Video Tutorials

1. Video Tutorials TECM 4180 Dr. Lam

2. Why Video Tutorials? • Times are changing- Traditional tech comm must adapt • Videos can convey information that words and pictures cannot (e.g., Spatial information, Procedural information) • (Sometimes) they are more convenient for the end user (e.g., carseat)

3. Where does video fall? • Video, and other multimedia, often falls outside of the purview of technical communication • Instructional design • Production • Content specialist • A good communicator should be able to do all of these things

4. Process of Creating a Video Tutorial • Come up with a topic • Decide on type of video tutorial (screen cast, video demonstration) • Create storyboard for your video • Write script for your video tutorial • Record video and/or audio • Complete edits in post-production editing software • Upload to YouTube

5. Storyboarding • A low fidelity prototype consisting of a series screen sketches • Used to illustrate and organize ideas • Similar to an outline for a written document

7. How to storyboard • Brainstorm ideas, this may include lists, charts, doodles, and quick notes • Select the best ideas: re-consider the project requirements, time and resource constraints, and the target audience and end users. Select the top ideas and try to get feedback from others involved. • Sketch each screen, and describe any pictures, images, animations, sound, music, video or text.

9. General Tools You’ll Need • Microphone for audio narration • Video camera for visual display of information (optional) • Screen casting software for visual display of information (optional) • Other content delivery software (e.g., powerpoint) for visual display of information (optional) • Video editing software

10. Screen Casting Tools What do they do? • Records video of your screen or a portion of of your screen. They also allow you to record audio to narrate your screen cast. What do you need? • Microphone (internal or external) • Screencasting software • Free Software Tools • QuicktimePlayer (“Create Screen Recording”) • Cam Studio • Jing • Free Screencast

11. Post-Production Tools What do they do? • Allow you to edit multimedia files using a “timeline” interface. You can create transitions between scenes. What do you need? • Multimedia files (videos, images, introductory slides, instructional slides, etc.) • Post-production software • Free Software Tools • Windows Movie Maker • iMovie • AVS Video Editor • Kate's Video Toolkit • http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/applications/best-free-video-editing-software-9-top-programs-you-should-download-1136264

12. Deliverables and Grading Criteria • Deliverables • Communication goals worksheet- Follow Anderson’s guide to audience analysis on p. 62. • Script  - A written copy of your video script posted as a Microsoft Word document or PDF document. • Storyboard - A hand drawn or computer-generated storyboard of your video. •  Tutorial- A multimedia tutorial uploaded to YouTube. Be sure to compress the file if it is too large. • Grading Criteria • Clear message - Your message should be clear and not confusing in any way. Your job is to make a complex and/or technical idea simple for your audience. • Production quality- Your multimedia presentation is clear and accessible to your particular audience. • CTML Principles- The video adheres to CTML principles. • Preparation - High quality script and storyboard created and turned in. • Overall quality- A holistic evaluation of your effort and how it was reflected in your final document.

13. Complete Survey http://tinyurl.com/4180video