Anytime you're working with a creative team, you'll find that there can be drastic differences in workflow, style and deliverables. So to make it easy for clients, we wanted to share our workflow and approach to creating training videos.
Our process has been developed after designing more than 3,000 training lessons, commercials, and short-form content, and while we've skipped steps or said "it's not necessary" doing so almost always adds more time in the parts of the workflow and slows progress.
So, anytime we're creating a video - here are our 5 steps:
Script Development
Storyboard / Design Development
Produce and Record
Edit and Assemble
Review, Revise, and Deliver
Continue reading below for details on each step of the workflow.
Step 1. Script Development
Defining the structure, the content, and what's being delivered.
We've got to define the "why" and "what" of the video and then work to articulate the most important points to the viewer.
Our scripts will often include a few points of detail:
Identify if the script is for an "on-camera person" or "voice-over talent."
The spoken words and language for any content
Suggestions of "what's being shown" during that section of the script. (i.e. software screen, presentation slide, b-roll of a professional person.)
Step 2: Storyboard/ Design Development
Planning visuals, audio, and how it will come together.
With the script clearly defined (and approved), we then move to planning the visual elements of the multimedia.
The visual elements we define are often:
How will text elements appear on the screen?
What do titles or logos look like?
How will we call out elements on screen or point out important features?
Which screens (and data) need to be shown for software videos?
Step 3: Produce and Record
Capturing the right content, presenters, and visuals.
Once the storyboard is approved and "locked" we can move into producing or recording the content.
For many projects, this includes:
Capturing the software screens for tutorials or lessons.
Producing voice-over content and narration
This also may include:
Filming talent,
Interviewing subject matter experts, or
Staging and filming other scenes for more complex projects.
Once all of the visuals have been captured, we'll post an update for you. Often the formats are difficult to share without specific software or have extremely large file sizes, so we'll start sharing content during the "first draft" of the Edit and Assemble phase.
Step 4: Edit and Assemble
Bringing it all together for clients.
During this step, we assemble and pace all of the visuals, audio, graphics, and music together - then publish the draft to the Studio for your review.
Edit and assemble is the step where all of the planning and development reaches a "viewable product." Depending on the complexity of the project, this may be a single day of editing and assembly, or it may take multiple days to execute particular animations, effects, or pieces of content.
Our team provides consistent updates on the progress of videos in this phase and will alert you as things become available for review and feedback.
Step 5. Review, Revise, and Deliver
Collaborate to the finish line.
The final step is to iron out any of the details, zooms, transitions, or pacing of the final video. This is often a collaborate process with clients using our review portal.
It's normal to make small changes and adjust the finishing details of any video. Every client has unique preferences for pacing, style, and other reviewers may have different opinions that need to be incorporated into the final product.
Note: Adjusting the main elements of the video, reproducing audio or screens, etc. requires everyone to back up several steps and begin again.
This isn't the phase to "completely reimagine" what you'll need on screen, the examples being shown, or the type of actors you'll need.
Once you're happy with the video - simply mark it Done!
From there, you can download the files immediately and share them with the world.