Just how influential is video in a training course?

Let’s take a history test:
Think about everything you know about the Apollo 13 space mission.

OK, now where did you go in your memory to recall the Apollo 13 space mission?

• Classroom Textbook?
• Newspaper Article?
• Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News?

Or was it the Tom Hanks Apollo 13 movie?

I often use this example when I present at conferences about the power of using video in training.  99% of the time the answer is the Apollo 13 movie with Tom Hanks.  Why? Because video is a powerful tool that helps your memory to recall  images, drama, and story. Video can also provide personality to your training projects.

Marketers have always know the power of using video to change behavior.  Trainers seem to be hesitant to use video for training do to perceived higher costs of developing video.  Most of the time as learners we end up viewing a PowerPoint production with audio because it is easier to develop for an instructional designer.

What training developers need to know is their Audience is Changing!

Training now must be visually compelling to connect with people who have been conditioned by media such as movies, television, video games, music and online videos.

One powerful example on how video can change behavior in training.

My company, Xcelus, developed a 2 day ILT training course to change the behavior of health insurance benefits account managers.  The training started with an 8 minute reenactment video showing the typical account visit – an account manager and a client’s benefit manager.  The training video demonstrated the client frustration because of the lack of initiative of the account manager to see that the current benefits reporting was not sufficient for the benefit manager to make good business decisions.

After the video was finished playing, the training audience was stunned that it captured their current situation when visiting clients.  They were ready for the training and were prepared to make the behavioral changes to improve their relationship with clients.  There were more videos through out the training course that also had the same effect.

During the evening dinner, I was listening to the account managers discussing the training that day.  The interesting point was they all were referencing the videos they saw that day.  Conversations started with “Remember in the first video…”  or “Just like the video where the account manager…”  Not one conversation referred to how cool the PowerPoint transitions were. The account managers were ready to implement new behaviors that they saw in the training videos.

Videos are very influential to changing behavior. On your next training project, see how you can implement video into your course.

I am often asked, what is the best budget camera for online videos?  Xcelus Studios usually does not use a low budget camera for our video production projects, but I realize that most small companies cannot afford a $6000 camera for simple video projects.  They just want good enough video to post on the web.

After looking at the samples from my friends Flip video camcorder and reviewing the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera, I choose the Kodak Zi8 camera.  The biggest reason to use the Kodak Zi8 camera over the Flip Video camcorder is the ability to add an external microphone.

After watching video footage of my friend’s Flip camera from a FranklinCovey event at Sundance, I was impressed with the video quality, but not the audio.  I couldn’t hear the main subject due to the crowd noise and the isolated interview shots the sound was so distant that the interviewee seemed cold and unappealing. Remember that poor audio plus good video quality still equals a crappy video.  Portable video camera microphones pick up every sound in the room.

After purchasing the Kodak Zi8, I hooked up our Sennheiser wireless microphone to the camera and did some tests.  The audio was great and the video quality was great.  I also purchased a 1FT Audio Cable – Female XLR to 3.5mm Stereo Right Angle Plug from ComputerCableStore.com to use our shotgun microphones with the camera.

Another great feature on the Kodak Zi8 is the ability to choose which video format – 1080p, 720p 60fps, 720p, or WVGA.

For web video or training, the Flip and Kodak camera’s video output size is way too large for web viewing.  The video size averages about 60MB per minute in 720p mode.  This means that a 3 minute video would be about 180MB. I recommend that you use video compression software to reduce the file size before you upload the videos to your website.  We use Sorenson squeeze, but there are less expensive options available and some free online options as well.  A good web video size is ~4MB per minute.  A 3 Minute video is now 12MB vs. 180MB.

If uploading to YouTube, they will compress and convert your file automatically.  YouTube’s file upload limit is 2GB.

If you are using these cameras for interviews remember these tips for successful video:

LIGHTING – Three-point lighting is a standard method used in visual media.

1. The Key Light shines on the subject
2. The Fill Light shines from a different angle
3. The Back Light shines on the subject from behind

SOUND

1. Find a quiet location to record
2. Lavaliere microphones are preferred
3. Try not to use shotgun microphones
4. Cell phones should be completely turned off

COMPOSITION

1. Use a Tripod
2. Make sure to have the camera at the exact level horizontally as the main subject
3. Try not to look down or up on the subject with the camera
4. Use a medium shot
5. Avoid zooms

VIDEO COMPRESSION

1. 3 – 4 MB per minute vs. 30 MB per minute
2. 3 Minute Flip Cam video is 86 MB
3. Encoding Options
   • Sorenson Squeeze (Desktop)
   • Encoding.com (Online)

For reference, the cameras we use in our professional video work are the following:

• Panasonic HVX-200a with a Red Rock Lens system
• Canon 7D

Many companies use online video for customer testimonials.  Too often these videos are nothing more than customer X saying that Company Y is a great company and they have great products.   Just sit the customer down in front of a camera and tell them what you want to say. After 3-5 takes there is enough information to create a short video for a website.  This is the simplistic way to create a non motivational testimonial video.

