Video Production

Artifact 1 (Challenge 1): Outline, Storyboard, Script, and Rationale

Artifact 2 (Challenge 2): Produced Video

Reflection (Challenge 3):

It’s very clear as a student in this program that an instructional designer must be a jill or jack of all trades, including as video producer and editor. Certainly, in some scenarios, there is an entire design team, complete with software developers, video and audio production experts, and other qualified technical staff who can do specialized tasks for high-quality projects. You can be a jill of all trades while being a master of none though, and that is possibly the down side of being on a smaller team with less technical expertise to help you. But, luckily there are tools out there that make creating and developing a lot easier than they were 10 years ago. You don’t need a production studio to create a high-quality video, but you do need a decent camera and editing software that lets you do some basic editing tasks. Luckily, most cameras, including those on our smart phones, have incredibly advanced specs, and they take excellent quality videos. And there are enough editing software options out there that don’t have all the bells and whistles to confuse you, so you can stick to learning and practicing the basics. I personally use Camtasia, but I have also used Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro in the past. I also have a Canva Pro subscription, and it has the ability to create and edit video and audio tracks, so it’s quite an amazing tool for video production and editing.

The basic knowledge about layering tracks in a video editing software is a key skill to have, as well as how to record, cut, and trim your footage to get the right flow to your video instruction. Also, to make videos seamless, an ID really needs to know about using transitions, like fade or wipe, to make the videos less choppy. Some of this is easily learned by just exploring and practicing using the features in the software. The problem, of course, is that there are so many features available in video editing software that you can’t really learn it all without direct instruction or shadowing an expert. For instance, it would be more challenging to jump right in to doing some green screen scenes without tutelage first versus just practicing on your own using a basic fade or a wipe for a transition. Because of this, we must seek out experts to help us learn the more technical aspects of programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, Camtasia, or Final Cut Pro. There is a very big rabbit hole to down with video editing, especially in the digital age. As instructional designers, we have to learn these things to function in the job, but in the right professional setting, there’s a whole team to produce the projects if they are expected to be of a certain level of professional quality.

One of the best ways to learn something is by explaining it to others. I know this from two decades of working with tutors and teaching them how to tutor effectively. In the process of explaining, for instance, how to avoid comma splices, a writing tutor will learn all the ins and outs of the grammar and punctuation that are tangentially associated with that grammar rule. By explaining it hundreds of times, the tutor retains all of it over time and exponentially grows his or her acumen at explaining grammar and punctuation topics. The best tutors can explain things they don’t understand at first because they are so good at figuring something out in the moment with the student and then putting it into words that make sense. This is the same for someone who might teach themselves how to do something by creating a video instructing how to do that thing. I firmly believe that this is a great way to learn, and as long as the person doesn’t have to struggle immensely learning how to use the video editing software itself, and can focus on breaking down the instruction and sequencing it properly for video delivery, I think it’s an effective way of learning, and therefore, teaching something effectively, including to yourself.

Obviously, watching a video is a helpful way of learning how to do something as well, but not all learners prefer that method. If an instructional designer were deliberate enough, they could plant the right steps to help a learner study, practice, engage, and reflect on their learning process.  For example, in the practicum project for the LDT program, I created instructional videos and an active learning worksheet for an asynchronous e-learning course that incorporated practice, engagement, and reflection on the learning process through cognitive learning process theory and the use of metacognition, all in an effort to promote learning and retention. An instructional designer could create an effective study tool for learners by developing a video that walks through the subject matter to be learned, or a video that reviews different ways of studying the material. When watched, the learner would have more of an opportunity to practice those skills because it was effectively designed to accomplish that. In that way, a person can definitely learn how to do something by watching a video. Many people do this, and platforms like YouTube, Teachable, Udemy, and thousands of others do exactly that every day with learners who flock online to up their skills in all kinds of ways. In fact, I did an online barre fitness teacher training, with Barre & Soul out of the Boston area, that was hosted on Teachable, and I learned a lot by watching the videos of how the teacher trainers were sequencing their classes and giving adjustments to students within their recorded class instruction. In looking back, this particular barre teacher training was definitely designed with professional videographers and instructional designers due to its incredibly professional quality. It was a good learning experience for me and one I can use in reference as I progress in my career.