Lights, Camera, Learning Cheatsheet
I have dove head-first into the world of videos & I am welcoming you to be a part of this journey alongside me.
One of the hardest things while trying to create anything new is figuring out what to build. So this is me trying to build an idea engine for videos.
There are 3 parts of learning videos:
🎯 Objective: Why make a video?
🎬 Format: How does the video look?
👋 Action: What actions do we want our learnings to make?
This cheatsheet gives ideas for each of them so that the next time you (& I) need to make a video, we can just play a fun game of mix & match!
🎯 Objective (Why)
Every video needs to have a very clear why. This is what should define the format & action as well. If we don’t have a very clear goal for making a video, we might end up making a video for the sake of making one!
You why could be:
Instructional Tutorial
Concept Explanation
Case Study Analysis
Simulation
Storytelling
Problem-Solving Scenario
Interview or Expert Insights
Reflection and Review
Historical Retrospective
Product Demonstration
Project Showcase
Quick Tips and Hacks
Process Documentation
& many more!
Now that you have clearly outlined your objective (Why), time to get to the format (how)!
🎬 Format (How)
There are different kinds of videos that exist out there to pick from! Depending on the objective, budget, time & other constraints - you can pick a format that works best for your context. Here is an initial list to pick from arranged from lowest to highest effort:
Live Streaming
Podcast-style Videos
Screen Share/ Loom Video
Person speaking on camera
Interviews
Whiteboard Animation
Live Demo
Vlogs (Video Blogs)
Green Screen Magic
Documentary Style
Motion Graphics
Animated Infographics
Interactive Videos
Stop Motion Animation
Virtual Reality (VR)
👋 Actions (Now what?)
Often we completely ignore this part. For each video - there has to be some action that we want our learners to take. Think of what you want our learners to do after watching the video. Here are some ideas:
Simulation and role-play
Debate and discussion
Mindfulness and reflection
Application on a task/ project
Share their experience/ thoughts
Feedback and critique session
Interactive quizzes and challenges:
Inspiration
Awareness
Do a specific task
Take a decision
🌰 In a Nutshell
Just like a well-crafted meal leaves a lasting impression, a thoughtfully designed video lingers in the minds of your learners. While thinking of a video - think about:
🎯 Objective (Why?)
🎬 Format (How?)
👋 Action (What Now?)
Think of videos, not in isolation but how they add to the overall learning experience. Lights, camera, learning!