The problem with the simplistic approach is there is no emotional attachment to the customer. In other words, the “trust” factor of the customer’s testimonial has not been established. A good customer testimonial video is more than just telling someone that Company Y is a great company and they have great products.

Customer testimonial videos need a believable “trust” factor of the unknown customer telling someone they should trust what they are sharing.  Creating these videos involves more creative development time and effort to share additional background information about the customer which is essential to establish creditability.  The most effective way to do this is to tell a story with your customer testimonial videos.

Some of the best customer testimonials videos I have seen are produced by APX Alarm in Provo Utah.  Tom Coleman is an expert at creating an emotional attachment to a customer and a product.  You can see some of APX Alarms customer testimonials videos at this link by click the play button on the image.

The next time you are planning customer testimonial videos, take some time and do something different – tell a story.

What Makes a Great Training Video – Tell a Story

Part 2 It All Starts with Aristotle – Ethos Pathos, Logos

This series of blog entries is not how to make a great training video, but explains the elements of a great a great training video. Many thanks go to Platte Clark, Director of Product Development for VitalSmarts for this information. Platte has developed some of the best video based training scripts Xcelus Studios has produced using the power of story. This information comes from a white paper and presentation we co-developed for a local ASTD event in 2006.

Five Things Instruction Designers can learn from Screenwriters about Training Motivation

Aristotle developed three keys to effective writing: the artful application of ethos, pathos and logos – the use of character (or credibility), logic (or reason), and emotion respectively. An excellent example is in the TV series Star Trek. It is expressed through the individual roles of the fictional characters: Captain Kirk (character), Spock (logic), and Dr. Bones (emotion). The screenwriters of the series purposefully built a charismatic leader who was often buffeted by appeals to reason and/or emotion as a foundation for compelling story telling.

Motivating participants to sit through training material is becoming increasingly difficult and critics are quick to point out that staring at a small screen is inherently problematic. In the end trainers feel pressed to employ motivational strategies (such as making training mandatory or sending test results to managers.)

Unfortunately, training via a computer often is problematic—think of the numerous distractions; absence of social consequences for quitting; and the tedious read and click environments. Screenwriters have been wrestling with many of the same motivational issues for years and have found ways to keep eyes glued on the big (and little) screen. In fact, building a three act screenplay is as formal and structured a process as designing training; the only difference is the dramatic structure is hidden under plot whereas instructional design is often conspicuously apparent throughout.

The differences in how screenwriter and instruction designers develops content are outlined below:

Screenwriting Method

–Beginning (set-up & hook) Act I

–Middle (complication) Act II

–End (resolution) Act III

Instructional Design Method

–Tell them what you’re going to say (Intro)

–Say it (The Course)

–Tell them what you’ve said (Summary)

Creative instructional designers don’t restrict their training to the premise that eLearning (or any other self-driven learning methodology) requires extrinsic motivational elements for successful completion. Training can be intrinsically interesting and motivating. Screenwriters have been building such interest for years, and what follows are five techniques they use that can be equally effective in instructional design.

Secret #1: Ethos, Pathos and Logos

Secret #2: Build a Thematic Argument

Secret #3: Conflict is Good

Secret #4: Create a Noble Goal

Secret #5: Hold Something Back

Click here to download the Five Things Instruction Designers can learn from Screenwriters about Training Motivation white paper.

What Aristotle and Star Trek can teach us about the art of writing and instructional design.

This series of blog entries is not how to make a great training video, but explains the elements of a great training video.  Many thanks go to Platte Clark of VitalSmarts for this information.  Platte has developed some of the best video based training scripts Xcelus Studios has produced using the power of story.  This information comes from a white paper and presentation we co-developed for a local ASTD event in 2006.

———————————————————

Part 1 Why Story?

Let’s do a quick history test – Tell me all of the details of the Apollo 13 mission where does your mind go to first?

Encyclopedia?

School Textbook?

News Article?

I would wager a bet that most of the readers of this blog immediately thought of the Tom Hanks Apollo 13 movie.  You probably had an image of the Tom Hanks pop in your head other than the one of the original flight crew pictured in this blog.

Can you explain the details of the Apollo 13 crew?

How did Jack Swigert become a crew member? (Think of Kevin Bacon’s character)

Why didn’t Ken Mattingly fly on Apollo 13?

Did they land on the Moon?

All of these details can be remembered through the power of telling a story and the use of video or visually imagery.  Why is story-based knowledge and memory so powerful?  People naturally learn by hearing stories.  It is easier to remember details and fact through stories. Some research shows that during a story both sides of the brain are working together.

Roger Schank & Robert Abelson wrote:

“People who fail to couch what they have to say in memorable stories will have their rules fall on deaf ears despite their best intentions and despite the best intentions of their listeners. A good teacher is not one who explains things correctly but one who couches his explanations in a memorable (i.e., an interesting) format.”

Platte Clark shares the following:

• People need a context to help them relate what they have heard to what they already know
• When a decision-making heuristic, or rule of thumb, is presented to us without a context, we cannot decide the validity of the rule we have heard, nor do we know where to store this rule in our memories

Video is a great tool to tell a story, but often training videos are nothing more than an audio or talking head with endless bullet points of data.  We have made our fair share these videos and they continue to be a preferred style of some of our clients.  They are easy to write and take less effort to make.  Weaving a story into a training video can be complex.

One of the best training videos we developed was for Zenger Analytics. The 3 part video was a component of a two day instructor led training course for account managers of insurance companies.  The video started the training session telling a story of an account manager visiting a client who is frustrated with the account manager because of the lack of details in their reporting.  Take a look here…

I was sitting in the training class observing at the account managers watch the story.  It really illustrated their typical account visits.  Immediately after the video was finished they all were connected to the training and related several stories and experiences that were similar to the character in the video. The training included two additional videos throughout the course retelling the story with different outcomes based on the new knowledge they gained from the course..

The interesting part about the whole training experience was at the dinner that night everybody was referring to the video as they were discussing the training with their peers.  The six minute story proved very effective in connecting the training audience to the content.  It made them pay attention and gave them a point of reference of why they needed to become better account managers.

Another example of a training video telling a story is one we created for a Biotech company about insider trading.  We took a 60 minute presentation and turned it into a 3 minute story. Take a look here…

What makes a good training video? Tell a story.

——————————–

In part 2 of this blog we will discuss how to develop a training script using screenwriter’s techniques.

More and more companies are now using online video strategically in business processes such as lead generation, employee/partner communications, sales qualification, support, training and marketing.  We have compiled a list of URL links to our favorite articles validating the emergence and importance of using online video in your business.

1. Six Reasons Videos That Aren’t Viral Are Valuable

2. Online Video Marketing: How to Optimize Your Web Site Conversion Rates Through Video

3. Persuasive Online Video Strategies That Prompt Action

4. The Video Boom: Video Takes Over the Inbox

5. Five Ways Traditional Media Companies are Using Online

6. Creating Powerful Digital Video Campaigns

7. Online Video Ads – Statistics 2008

8. The Online Video Snacking Trend

9. The Future of Online Video Looks Bright

10. B2B Marketers Gain Competitive Edge with Online Video

Online video is very cost effective format, easier to produce, and host online than in the past.  It is now almost a requirement to be successful in attracting customers and prospects to your product and services.

About Xcelus

Xcelus develops innovative and unique online video platforms allowing companies to integrate the power and persuasion of video into their sales, marketing, and communication strategies. Xcelus’ online video platform tools allow companies to manage, deliver and measure video content to meet the needs of today’s business requirements. Xcelus’ video solutions include sales, marketing, customer support, lead generation, recruiting, and employee communications. Xcelus is a private company founded in 2005 and is based in Provo, Utah amidst the greatest snow on earth.

Now you have created your new marketing video, what do you do with it? Here is a list of my ideas on how to maximize your business video:

1. Convert the video to the following digital formats and in a variety of sizes:

• FLV – Flash video format for web posting
• WMV – Windows media format for PowerPoint Presentations
• MP4 – for iPhone and Mac applications
• H.264 – High Definition format for Presentations
• MOV – for your Mac applications

Your video production vendor should provide you with these formats. Hopefully you are not being delivered a single video file. If your video vendor will not provide the above formats, request the final .mov or .avi file and purchase video conversion software (We use Sorenson Squeeze) to convert your video to the above formats.

2. Upload your video to your website. Put a link to the video on your home page.
3. Create a special landing page with your online video for Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns
4. Upload your video to YouTube. Create a YouTube account and a YouTube channel for your company. Use YouTube as part of your SEO and social media strategy. You can see the Xcelus Studio channel at: http://www.youtube.com/xcelusstudios
5. Use your video to start a social media strategy. – Start by creating a Facebook account and a Facebook page for your company. You can see the Xcelus Studio Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Provo-UT/Xcelus-Studios/25219468856?ref=ts
6. Tweet your Twitter followers about your new video.
7. Use your video in your sales processes such as email campaigns and sales presentation.
8. Don’t forget to use your video in your PowerPoint presentations. The WMV format work great in PowerPoint.
9. Create a press release announcing you have created a new marketing strategy using online videos. Link to the video.
10. Announce your video in your corporate blog.

