Using Proxy Videos in Camtasia

When you’re knee deep in creating content with Camtasia, you might find things slowing down and becoming choppy when you playback your videos. This can be frustrating, especially when you’re on a deadline. One of the issues is that we will often want to work with high resolution videos, but you need to keep waiting for them to unfreeze so you can get on with it.

This is where using proxy videos in Camtasia will be a great option.

What Are Proxy Videos?

Proxy videos are low-resolution copies of your original media files designed to improve editing performance. Because of their smaller size, proxy files are much easier for your editing software to handle. This will reduce playback issues and speed up your workflow.

They’re particularly useful if you’re working with high-resolution files like 4K videos, HDR content, or footage captured with DSLRs and digital camcorders. Proxy files are also great if you’re editing media stored on external drives or in cloud storage, where access times can be slower.

Proxy files are only used during the editing process. When it’s time to export your video, the editor will always use your original files, so your final output will be top quality.

Why you Should use Proxy Videos in Camtasia

If you’ve ever tried editing a video on a computer that’s not quite up to the job, you’ll know how time consuming it can be. During some of my Camtasia training sessions, I’ve had little informal competitions with clients who are using bog standard laptops, and it’s interesting to see how much variation in processing there is around the room. Here are some advantages when using proxy videos.

1. Smoother Editing Experience
   By using lower resolution proxies, your editor will work faster, which gets rid of the lag and stutters that come with high res footage.
2. Efficient Workflow
   You’ll spend less time waiting for your computer to process large files and more time creating content.
3. Compatibility with Limited Hardware
   Even if your editing setup isn’t top-of-the-line, proxies make it possible to work with high quality footage without upgrading your system.

Keep in mind that while proxies are very helpful, they come with a trade-off. In the preview window, proxied content can appear blurry, which might make it harder to see fine details like facial expressions or text.

Although they are smaller than your original files, proxies still take up some space on your hard drive. On systems with limited storage, this might be an issue.

These are only temporary drawbacks. Your final export will always use the original files, so you don’t need to worry about the quality.

How to Create Proxy Videos

The process for creating proxy files is very simple. If you import high-resolution footage, Camtasia detects it and prompts you to create proxies. These files remain linked to your project, ensuring smooth editing. Proxies can even be reused across multiple projects, saving you time.

Let’s have a look a couple of ways to start the process:

1. Open an existing project or start a new one.
2. Click on the Record button at the top left to start the Camtasia Recorder, then record your screen.
3. Stop the recording when done.

Because you used the Camtasia Recorder, you will see a message box with information about Proxy Media. Using the recorder will automatically generate a proxy and add it to the Media Bin for you. The media will typically appear a little blurry on the canvas, but since we’re using this method to speed up our workflow, it probably won’t be too much of an issue.

Creating a Proxy from Existing Files

Now let’s try setting up a proxy for a file that’s already in our Media Bin.

1. Start with an existing project in Camtasia.
2. In the Media Bin, right click on the video you want to proxy.
3. From the drop down list, select Proxy Video > Create Proxy Video.

After a few moments, the proxy is created. Camtasia displays a small yellow dot on proxied thumbnails in your Media Bin, and on the Timeline, so you know at a glance which files are optimised.

You’ll also notice a difference in your editor’s performance. With proxy files, editing will be smoother and faster.

Conclusion

Whenever you are working with Camtasia, proxy videos are a great way to overcome the issue of editing high resolution content, especially if your computer struggles with the load. By using proxies, you can focus on the creative aspects of your work without being bogged down.