Video Fun

The write up on the contest had this to say:

1. The WeGame and XFire clients are free video recording programs you can use.
Fraps is better but requires a fee to unlock all of its features.

2. Windows Movie Maker is free video editing software that everyone running Windows has and
is very easy to use for beginners, though not very flexible. Virtual Dub is another free video editing
program but is more for intermediate-to-expert level users.

Here is a guide for Windows Movie Maker: LINK, and here's the documentation for Virtual Dub: LINK.

3. While the maximum length is ten minutes, don't feel that you need to make Gods and Generals
in order to compete. Sometimes less is more! Don't feel you need to re-enact a battle scene from
Kagemusha or The Last Samurai, either. While something like that has as much of a chance
to win as anything else, a linear story or even a comedy are perfectly valid directions to go as well.

4. Try to record at fairly decent graphical levels. It doesn't need to be maxed out in 1080p with 16xAA
in DX11 to be taken seriously, but just as long as you don't record at ultra low at 320x240, it's not going to be a factor.

5. It's best to hide the HUD in some way, either by recording from a replay or obscuring the HUD with black
letterbox bars if you have a video editor with that capability.

My notification on submitted video:

Created using a single Fall of the Samurai Expansion multiplayer battle replay. Camera controls assist by programmable Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick. Voice over recorded on an RCA digital voice recorder. Video takes recorded in 1920x1080 using Fraps 3.5 by Beepa. Produced and uploaded with CyberLink Power Director 10 Ultra video editor, running on an Alienware X51 computer.

Added note:

All though Bandicam (not mentioned above) is used by some, I would say FRAPS is the best for video recording. Bandicam has the special ability to target specific screen areas which can come in handy sometimes, but overall is not as smooth as FRAPS when compared looking at the same picture via OpenGL (direct access) imho.

I would say work a bit with what is free, both have trials. And check out Windows Movie Maker for an editor (also free). It has some kind of a special working for Windows 7 that I have not had time to explore, but the way it works looks very useable.

Here is a guide for Windows Movie Maker: LINK, and here's the documentation for Virtual Dub: LINK.

The LINK's are not active.