There are many more ways to maximize your video. These are just a few ideas to get your new marketing video out to your clients and prospects.

Corporate Video Production Cost, Part 3 – Types of video production to meet your budget

Now you know the cost drivers for video production and typical questions to narrow your scope of you project, let’s look at 5 general types of corporate video and the price ranges it cost to produce a video:

1. User Generated Production
2. Basic Production
3. Mid-range Production
4. High-end Production
5. Complex Production

User Generated Production
Examples: Recorded webinar, podcast, converted PowerPoint presentation with audio or   basic video using webcam or consumer video camera.

Many user generated videos are perfectly fine.  They are “good enough” for the project.  It all goes back to the question, what is the purpose of the video?  Most of these videos are targeted to employees for training or simple communications.

The cost to produce these videos is minimal and usually time to produce is the only cost.

Basic Production
Examples: A short, narration led program, which is scripted mainly by the client, incorporating photos or images with text and basic editing with text and graphics.

A lot of corporate videos fall into this type of production. They include basic information, but produced with a higher professional look and feel than a user generated video.  The use of a professional voice talent and stock photos add to the production quality. The big difference is the quality of the audio and graphics.  Many companies have the in-house capabilities to produce at this level, but do not have the time.

The cost to produce these videos is would fall into the range of $4,000 to $10,000 depending on the length complexity of the script and required graphics.  Length of the video could cause the price range to be even higher.

Mid-range Production
Examples: A narration or presenter led program, fully scripted by script writer, produced over a number of days, incorporating more detailed motion graphics or 3D images and some basic music production.

Mid-range productions take video production it to the next level with dimensional graphics and images and add animations of processes or concepts.  This could also include a short green screen production of a video host.

The cost to produce these videos is would fall into the range of $8,000 to $25,000. The higher cost could be related to animation development time, longer finished minute of video, video host and studio recording time or cost to acquiring specific images or graphics and music tracks.

High-end Production
Examples: A drama or role-play reconstruction using professional actors, or a company profile video with detailed video production by incorporating sophisticated motion graphics and music.

This production value adds the use of actors, video hosts, complex video script, detailed animations, shooting specific B-roll footage, location rentals, permits, studio time and larger studio crew.  This would also included videos of C level executives that create a high value of image and branding.

The cost to produce these videos is would fall into the range of $15,000 to $30,000.  The higher cost could be related to animation development time, longer finished minute of video, video host and studio recording time or cost to acquiring specific images or graphics and music tracks.  More preplanning is also required for high-end productions.

Complex Production
Examples: A longer, more complex production or a series of videos, using known actors and presenters, incorporating state-of-the-art graphics and special effects and original composed music.

The difference between this and a high-end production is adding higher quality actors or spokespersons, locations, planning, using extras, script writer, production crew, and complex motions graphics and animations.

These production start around $25,000 and could go above $100,000.

Remember these are all general price ranges based on unknown production needs.  I tried to group these into 5 general category types of video production that most companies would use.

Now you know why when question is asked – how much will it cost to produce your video? The answer is- It depends.

Welcome to my blog. I hope to provide useful information about corporate video production, using videos to promote your business, nurture leads, train employees, improve customer service and support experiences, and insights to Xcelus Studios – a video production company.

A little about me, I have an Accounting degree from Utah State University and an MBA in Marketing from Brigham Young University. I have been primarily involved with marketing training services for companies like Novell and SmartForce. Marketing and sales videos were primary components to my marketing mix. This was before Internet streaming was prime time.

At SmartForce I developed lead generation programs based on an online video news show. We were using Yahoo! and Broadcast.com as the engine. These news programs were 18 minutes in length and featured a show host and three news segments about SmartForce customers who were successfully using their elearning products. These video based lead generation activities were very successful.

After SmartForce I worked shortly with a small production studio called Emerald Forest. From there I went to work for Hitachi Data Systems as their Sales Training Program Manager.

At Hitachi Data Systems, we developed video based sales training using a talking head and bringing in key bullet points or images. These training courses were delivered on a CD-Rom to all sales globally. Eventually they were converted to web based an iPod format for mobility.

In May of 2005 I started Xcelus. We initially did training development using video, Flash animations and HTML programming. In 2008 we did our first commercials for a Paintball company promoting their Paintball guns. Our next commercial was for Monster Balls paint balls. This commercial ran on Fox Sports channel. Soon we were doing as much marketing video development as we were doing sales training development.

The web based videos followed my video philosophy of short, to the point, videos. 60 seconds for the elevator pitch and less than 4 minutes for a product overview/more information video.

Using this blog should help you in your video production process to improve your results and to share creative ideas to take your video production to the next level.