DIY Training and Information Video
- Michael Litty
- Jul 24, 2018
- 3 min read
Do you need to make a training video but don't have video recording and editing equipment? There are two easy paths to your project that can get you their without a lot of special equipment or knowledge, and iPad and/or Microsoft PowerPoint.
No matter which path you take, there are some basic steps to producing a quality video and most of the hard work is done before you ever touch a piece of technology.
Plan what you're going to say. Start with an outline of key points and then script each section word for word. Write in a conversational tone to be spoken, not just read.
For each point, plan what visuals will be on-screen. Will they move? How will they enter the screen or exit the screen? How will you transition to the next screen?
Choose visuals that you create, own the copyright to, license, or are in the public domain. DON'T steal someone else's work. It's not just rude, it's illegal and could get you or your employer into trouble.
Practice. Very few people can do a natural sounding cold read. Most of us need to practice a scripted piece several times before it begins to sound natural.
iPad to video
Rather than rehash the details, I've created a YouTube playlist of howto's that will get you started recording and editing with your iPad. The quality of the final product will depend more on the creativity, time and effort you put into planning and producing the video than on the equipment at your disposal.
You probably won't be making Hollywood quality video, but you WILL be able to deliver your training information in a way that hits multiple learning styles so that your target audience has a better chance of retaining the information.
Key things to consider when recording video
Choose a quiet location. Any fan noise, road noise, A/C, dogs, kids, elevators, etc. may be picked up in your recording.
Use a lot of light. Video cameras need more light than your eyes. There are many videos on proper lighting. The basics are to have more light on the front of the subject than from behind or overhead. Overhead lighting causes heavy shadows. Backlighting causes dark shadows all over the face.
Get close to your microphone. Even with expensive mics, voices lose their "presence" the farther the person is from the mic. Try to be within 2-4 feet of the microphone. If you need a wide shot, use a second device to record the audio.
PowerPoint to video
Did you know that PowerPoint can export to common video formats like .mov and .mp4? You can even record a voice over with your presentation. I've seen PowerPoint videos that looked like they were produced in video editing software. Modern PowerPoint can have all of the visual interested, animation, transitions, and complexity you want to give it.
If you're already a PowerPoint guru and just want to know how to squeeze a video out of the software, This is a great tutorial with the basics.
If you need a little help dressing up your presentation with animations and transitions, this one can get you started and the whole of the internet is just a search engine away.
It seems that every year video production becomes more and more democratized. Creating videos is less about investing in technology and increasingly about investing in creativity.
For professional productions, you'll still want to hire a pro who has the skills, experience, and specialized equipment to output the best quality reliably. However, if you need to get your information out, the barrier to entry for video is dropping. You CAN do-it-yourself.
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