ScreenFlow 4.5 Review

ScreenFlow gives a professional option for screen recording.

Screen capturing software can save reviewers a lot of time. There are just some apps that are better seen then talked about. There are several options out there for screen recording, but not many great ones. ScreenFlow is one of the great ones.

When I was working as a video editor, screen recording is something I struggled with. It can be difficult to find a piece of software that does just what you want it to in a professional environment. And luckily, ScreenFlow is that professional solution.

ScreenFlow by Telestream is a screen recording and editing software in one. It allows users to export videos through major video sharing options like YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo in addition to file sharing apps like Dropbox and Google Drive.  The developers of this app had the professional in mind when they created it because it has so many options for video customization. Users can add elements like text, music and even images to the screen recorded video. They can even include transitions as they edit.

ScreenFlow provides the highest quality video export, too. ScreenFlow uses x264 codec to output H.264 encoded video  not only to ensure that the quality of the video is not compromised, but also to decrease the file size for ease of sharing. ScreenFlow runs as a 64-bit application to optimize overall performance, memory usage, and export speed.

One of the features that is most impressive to me is the callout function. Callout is a form of video highlighting that allows the user to track pieces of the video simply by following the cursor, foreground window, or even selecting pieces freehand. This function is impressive to me because as a video editor, I’ve had to create the same type of video highlights through editing tools. What used to take me an hour to do, can now be done with a few simple clicks.

The callout function gives users the option to blur out the background, zoom into the area you are highlighting, feather the edges and build in and out of the callout. It’s really a pretty advanced function that most professional editing apps don’t have built in.

ScreenFlow 4 even has a built-in Chroma Key for green screen editing. Again, some other video editing software can cause this process to take hours to complete, but ScreenFlow makes the Chroma Key process simple. The user selects the video clip for the Chroma Key filter, then adds the filter. The filter options include selective color, white clip, tolerance and angle. With these few filter options, users can easily remove the background color from a video clip and place the remaining video on top of any other video clip or background they want. I was pleasantly surprised how easy this process was.

Another thing I like about ScreenFlow is that even though it’s designed with professionals in mind, the interface is very intuitive. When I first opened it, I felt right at home with the controls because it melds so well with other apps designed for Mac.

ScreenFlow also has a built-in timer for ease of recording webcasts and other longer-form recordings. This is a great feature to have for documenting video conferences or webcasts.

Something else that is somewhat unique to ScreenFlow’s design is the integration of SMPTE timecode. The great part about this option is that it can be turned off if you don’t need it. Timecode is something that as an editor, I always preferred to have available.

In my opinion, ScreenFlow is the best professional screen recording software available. It’s easy to use and learn as a new user. Plus, it has all the tools a professional editor needs. If you are looking for a professional-use screen recording software, give ScreenFlow a try. It’s available in the App Store for $99.99 and is currently in version 4.5.