Amidst this quarantine, where most people have been trapped in their homes with their everyday activities, the use of the internet has reached unprecedented levels. If you were planning to make instructional videos, this is the ideal time. Not sure how it is done? Follow this guide to find out.
Table of Contents
Plan Your Video
If you are hoping to make a video guide that will blow everybody away, it cannot be done without proper planning. Jumping straight to content production is one common mistake many creators make. Investing a little time for research and planning will save you the hassle and trouble you will have to face later. There are various elements to making an instructional video which needs your attention before the shooting process. If you want to know more about making videos get an essay written by Essay Zoo, this will equip you with all the knowledge about how to make great videos. What takeaway do you want the viewers to have? For this purpose, you are recommended to create a course outline listing down all the topics you need to cover.
Next, determine the target length of your video. Bite-sized videos are preferred in today’s jam-packed schedules. You can break down the tutorials in different videos if it is lengthy for easy digestion. Then, a great idea would be to select an expert in the subject matter. This individual will use his expertise and experience to help you out by offering insights to make your video more valuable. Choose a suitable date for a practice run and for shooting the video. It is crucial to decide your shooting location beforehand. Make sure the place you decide has a peaceful environment you can work in. You do not need a professional studio for this. Any area in your house can be as good a working space as you know how to set it up properly. You should make sure there is a good lighting source, a simple and clean background and an adjustable camera holder. Finally, forecast your budget, possible costs and potential crew needs. It can include your equipment, research material and professional help.
Understand The Basics of Instructional Video
If you are a beginner, there are a few basics you need to familiarize yourself with to shoot flawless teaching videos. When you initiate your video, start by introducing the speaker followed by the outline going to be covered. Present all of this in the predetermined recording time. Once you are done, summarize all the key points for the audience and wind it up. An important factor to keep in mind is how one can connect to the learner. For instance, if you are making a tutorial on software demonstration, you can insert screenshots to make the process more engaging and convenient. Showing an easy-to-follow tutorial is always a favourite among the audience. You can also include all the step-by-step instructions in the description box to make it more convenient for the users.
Additionally, you can also incorporate background music if you want to but ensure that it is not too loud or distracting. Although many songs get reported for copyright issues, it is better to find unproblematic tunes beforehand. Also, it would help if you understood that there are multiple ways to go about it. You can record the instructions as being taught directly by a presenter. You can also utilize animation to make the video more fun or do a voiceover using text to voice tools.. You should also include the option of subtitles in your video to reach out to more people. Whatever, you decide to go with, keep in mind your audience and the nature of the topic you are explaining about.
Pre-production and Practice
Work through the course outline with your expert ahead of time, to leave room for fine-tuning. Your video’s effectiveness and engagement potential also depend on the presenter’s comfort level in front of the screen. It might not be everybody’s cup of tea. If you are relatively new at learning how to make an instruction video, you are recommended to take your time to practice in front of a camera. Remember that an audience connects well to a speaker who is confident and clear with his speech. In order to ensure a smooth transition and coherence, you can use the storyboarding technique. It is where you can see your video’s progression by including drawings and script next to them. It provides you with a clear vision and direction. If you don’t have a lot of time for your assignments, professionals from WriteMyEssayForMe can easily help you with that.
Be Yourself
Perhaps the element you can use to your favour to stand apart from countless content creators is your authenticity. The audience does appreciate your content, but you need to bond with them to have engaged and a recurring viewer. This is only possible if you do not try hard to be somebody you are not. People can sense that in a heartbeat, and that might be repulsive for many. The most effective and impactful instruction is not aesthetically pleasing; rather, it is the personal touch that keeps people coming back for more. It would help if you learned that making mistakes is an inevitable and unavoidable aspect of the journey. Make the best out of it, and maybe you could use it in your favour as a touch of humour in your content.
Have you seen bloopers being included at the end of some movies or videos in general? People love that because they get the opportunity to learn more about the creators on a personal level. Learning from these phenomena, you should understand that you are free to work in the most suitable fashion. It is this freedom that will help you shine and get the viewers to engage while you are video teaching.
Record
This is the step that will breathe life into the idea. You have done all your research, and you are ready at this point to start rolling. Here are a few steps you can take to achieve the best results:
- Do make sure the presenter is comfortable while shooting and knows how to convey his message well;
- Break the filming process into different segments for eliminating confusion;
- You can enhance the process by making sure you have a suitable recording device. It will be ideal to have laptops or touchscreen tablets along with a good quality status. If not, you can always substitute and make things work;
- Then there is a screen-casting program required. It will allow you to re-record and pause video segments. Having a good microphone will help you improve the video’s sound quality and cancel background noise;
- Finally, you need editing software to help you compile and add different video features to make it more informative, fun and user-friendly for the audience.
With these five amazing tips, you will be ready to start creating your instructional videos. Make sure to stay consistent and persistent in this process; nothing can be perfected overnight. There is great potential for these types of videos, and this can be your opportunity to shine.
Author of the article:
Cody Rhodes is a learning specialist at EssayZoo, he designs and delivers learning initiatives (both in-class and online) for a global and internal audience. He is responsible for the on-going development, delivery, and maintenance of training. He has the ability to manage competing priorities to execute time-sensitive deliverables within a changing environment. He contributes to continually improving the team’s processes and standards and works as a member of the team to assist with team initiatives.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube