Recently had to record a short video directly from a computer screen.
After trying few shareware and free utilities decided to stick with a commercial Bandicam. Full version costs $39 per computer. Simply select screen area you want to capture, optionally adjust audio and video settings and start recording.
If you prefer a free solution you can try open source Camstudio. I had some issues with video quality and frame rate, but it may work better for you.
