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.