I’m on a mission to help people make and use video for learning purposes. Wrapping up a learning video shoot like a professional will elevate your deliverables. If you haven’t already read about the importance of conducting a needs analysis, spending time scriptwriting, and going through the process of pre-production, please click the links in this post and read them first. A professional learning video requires careful planning before you get to makeup and hair. And, once the shooting is done, the attention to detail and effort doesn’t stop there. If you are prepared and ready to level up your pro-skills, then check out the two final things to guarantee your learning video is professional.
This post only covers the last two things you should do on your shoot day. Here are links to the first 10 things:
The first 5 things to do on your eLearning video shoot day
5 Steps to Record Learning Video like a professional
Ok, enough stops and starts, let’s get to it!
The final two things you should do on your shoot day:
- Gather b-roll
- Triple back up your assets
A-roll is the main story being delivered by your acting talent.
B-roll consists of all of the other shots or images that make the story more interesting to watch or add value to the words spoken by the main actor.
~Chris Karel
2 Final Things to Guarantee Your Learning Video is Professional
During your shoot day, you need to capture b-roll. Forgetting b-roll is like baking a pizza with just dough and sauce. I mean sure, the main ingredients are there and people can consume the sauced bread. However, if you take the time to gather the cheese, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, and herbs, then suddenly the sauced bread is a memorable meal. The same goes for learning videos! Oh, and don’t forget to preserve the leftovers with care. By this I mean you should safeguard your recorded assets. I know, that part of the metaphor is a bit of a stretch, but that’s what dough is made to do, right?
Alright, I’m done baking this one. Let me cut it up for you into two slices: b-roll and triple back up. Okay, I mean it now… for real, this metaphor is cooked!
Gather b-roll
If you are not careful, gathering b-roll on a learning video production can be an afterthought. Or, worse, it gets ignored altogether due to time constraints. If you have never heard the term b-roll before, worry not padawan learning video producer.
B-roll is any video or image that is intercut with the main shot. In a learning video production, think of your A-roll as the main story being delivered by your acting talent. B-roll consists of all of the other shots or images that make the main story more interesting to watch or add value to the words spoken by the main actor.
It could be something like a shot of a clock to show the passage of time, or of the training manual being discussed in the video.
If you are short on time, have someone run a second camera during the recording of the main actor. Focus on their hands while they are talking, the product or tools mentioned in the scene, or even a nice profile shot of the talent can go a long way, too. The key is to have another camera angle to cut to during an edit. This adds visual interest and keeps the viewers engaged.
If you are on your own, set up another camera on a tripod. Try to start and stop at the same time to make sure you are capturing things in real-time. Adjust the camera so that you are capturing a different angle than your master shot. Once you get more comfortable with this technique you will start to think about gathering insert shots to use as b-roll.
Learn more about the purpose value of B-roll at the following links:
A-Roll and B-Roll Explained
Step up your Filmmaking: The Importance of B-Roll
What is an insert Shot: How to Build Clever Inserts like The Coen Brothers
For discussion’s sake, let’s say you’ve got that b-roll. Now you’re hanging out with your crew and talent while enjoying a much-deserved beverage of your choice.
But it’s not quite time to celebrate just yet.
Triple back up your assets
I once swam a mere 45 seconds after eating. When I was a teenager, I went a full 20 MILES over the speed limit when I was late to school. And, I’ve even gone to bed without brushing my teeth…more than once!
You’re probably thinking my history of risky behavior would never lead you to believe I would advocate for THREE backups of footage, but you are wrong!
To honor all of the hard work that goes into producing video and audio files, TRIPLE BACKUP your assets. You heard me: THREE backups. Did I say three? I meant AT LEAST three. Follow this workflow:
Backup Workflow:
- On the day of recording, store the files in two locations (local hard drive and portable hard drive)
- Keep the files on the cards – if possible – until step 3
- Upload your source files to the cloud storage of your choice (iCloud, Google Drive, DropBox, etc.)
I have been working with computers since monitors only had only one color. I love almost everything about them, and I once felt they were magical, sublime devices. I’ve evolved my thinking since then and so should you. Video files are computer data, and computers are machines.
Machines fail. It’s not a matter of if they will fail, it’s a matter of when.
Will it happen in two years or ten? There’s no way to know. I’ve suffered through corrupt hard drives, crushed portable drives, and water damaged everything. Now, I triple back up – and I haven’t lost a video project since! I’ve never had to call a client and say, (Gulp!) “I’m sorry to say this, but we do not have any of your footage anymore. We need to re-shoot!”
Summary
Wrapping up a full day of recording video for learning is rewarding! If you know that you have the b-roll that will flavor your story and support your learning objectives, then you will rest easy. If you know that you have backed-up all of your assets in at least three places, then you will rest easy. If your client and your learning audience engage with your videos and learn from them, then you will be able to get a good night’s sleep. I mean really, who worries over learning videos?
You can make a video like a professional! If you use these tips, please drop me a line via email or Linkedin and let me know how it went. The key is GSD!
Make it happen!
Helpful Links
Before you greet anyone on recording day, you may want to learn what you should do FIRST. Here are the first 5 things to do on your eLearning video shoot day. The next 5 Steps to Record Learning Video like a professional will also help you level up or your directing game.
Do you need more help learning about what you should do before you show up for a video shoot? Check out my Checklist "}” data-sheets-userformat=”{"2":1061377,"3":{"1":0},"12":0,"15":"Arial","16":12,"23":1}” data-sheets-formula=”=HYPERLINK("https://learningcarton.com/how-to-plan-learning-video/","024_Video Pre-Production for eLearning: The Ultimate Checklist ")” data-sheets-hyperlink=”https://learningcarton.com/how-to-plan-learning-video/”>The Ultimate Checklist for Learning Video Pre-production
Looking to improve your learning video scriptwriting skills? Check out these six posts that will help you be more efficient and process-oriented.
Part 1: Scriptwriting for Learning
Part 2: The Writing Process for Learning Videos
Part 3: 4 Must-Have Skills for Writing Scripts for Learning
Part 4: 5 Best Practices as a Learning Video Scriptwriter
Part 5: 3 Learning Video Storytelling Formulas
Part 6: The Mindset for Writing Learning Videos
Share your voice with me
What do you do at the end of a shoot day? Share your voice with me.
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