How to Answer a Technology How-to Question

Being known as the tech-guy, I get asked how-to questions. I think people ask me not only because I might know, but also they feel comfortable asking as well as the fact that they are going get an answer that makes senses to them. I don't speak some foreign language of acronyms at them. This is an important competency that instructional technologists must have in order to be successful. Here's a question from today:

Do you know of any software (the simpler the better) which you can use to extract a still image (photo) from video footage?

The short answer is "It depends." There are a bunch of ways. If you just want a picture to post to your website, then a quick and dirty way like Print Screen will work. If you need a still for publication, then you need to capture at a very high resolution.

I'm going to assume you want really easy, just for web-level purposes. Low resolution, decent quality.

• Just hook up the camcorder to the computer.
• Then open up your video editing software, Premiere or even Windows Movie Maker (free).
• Enter into the Capture tool.
• Cue up, or fast forward to the still you want.
• Then press Print Scr on your keyboard.
• Now open up a photoediting software like Photoshop, Fireworks or GIMP (free).
• Open a new file.
• Then paste the screenshot.
• Then crop out of the still.
• Save and export into a jpeg.

Here's the response.

Thanks John for your detailed instructions. I will have to try this method out and see how it works for me.

It would be better if the individual tried it out right now, as the question and the instructions are in short-term memory. The individual is visualizing the end product, but doesn't know how to get there. There will be a need to draw on long term memory to visualize this image. Of course, this is not pragmatic when working with busy professionals. Since the instructions are written, the individual can go back to them and attempt it when the timing is right.