Blog Posts About: how-to

Explainer Video Workshop - Winter 2024

Creating animated explainer videos is easier than you think. Once you learn the method, you can start solving explanation problems and get the attention you deserve. I'm here to help.

A Live, Online Workshop with Lee LeFever

I will be your guide to explainer video production over five online meetings via Zoom. We'll go through every phase together, from writing the script to recording and sharing the final video. Learn more about the workshop.

Enrollees will receive:

This workshop has 10 seats that may go quickly.

In five sessions of live, online instruction, you'll learn how to create animated explainer videos using common tools like presentation software and screen recorders.

Lee will be your guide through every aspect of video production, from writing the script to producing the final video. You'll learn explanation and video creation skills that will become part of your professional toolkit.

Meeting Schedule: Winter 2024

Session 1: Tuesday, January 9th, 11 am PT (1 Hour):

  • Explanation skills
  • How to use generative AI for scripts
  • Writing your script

Session 2: Tuesday, January 16th, 11 am PT (1 Hour):

  • Review your scripts
  • Moving from words to visuals
  • Creating a thumbnail storyboard

Session 3: Monday, January 22nd, 11 am PT (1 Hour):

  • Review storyboards
  • Build your video scene-by-scene
  • Animate visuals
  • Prepare for production

Session 4: Tuesday, January 30th, 11 am PT (1 Hour):

  • Recording the video and voice-over
  • Editing your video
  • Ideas for sharing

Session 5: Tuesday, January 30th, 11 am PT (30 minutes)

  • Finishing touches, sharing, captioning
  • Share your videos
  • Discuss use cases

All online workshop sessions will be recorded and distributed to all attendees.

The workshop includes an online workspace with helpful videos, documents, templates, and guides that support Lee's online instruction. Access to the workspace does not expire.

What you'll need:

  • The production method requires only common tools and equipment. You'll need:
  • A computer with an internet connection
  • Zoom meeting equipment (headphones/earbuds, microphone)
  • Presentation software (Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote)
  • Screen Recorder (I'll share free options)

If you have questions, feel free to reply to this email, or schedule a quick call.

I hope to see you in the workshop!

Explainer Video Workshop with Lee LeFever

Creating animated explainer videos is easier than you think. Once you learn the method, you can start solving explanation problems and get the attention you deserve. I'm here to help.

A Live, Online Workshop with Lee LeFever

I will be your guide to explainer video production over four online meetings via Zoom. We'll go through every phase together, from writing the script to recording and sharing the final video.

Enrollees will receive:

This workshop has 10 seats that may go quickly.

The Schedule:

Session 1: Tuesday, November 7th, 11 am PT:

  • Explanation skills
  • How to use generative AI for scripts
  • Writing your script

Session 2: Thursday, November 9th, 11 am: PT

  • Review your scripts
  • Moving from words to visuals
  • Creating a thumbnail storyboard

Session 3: Tuesday, November 14th, 11 am PT

  • Review storyboards
  • Build your video scene-by-scene
  • Animate visuals
  • Prepare for production

Session 4: Thursday, November 16th, 11 am PT

  • Recording the video and voice-over
  • Editing your video
  • Ideas for sharing

All online workshop sessions will be recorded and distributed to all attendees.

What you'll need:

The production method requires only common tools and equipment. You'll need:

  • A computer with an internet connection
  • Zoom meeting equipment (headphones/earbuds, microphone)
  • Presentation software (Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote)
  • Screen Recorder (I'll share free options)

If you have questions, feel free to reply to this email, or schedule a quick call.

I hope to see you in the workshop!

An Introduction to Readable Videos

I recently had an idea: what if explainer videos, like we make at Common Craft, were created without a voice-over? What if words and images told the story so that video creators could make them without the hassle of microphones and audio editing? What if videos were more accessible and consumable without speakers or earbuds?

I started experimenting and developed a simple method for making what we call Readable Videos. At the Explainer Academy, we have a free mini-course that teaches the basics of the method. This simple idea makes animated videos MUCH easier to create. Enroll here.

Here's an intro:

Enroll for Free

Drawing Robots with Keynote

Upcoming Common Craft videos involve a robot-building competition and I drew a handful of robots using Keynote, the presentation software by Apple. I could have also use PowerPoint or Google Slides. The video below is a sped up version of the process with no sound.

I often use presentation software for drawing because it's easy and quick.

Know-How: Image Resolution and Pixels Video DECONSTRUCTED

As you can imagine, we put a lot of time and attention into each video we make - and if we do it right, our work is invisible. The video should look effortless and just work.  To help highlight the factors that we feel are important, we've broken down our recent video on “Image Resolution and Pixels” into 4 parts - something we call “deconstructing” it.  Let's take a look at the video... (Reading in email? Click here to watch the videos.)

Section 1: Agreement and Context (18 Seconds)

In the beginning of a video, we always want to set the stage and invite people in by making a few “we can all agree” statements.  We want to answer questions like “why should I care?” or “why does this matter”?  This is an easy first step that's designed to build confidence in the language and style of the presentation.
 

 

 

Section 2: Story (46 Seconds)

We believe that people learn best when they follow a character in a story. To tell a story here, we introduce a person named Neil who has a problem that many people are likely to recognize. We want viewers to say “I know that feeling!” and build empathy for Neil.  Notice that we don’t need a lot of detail about the character - he’s just a person with a problem.
 

 

 

Section 3: Connection (59 Seconds)

Our goal is always to increase understanding and the idea of pixels can be a new and foreign concept for people.  So, we looked for a way to connect pixels to something everyone already understands - in our case, an analogy about blankets and yarn. In this way, a blanket provides a familiar foundation for learning about and applying the idea of pixels.

 

 

Section 4: Description (46 Seconds)

Now that we’ve made the big ideas understandable, we can focus back on reality and what Neil needs to do to solve his problem. We want the audience to see a solution or answer so that they can solve similar problems. In many cases, this includes a call-to-action. 

 

 

 

NOTE: If you're interested in learning in-depth about the skill of explanation and how to make Common Craft Style videos, check out our online courses at the Explainer Academy.

How to Create Stop Motion Videos with the Vine App

At Common Craft, we’ve learned a few things about stop motion video over the years.  It’s how we make all of our videos.  Yesterday I downloaded the new (and free) Vine app by Twitter, which allows you to capture and share up to 6 seconds of video at a time using an iPhone or iPod Touch.

I noticed that people were using Vine with stop motion effects and I soon discovered how to do it myself. The instructions below cover the basics:
 
To “record” video in the Vine app, press your finger onto the screen and a green bar at the top shows that it’s recording. You can record a couple of seconds, release your finger to stop, then record something else by pressing again.
 
Vine App Help
 
Here’s the SECRET to doing stop-motion: You can simply tap the screen to capture a very short bit of video.  A tap will cause the green bar to grow by a tiny bit. This is the same as capturing stop-motion photos.  Tap - tap - tap.
 
Here’s how you can create a Common Craft style animation on Vine:
 
You’ll need to keep the camera phone still while you record - this can be a challenge when you tap the screen. I taped my phone to a cigar box pointed down onto the whiteboard.
 
 
Vine App Stop Motion
 
Then, it’s a simple matter of moving the object a tiny bit and tapping the app screen to record a tiny bit of video. Move - Tap - Move - Tap - Move - Tap.  
Once you finish, you’ll see that the video shows the object animating across the screen. You can see one of my first tries by clicking here:
 
Vine App help
 
I'm "leelefever" on Vine. Look me up!  
Or, if you're viewing this on an iPhone, click here for my profile.