro: The industry standard for video editing, offering advanced features but requiring a subscription and a learning curve.

Choose the editor that best fits your needs, and ensure everything is aligned correctly in terms of timing and audio.

Conclusion

With these steps, you can turn your Keynote presentations into professional, engaging videos. Remember to triple-check your dimensions throughout the process to ensure seamless production. Happy creating!

Ready to get started? Download our 3 free Keynote templates to get you on your way!

DOWNLOAD OUR 3 FREE KEYNOTE TEMPLATES