Matt Sullivan is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication who helps individuals and teams implement technical communication and e-learning strategies using text, video, and online deliverables. The document discusses how technical documentation is increasingly moving to video formats and provides tips on identifying content suitable for video, different video formats to use, tools for recording and creating videos, and publishing videos. The document aims to help people implement video training using various tools through a four hour workshop presented by Matt Sullivan.

1. Recognizing opportunities for video
documentation and delivery
Matt Sullivan
@mattrsullivan
matt@mattrsullivan.com
slideshare.net/mattrsullivan
linkedin.com/mattrsullivan
MOVING DOCUMENTATION TO VIDEO

2. Senior member, Society for Technical
Communication
Top 20, Mindtouch 100 Most Influential in
Tech Comm
Current ACE/ACI in 10 Adobe applications
Adobe Forums MVP
INTRODUCTION

3. Please let everyone know
your name
company
an idea of what you’d like to get from today’s
session
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

4.  Technical documentation is moving toward video at
an ever-increasing rate. From YouTube to free
recorded webinars, to services like Lynda.com,
recorded video training is a powerful medium.
 Join STC Senior Member Matt Sullivan, ACE, ACI for a
four hour BYOD workshop designed to help you
implement video training using various tools.
 Matt (@mattrsullivan) helps individuals and teams
implement tech comm and e-learning strategies by
integrating text, video and online deliverables.
SALES PITCH

5. Footage captured with a video camera
Recorded live sessions
(video or web conferencing)
With or without “talking heads”
With or without accompanying PowerPoint slides
With or without recorded computer actions/functions
YouTube-ish Screen recordings
Scenario-based eLearning
Software demonstrations
DISCUSSION: WHAT IS VIDEO?

6. Much of eLearning is PPT-like
Scenario-based is more cognitive content, less
skill-oriented. Explains concepts
Scenario-based material may start as
 Policies & Procedures
 WebHelp topics
 Existing PPT presentations for webinars and in-person training
Software (demo or simulation) training is skill-
specific and involves use of computer
SCENARIO V. SOFTWARE TRAINING

7. Look for difficult textual content
Where do your users ask for clarification?
Where does the text become ambiguous?
Long lists of actions
Intricate interfaces
Lots of contextual references
The third active option below the second divider
IDENTIFYING CANDIDATES FOR VIDEO
CONTENT

8. Budget (both time and money)
Tone
Level of interactivity
Level of detail
More detailed = Simulation
Less detailed = Live recording
Concepts = Scenario/PPT
CHOOSE APPROPRIATE VIDEO FORMAT

9. Informal Live Video
 Mac
 Apple QuickTime Player
 Internal video camera
 Windows
 Articulate’s screenr.com
 Free and paid versions
More formal actions
 Mac
 Adobe Captivate
 Apple QuickTime Player
 Capture software activity
 Windows
 Adobe Captivate
 Camtasia
 Articulate Storyline
 PPT using Articulate or
Adobe Presenter
RECORDING OPTIONS

10. Reuse of recorded webinars/training
 Connect
 GoToMeeting
LAB/EXAMPLES

11. Software demos
LAB/EXAMPLES

12. Scenario-based training
 Presenter
LAB/EXAMPLES

13. Software Simulations
 Captivate
LAB/EXAMPLES

14. Incorporating 3D
LAB/EXAMPLES

15. Text links
(youtube or other streaming media servers)
PDF links
(external hyperlinks v. embedded 3d, live video,
s/w sim’s)
Help
(external hyperlinks v. embedded video content)
LMS
(added to topic or course)
EPUB
(text or active hyperlinks)
INCORPORATING PUBLISHED VIDEO

16. Webinar/Screen recording (45 minutes)
 Development: Less than 4 hours
 Recording time: 45 minutes
 Editing and publishing: 1-2 hours
Software simulation (3-5 minutes)
 Development: 2-3 hours
 Recording: 3-5 minutes
 Editing and publishing: 4-8 hours
Scenario-based
 Cost of PPT, +30%
COST OF VIDEO PRODUCTION

17. Movies and demonstrations
 MP4 for YouTube and universal delivery
 FLV/F4V for placement into Flash-based outputs
Simulations
 SWF for placement into documentation
 Be aware of incompatibility with iOS (Apple mobile) devices
 HTML5/MP4 for output as movie content
FORMATS

18. TIPS!

19. Start with your end goal and work backward
 I use PPT for outlining
Storyboard/script are fluid documents
I like 2-5 minutes for target length of module
STORYBOARDING

20. DEMOS/SIMULATIONS

21. One thing at a time
Keep it short
Stay away from hype
 Beware the infomercial
Properly set environment
Pay attention to
 Mic
 Camera
 Echo/acoustics
 Visual clutter
RECORDING LIVE SESSIONS

22. Record actions independent of audio
Record deliberately and accurately
Time slides and perfect scripts prior to audio
Attach audio to objects, not slides when
possible
RECORDED
COMPUTER ACTIONS

23. Give user predictable
Movement
Communication
Conventions
CONSISTENCY

24.  Use caption and highlight box to announce
mouse movement
 Tether audio to caption when possible
 Set mouse movement to exact center of click
area
 Set click boxes to at least the total of the
clickable area
SUGGESTED MOUSE/CAPTION INTERACTIONS

25.  Use original script to create computer
generated audio if available
 Time slides and modify using PC voice
 Use finalized versions to capture audio in one
session, using quality room and equipment
 If on Mac OS, use Audio MIDI Setup to adjust
volume of mic
 Use a decent mic with a pop filter (spit
screen)
AUDIO TIPS

26. Live Video
 Look first for direct
options to YouTube or
cloud-based servers
or
 Save or download MP4
to your drive
 Upload manually to
servers
Simulations/Scenarios
 Set up publishing
preferences
 Create/modify skin if
necessary
 Choose
 Direct LMS upload
 FTP upload of .zip files
 Save to local disk
PUBLISHING TIPS

27. I help people with documentation delivery.
Matt Sullivan
matt@mattrsullivan
@mattrsullivan
www.mattrsullivan.com
714 798-7596
CONTACT ME