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That typing is in realtime! I rehearse screencasts until they flow naturally like you see here; there's no content editing and no script. I basically record the

That typing is in realtime! I rehearse screencasts until they flow naturally like you see here; there's no content editing and no script. I basically record the whole thing from beginning to end, over and over, until it doesn't change significantly from run to run and I don't feel it catching anywhere. I do edit out pauses to breathe, to drink water, sometimes to double-check my thinking about what to do next, and occasionally to open a second terminal and check something. Destroy All Software is six years old, so I've had a lot of practice. Most DAS screencasts require a couple hours of initial silent prep, then around 10 full runs from beginning to end. When it starts to flow well (run #5, give or take), I fire up ScreenFlow and start doing each run as if it might be the final published version (because it might actually be). With these longer "from scratch" screencasts, I only make one or two attempts per day; by then my throat and brain are both pretty tired. I also live stream these on Twitch before making the final version, so you can see the sausage being made if you like! It's basically the same as what you saw in this video, but the pauses are there, you get to hear me become confused sometimes and comment on my mistakes, and there's a bit of Q&A afterward. The schedule isn't fixed, but I try to tweet with a couple hours' notice (https://twitter.com/garybernhardt https://twitter.com/garybernhardt).

wyc 9y ago
Thanks for the candid transparency, it's very appreciated. Someone with much more hubris might claim to have recorded it in one shot, first attempt, as some ridiculous technical interviewers seem to expect you to do. I think it really speaks to how software development happens. The premeditated thinking takes up most of the time, and typing it out is often the easiest part when the architecture is crystal clear in the mind. Combining that with succinct explanations might be like putting both hands together while playing piano. I am not downplaying the difficulty of what you're doing at all, just appreciating the process. Thanks for the material!
mbrameld 9y ago
I learned a whole lot from your DAS screencasts! They came along at a time when I was leaving my first software dev job where I had spent a decade doing things the way they had always been done there. Things like automated testing, MVC, and for the most part web development were all completely new to me. I bet I watched most of them more times than you ran through them making them. I would watch them over and over until I understood the concept, then find places at work to apply what you taught me. Thanks for making them.
agumonkey 9y ago
Do you still do twitch sessions ? I only saw one tweet a few weeks ago (which was instructive).

wyc 9y ago

Thanks for the candid transparency, it's very appreciated. Someone with much more hubris might claim to have recorded it in one shot, first attempt, as some ridiculous technical interviewers seem to expect you to do. I think it really speaks to how software development happens. The premeditated thinking takes up most of the time, and typing it out is often the easiest part when the architecture is crystal clear in the mind. Combining that with succinct explanations might be like putting both hands together while playing piano. I am not downplaying the difficulty of what you're doing at all, just appreciating the process. Thanks for the material!

mbrameld 9y ago

I learned a whole lot from your DAS screencasts! They came along at a time when I was leaving my first software dev job where I had spent a decade doing things the way they had always been done there. Things like automated testing, MVC, and for the most part web development were all completely new to me. I bet I watched most of them more times than you ran through them making them. I would watch them over and over until I understood the concept, then find places at work to apply what you taught me. Thanks for making them.

agumonkey 9y ago

Do you still do twitch sessions ? I only saw one tweet a few weeks ago (which was instructive).