Why should I create a video?
Before I start showing you the “why” of creating a great video, let me share with you why you should do this.
First of all, I believe that all trainers, be they companies or self-employed, should be technically skilled at using the internet to help learn and improve themselves. You can also watch or share your own videos on Avple. I’m not saying you need to be a code maker or flash programmer, but you do need to be able to find your way into web-based programs and software and have a solid knowledge of cloud and Learning Management Programs.
This leads to a video. Video is not new. Many of us use DVDs in our lessons, YouTube clips, and online videos to present ideas and ideas.
Students use videos every day. The widespread use of Smartphones and tablets means that everyone has the power to devour video. People now prefer to watch a video rather than read a web page, YouTube is the second most popular search engine, it follows Google and is most popular with Generation Y. And a video can paint a thousand words.
Most importantly a video can capture a presentation and can be eaten by thousands of people at once. It can be paused, re-injured, or replayed. Can you do that with a live coach?
The video is great for eLearning, can be delivered via your LMS, is engaging, and is awaited by a knowledgeable reader. You should go to joinPD Peardeck for eLearning courses and online Presentations. If we do not provide a video, we are still behind the curve.
Let’s see how. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it can be to read.
How Do I Make a Video?
There are two ways to make a video. Take out the whole project from a dedicated production company or DIY – do it for yourself. Outsourcing is where most firms go but this option is very expensive and will only allow you to produce limited videos but output is always the first step.
DIY is less expensive and gives you more control. There are three ways you can do this. Equip the studio with everything you need, use your smartphone or use your laptop or PC webcam.
Smartphones
Your smartphone will produce a decent video that can be edited using software to produce a smooth end result. Get yourself some kind of tripod. For a few pounds, you can buy a tripod designed for Smartphones. I picked one up this year on eBay and used it for students to record their videos in my lessons. The tripod stops the jerkiness that will occur outside.
Smartphones can be used in the “selfie” style to record your topic if you like. I will often be seen walking with my dogs recording them myself and sharing a tip or a marketing idea. Adding facts to photos, loyalty video lack. The big drop is noisy, just the second level. You can buy lavaliere microphones for £50 which solves the problem and gives your video a professional sound. But these are fiddly and take away the convenience of a mobile phone.
Another problem is transferring the video to a PC or laptop. Many smartphones upload videos to cloud storage and as video sizes are large, this process can be very difficult. It is best to connect your smartphone to your PC and transfer the recording via cable.
Webcams
These come packed in tablets, and laptops and can be purchased for a few pounds on PCs. They produce good quality videos and are easily edited because the files reside on your PC after recording. But the output looks like webcam videos. People do not look at the camera when recording themselves, they prefer to look at the screen and the output looks stagnant, just a trainer talking to a computer.
The background is often poor, perhaps a bookshelf or an empty wall.
You can record your Skype output easily enough. For £ 20 you can purchase software that will capture your Skype video chat with someone and extract it as a movie file.
I did this with great success when I talked to a professional or SME. I recently chatted on Skype, an hour-long, highly successful UK retailer. we used the software to capture the interview and did a series of clips with both pictures on the side. The sound was good and had a sense of excitement and vitality that made it very attractive.
Summary
This has been a journey to stop the call on how to create videos of modern training professionals. You do not need a big budget, just some art to raise awareness about technology and the motivation to want to learn and get better over time.
My advice is to just start and continue to improve. You will make mistakes but be better and better. I did.
The future of learning and development will move to a web-based video-based environment so we can find it right now.