Production professionals' guide to making and recording an instructional program

Jan 28, 2024

It is a fact that making online classes takes a lot of work. It can be an extremely long process, especially when you create a lot of videos for instruction.
    What can aid in reducing the difficulty of the course's production and design? Storytelling
   
    Elise London, our video expert who helps us creates all of our courses in-house as well as marketing. She explains that the secret for creating an engaging online course is by using stories in planning and delivering details.
   
    Finding the narrative in the course's problem and structuring your content with the hero's story telling method story can make a difference. The following is what you should accomplish to effectively create, plan and organize an efficient online video training course. This course includes all necessary instruments.

Jump ahead:

Find the ideal subject for the online course you are taking

It's not necessary to have an original, innovative, out-of-the-box idea to design your own online training.
   
    Select a subject that is already popular. Understanding the goals you have in mind and your target audience will assist. Here's how:

Find out what's been resonating

Use data measurement tools like Google Analytics to find high-performing books. You may find an ebook about particular topic that has performed well? Consider expanding it into a detailed video course.
   
    Also, you can look through your email list to identify topics that people would love to learn more about in virtual reality on. Send the same survey out to your social media accounts (if there is an active group of users on those platforms) as well as to the communities you're involved in.
   
    The aim is to find a course subject that the students are interested in.

Don't go too deep. large.




    What can you do? Reexamine the emotions the audience experiences when they are confronted with the subject.
   
    It is possible to ask you:

  • What sort of confusion are we experiencing as they attempt to settle the matter?
  • Do you have feelings that are that overwhelming, we need to assist to overcome them?

If you are considering live streaming, for example there are many answers to anxieties as people begin the first stream. The subject of a course might be "How it is easy to set up live streams so you're not overwhelmed."

The course's title

If you're thinking of titles for your class take into consideration the feelings your audience will feel regarding the particular challenge you're trying to address and incorporate that into your title.

The design and structure of the online course

Elise advises you to use the hero's journey to lay out the online training course. This would include:

  • Answering the problems faced by students. Find these by responding to questions asked by students concerning the topic of the class.
  • Help them overcome obstacles and coming up with ways to solve them. Here you divide the subject into modules as well as videos that each of which will answer a specific question.
  • leaving them with the promised change. Provide more resources like checklists and templates that assist students with applying what they learn.

Find out how to determine the students' needs and questions to structure and plan your training:

Find out what questions your target audience might have

In lieu of making assumptions take these steps:

  • Browse Reddit along with Quora for a listing of questions that are frequently asked.
  • Surveys and one-on-one phone calls with the learners for direct answers to questions.
  • Take calls from customers from support and sales teams to answer common queries.
  • Check out Bestsellers' index pages on Amazon for a deeper understanding of the questions they have to answer on the topic of education.

If you've held webinars about this topic, you can look into some of the questions people have requested to help guide your research.

The subject matter of the course can be broken down into buckets

Woman recording herself with smartphone. Image reads, "Concept > modules > video lessons"

Refer to the challenges and concerns of the audience and break down your topic into narrative modules that build on each other in order to make the next stage in the life of the learner.

"Instead of saying 'We're going to show you the basics of using Interactive Studio' (which is too broad and hard to wrap my mind around) instead, say "We're teaching the beginner intermediate advanced, intermediate and intermediate capabilities. That is how the subject is relevant for the class that you'll take in one of the three classes." Elise London, Senior content production manager

Simply put "disparate ideas " in buckets, so when you're looking over it from the distance the course appears more manageable."

Pro tip on course structure

Make sure you lay out the course structure to meet the students at any point in their learning journey. It's not uncommon to overload and confuse students, thanks to the temptation of information (a brain bias that presumes your audience knows as much as you do). Be sure to review the curriculum's structure to ensure that it's easy for students.

Create video lessons

  1. Touch on your student's challenges which are related to the issue the video lessons will help in resolving.
  2. Respond to the questions with solutions to the problem that they're trying to solve.
  3. The information in the video must be summarized or provide additional resources that can help the students to make changes.

Video on demand, with scripts

pro tip

Script generator gif

Shooting your course video content

You'll require tools

To get a good setup and production toolkit to set up a good production, you'll need these items:

  • HTML0's Microphone Cameras (two at the very least) along with three or four point kit for lighting
  • Learn Management System (LMS). The software contains the video of the course, which makes it easily accessible to students. Examples include: Teachable, Podia, and Kajabi.
  • . Video hosting platform that has no ads for hosting editing and recording, as well as incorporate interactivity into educational videos that you can then transfer to your LMS.
  • Teleprompter. Display device that displays moving text on screen, making it easier for people on the screen to record video.
  • Music pedal. It is a budget-friendly, foot-operated keyboard that lets you modify the direction that screens are displayed.

Setting the ideal video for you

Elise suggests:

1. Don't use overhead fluorescent light sources.

They can create harsh shadows over your face. The lights of fluorescent bulbs can flicker occasionally and create the appearance of green and altering the quality of your videos.

2. Record without natural light

The lighting conditions in the natural world can shift all day long, and should you happen to be recording for a long period of time, the quality of lighting won't be constant, Elise warns. This is also a problem in the event that you wish to alter parts of your video from one to another video.

3. Set your cameras at different angles

The second camera can't "just add spice to the editing (which is helpful even if you are using a script or even if you are competent to get everything in a single shot) in addition to assist in breaking the monotony of viewers looking at the face of the instructor."
   
    "More crucially, a second camera is used to cover cuts," Elise adds. "So when the content you're sharing does not come out in a single shot and you'd like to conceal it, the method by that the editing can be hidden can be done by making use of B-roll, or by cutting into another camera."

4. Clear background, free of clutter

Do not use bright colors such as magenta, orange, and yellow, as they may cause color reflections and be distracting for viewers. Choose neutral backgrounds including dark blue grey, or gentle white. These colors are perfect for photoshoots and also easy on your eyes.

Recording your online video course

The recording process could be a bit stressful. If you've invested your time in planning and preparing the course, recording isn't an issue.

5. Always make use of a Teleprompter

Teleprompters will stop you from getting stuck in a screen freeze as you struggle to determine the next point is.
   
    It makes recording simple and also reduces editing time "it will also allow you to maintain eye contact with your camera when you are looking into the teleprompter's screen" Adds Elise.

6. Utilize a music pedal change between slides

"Instead of a keyboard, or clicker that's visible on your fingers, consider using the music pedal order to switch your slides[. It's really an USB Bluetooth keyboard with a left and right. It doesn't have to search for either the keyboard or mouse to move it."

Editing videos on demand

Trim your footage to ensure clarity and to provide an exciting watching experience by following these tips:

7. Refine your edits ruthlessly

8. Integrate B-roll into your strategy to improve participation

A way to break up boring video with a talking head is to change cameras on a regular basis.
   
    You can also add graphics, animations, slides, footage from stock, or personal recordings that will provide the most engaging experience for learning.

9. The layer of interactivity is

  • Enjoy a build-your-own-learning path
  • Hit the video hotspots below to discover more sources of education
  • Skip between sections that are relevant to the subject (useful to create a video for onboarding in the workplace)

This means that videos with interactive elements increase viewers' involvement, and increase retention. Also, you can assess the comprehension of your students by making video quizzes using interactive.

Are you willing to develop your own online courses?

Making an online course you love by your viewers can be summarized as follows:

  • It is crucial to be specific in the problem that you are seeking to solve
  • Making the data into a cohesive narrative
  • And finally, you must organize the information so it's easy to follow and digest

Don't forget that using the appropriate tools can ease the stress of recording high-quality courses that provide an engaging learning experience.

This post was first seen on here