Ground Floor Video Production for eLearning and Web Delivery
The following is a three-part series for the beginning to intermediate eLearning content developer. It's designed to teach, from the ground up, how to add video to content for eventual delivery on the world wide web.
Part One: Setting Up for Success
As the Creative Director for Multimedia Development at Learning Evolution, I've been involved in every aspect of developing graphic content for eLearning for several years. I've learned quite a bit from both knowledgeable colleagues and old-fashioned trial and error. The lessons I have learned throughout my career can be boiled down into good practices and an up-front acceptance of the following basic work flow processes. It is my hope that this three-part series will help you quickly learn the ropes of video production, as well as integrate dynamic video content with your eLearning projects.
Let's face a simple fact. People like video. It's dynamic, it's colorful and it grabs people's attention. Learners are expecting video more and more as bandwidths and budgets grow steadily larger. The sooner we get on this particular wagon, the sooner you can meet those needs.
Earmark a project...
Now that you've decided to do some video, you need to earmark a project for it. I would recommend doing something on your own (you really don't want to use a client as a guinea pig). Is there something that you have been wanting to do in a personal context for a while? Is there some pro bono work you've been meaning to do for that local charity? Do you want to try your hand at something a little off the beaten path? Now is the time to do it. Pick a project, something small, and get going. You don't need to do anything at this point aside from earmark the project... I'll get to project specifics later. The important thing now is to start thinking about a particular project as a video project; this will allow you to add it to your scheduling and will help solidify it in your work flow.
Get the studio ready...
Most video work that makes it into eLearning is shot in a studio (as opposed to shot on location, although a lot of this will translate to that anyway), so I'll start there.
"Talking Head" videos are commonly requested by clients; the format allows a manager or supervisor at the company to "personally" welcome learners. "Talking Head" videos are usually no more than a few minutes long--a perfect scenario to use for your project.
The studio needs to be a room in which you can control the lighting and sound. Not everyone can afford to dampen, soundproof, and dedicate an entire room for video, but you do need to find a nice quiet place that you can dedicate to video for the length of the shoot, or at least for a few hours for our intro video. Ideally, you want a place that can be shut off from the outside world for the entire length of the shoot. It's good to have a door that you can close (put a RECORDING IN SESSION sign on the outside; if nothing else it will make you feel fancy) and walls that aren't too echoey. To test for echoes, record something on your "room" and listen to it closely with some good headphones to see if you get echoes or hisses which might need to be addressed. Also, make sure the room has no windows (if there are windows, can they be easily covered?).
Hardware...
Let's look at the hardware requirements. You'll need a camera, a tripod, a microphone, some lights and a set. "That sounds expensive, Will," you might say. Well, it doesn't have to be. Remember that you are looking at an eventual web delivery here, so the video can't be high definition anyway.
While it is true that high-fidelity cameras capture raw footage that is easier to deal with in the post-production environment because it makes it much easier to key out colors, for example, you can certainly do excellent, high caliber work with a mini-DV camcorder. If you won't be keying out a background, just make sure the background you do shoot looks great.
Try and find a good tripod--you want your camera to be very stable.
As for the microphone, I wouldn't recommend using the microphone that is built into the camera (even in an expensive HD camera); they are almost always tinny and pick up too much ambient noise.
For your purposes, you need a decent quality omni-directional lapel microphone. You can get one for a hundred bucks or so, and you really shouldn't skimp on this step as your audio quality is very important. The microphone can be attached to the camera directly, or via wireless transponders which I heartily recommend (although they will, of course, cost you extra money).
You will also need some lights. Remember that you are recording audio with the video, so photography lights with fans won't work well. Remember to get enough lights to light the subject (without too much shadow) as well as the background. If you are planning on keying out a background, pay special attention to making sure the background is evenly lit. (You might want a couple pieces of white foam core which you can use on the fly to bounce light where you need it.)
The Set...
The set is relatively simple. Will the subject be sitting behind a desk like a nightly newscaster? If so, you need a desk and a chair. Most of my subjects are shot standing, in which case you really don't need anything else. Just make sure to direct your subjects properly so that they don't sway--a common problem in first-time videos.
The Software...
Let's look at some of the necessary software. Windows has a program called Windows Movie Maker, and every time I tell people that it's free and already on their XP system, they don't believe me. You also need a good piece of editing software, like Adobe Premiere (which will import your raw video footage).
If you have Adobe After Effects you will be able to add a lot of fun motion effects to your video in addition to letting you key out colors, but you don't necessarily need it.
Likewise, companies like Digital Juice sell tons of reasonably priced, neat effects and graphics to augment your videos and really help them look professional without adding much time to your process.
You also want a dedicated audio editing program such as the excellent Adobe Audition (which I use almost exclusively) or you can get by with a free application like the very capable Audacity.
Finally, you will need encoding software to get your video ready for the web. There are many options, but the standard for eLearning is the Flash Video Encoder.
Setting things up...
Set the camera on the tripod so that you are shooting the background at the proper angle. If you are shooting a chroma key cloth hanging on a wall, make sure you are shooting it at a right angle, for instance. If you are shooting a drapery-type background, make sure it looks good in your viewfinder.
Now you need a pal to step in about halfway between the camera and the background. Make sure you adjust the tripod to shoot the subject head-on and level. Have your pal sit in the chair or stand on a tape mark, and if the subject is going to be standing, make sure your pal approximates the same height as your subject.
Look through the viewfinder and you'll know right away if you're going to be alright. While you do this step, mic your pal up with a lapel microphone and attach it to the camera. Go ahead and shoot some tests and have your pal read a page or two from a magazine, as you want a good cross section of pops and hisses in her speech so that you can level your inputs on the camera.
Shoot a few rounds...
Shoot a couple rounds of tests so you can import some sample footage to your editing station to see how things look and sound. Note the things you like and dislike, and make some more tests.
Try to change only one or two things between tests so you know exactly how certain changes affect your footage. Once you have some test footage you like, take a few minutes to document how you have things set up. Take some pictures to refresh your memory; put down tape x's on the floor where you have things like light. You can do an overhead sketch to show things like angles of lights.
Once you feel comfortable here, you are ready for the next step: Scripts, Subjects and Shooting.
Next week: Scripts, Subjects and Shooting.
About the Author:
William A. Collins Jr. is the Creative Director for Multimedia Development at Learning Evolution. An honored graduate of San Diego State University, Will has a B.F.A. with emphasis in Graphic Design. Will infuses the entire creative department at Learning Evolution with the ideal blend of art and science. He brings a professional, abstract and friendly demeanor to all his work. Will enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife Carolyn and their one year old darling daughter, Molly Jean.
About Learning Evolution:
Learning Evolution is a recognized leader in providing best of class customized eLearning and performance improvement solutions available to clients on their Learning Management Systems and Portals. In addition to eLearning services, Learning Evolution provides in-house video and audio production facilities and expertise.
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