Video Production for Organizational Training

Why Video Is Important to Modern Learning

Video for eLearning is incredibly powerful because it combines sight, sound, and storytelling. This multitasking approach effectively engages viewers and helps make lessons stick.

Here’s why video should be a central pillar of your organization’s eLearning strategy:

• Personalize your product: Video allows you to personalize content, such as having a leader share a success story.
• It shows complex processes: It simply shows step-by-step procedures, like a tutorial on how to use new industry software.
• It accommodates busy schedules: A member may skip a 5-page article, but will enjoy watching a 3-minute video explaining their commute.
• Breaking down barriers: Thoughtful video that uses visual cues and clear narration transcends learning abilities and language barriers.
• Reduce isolation: Seeing faces and hearing voices encourages communication, helping remote students feel less alone.

Create Engaging Training Videos with Different Levels of Interaction in a Talking Storyline

Micro Epiphany: In a screen-first world, mobile learning is learning that moves people.

Types of eLearning Videos That Drive Engagement

Not all videos are created equal. To drive engagement and appeal to popular learning materials, combine your formats. Here are a few styles that work best for compound learning:

• Small demos and tutorials: These are short 2–5 minute screencasts or live demos that quickly solve one problem and teach a specific skill (eg, “How to Submit Your Certificate Application Online”).
• Interviews and expert interviews: Include a seasoned member or industry expert in a Q&A or TED-style mini-talk to lend authority and share real-world insights.
• Acting Roles: Record a situation (such as a difficult client interview) that shows the wrong way versus the right way to handle it. This can be easily recorded in person or remotely via Zoom.
• Animated explainers: Use animations or simple animations—like a flowchart that walks through the steps of compliance—to simplify abstract concepts without requiring a large studio.
• Highlights of the event: Leverage existing webinars or conferences by organizing key moments into highlight videos, adding on-screen text or images to emphasize important data.

How Animation Styles Improve Corporate Training Videos: Comparing Vyond vs Custom Video Animation

Real World Industry Examples

(Tip: Follow the Microlearning Lab for an extensive portfolio of eLearning and interactive microlearning videos.)

Micro Epiphany: Match the style of the video to the lesson–the format should enhance the message, not detract from it.

Scripting and Storytelling for Effective Videos

Great eLearning videos start at the planning stage, long before the camera rolls on. Captioning enforces clarity and keeps your video short.

1. Create Your Script

• Define the goal: Determine your north star: what should the viewer learn or do after watching it?
• It ended up being a conversation: Use simple language, short sentences, and active voice (eg, “Many new members don’t understand this rule properly”). Avoid complicated jargon unless you’re talking directly to an expert.
• Use the old formula: Organize the text into an introduction (tell them what they are going to learn), a demonstration or explanation (teach it), and a conclusion (repeat the next steps).

2. Map Your Visuals (Storyboarding)

A storyboard is a visual framework consisting of a sequence of rough drawings or frames with notes for each scene.

• Avoid the “talking head”: Pair your script with your storyboard to organize cutaways for charts, bullet points, or screenshots.
• Prepare for the walk: Plan to change something on the screen (image, camera angle) every 30–60 seconds to re-engage the viewer, and mark these changes in your planner.
• Embed collaboration: Note in your script where you will stop for reflection questions, or embed questions and links if your platform allows.

Micro Epiphany: If you’re good at writing and storyboarding, shooting video becomes the easy part.

DIY Video Production Tips

You don’t need a big budget or a professional studio to create compelling content. Many organizations produce high-quality videos remotely with minimal gear.

From Script to Screen: A step-by-step guide to the video production process for training videos

• Camera and stabilization: Use what you have; modern smartphone cameras and portable web cameras record in HD. Invest in a simple phone stand or tripod to get consistent shots.
• Sound enhancement: An external microphone—even a $30 clip-on mic—can dramatically improve the quality of your audio.
• Lighting and framing: Record near a window for natural light, or use an affordable ring light. Avoid backlighting (bright windows behind the speaker) and frame the shot so that the speaker’s face and shoulders fill the screen against a structured background.
• Remote fields: Tools like Teams and Zoom double well as recording studios. Make sure you hit “record” and note that many tools record separate speaker views for clean editing.
• Edit and product: Use simple software like iMovie or Camtasia to crop, overlay text, and add picture-in-picture. Add your organization’s logo, product colors, and static title slides to make homemade videos look professional.

Micro Epiphany: Use the tools at your disposal and focus on clarity–great content shines through with decent production. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good; viewers forgive small technical errors if the content is very important.

Accessibility Standards and Captions

Ensuring that all members can benefit from your content is not just about compliance; it’s about inclusion. Accessibility allows for those with hearing or visual impairments, non-native speakers, and alternative learning options.

• Captions and subtitles: All videos need subtitles. Plan to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards for accurate captions in recorded audio. You can generate them automatically (like on YouTube) or upload a .srt file, but always review them yourself for accuracy.
• Full transcript: Provide a text version of spoken content and key visual explanations to help readers who use screen readers or those who prefer to skim and search for specific information.
• Visual contrast and color: Ensure high contrast (eg, dark text on a light background) so that the text is readable. Never rely on color alone to convey meaning to colorblind readers; use labels or symbols again.
• Player controls: Use a video player that allows users to play/pause with their keyboard, adjust volume, and skip forward or backward.

Micro Epiphany: Accessible video isn’t just kind—it’s better for everyone. Clarity for one usually means clarity for all.

Next Steps: Submit Your Test Video

By prioritizing video and making it accessible, you meet your members where they are: eyes on screens, ready to read. Follow these steps to get started:

• Choose a test video: Choose an easy-to-read topic that benefits from visuals, such as displaying a common FAQ. Clarify its purpose and format.
• Write and draw: Prepare a short script and draw a visual storyboard for the pilot before you record.
• Check your setup: Record a quick 30-second test on your phone or webcam to check your sound, brightness, and video quality. Adjust as needed.
• Update on accessibility: Add captions to your finished video and ask a colleague or member to review it for clarity and accessibility. Use these lessons before promoting your product.

Stay tuned! Next, we’ll continue to develop your custom eLearning toolkit with best practices for creating lessons that stick.

Get your copy of Microlearning For Associations: A Playbook For Engagement, Retention, and Revenue today. It distills years of design expertise, data-driven insights, and real-world examples into a practical roadmap for organizational leaders and L&D professionals.

Additional Services

Once you’ve downloaded our ultimate guide for organizations, check out these resources to learn more about video training production:

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