Creating Training Videos - by Jonathan Halls (Paperback)

About the Book

"Whether you're a facilitator, instructional designer, or L&D department of one, you don't need a fancy DSLR camera or film crew to create successful training videos. All you really need is a learning strategy, a good production plan, and a smartphone camera. Informed by his 30-year career in training and media, including his time as learning executive with the BBC, author Jonathan Halls is committed to best practices in video production that will actually help your learners to learn, and without a giant strain on your resources."--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

LIKE FILM SCHOOL FOR TRAINERS! Film and edit effective training videos-using your smartphone.
Whether you're a facilitator, instructional designer, or L&D department of one, you don't need a fancy DSLR camera or film crew to create successful training videos. All you really need is a learning strategy, a good production plan, and a smartphone camera. Informed by his 30-year career in training and media, including his time as learning executive with the BBC, author Jonathan Halls is committed to best practices in video production that will actually help your learners to learn, and without a giant strain on your resources.

With straightforward and accessible language, in Creating Training Videos you'll get:

• The intersection of media and learning research: Uncover how your videos can effectively provoke learning.
• Best practices for instructional video: Create a smart outline for your instructional video, creatively use repetition, highlight schemas that are familiar to your audience, and more.
• Visual grammar: Learn rules of film that you can put into effect immediately, like framing your shots and selecting the best shot sizes to more powerfully support learning.
• Planning your pictures: Gain a practical framework for mapping out the elements of your video using storyboards, shot formulas, and narrative templates designed to meet various training needs. Understand how picture, graphics, spoken word, and more come together to tell your story.
• Your videographer's toolkit: An honest discussion of essential gear, helpful gear, and the serious tools you might consider for your toolkit.
• Filming with your smartphone: Learn how to best light, stabilize, and frame your shots using the tool you already have in your pocket.
• Editing and workflow: Stitch shots together for a powerful final product that supports learning, no matter what software you decide to use (yes, even an app on your phone!), and workflow considerations that satisfy all of your stakeholders.

With 96 percent of organizations using video as a key modality for workplace learning and 62 percent of organizations posting video (for L&D and other purposes) to YouTube, the ability to produce video is a sought-after skill in the L&D world. Creating Training Videos teaches you step-by-step how to plan, film, and edit smart instructional content--using only a smartphone and without compromising quality and success.

Review Quotes

"If you've been looking for the best way to create a video for L&D, look no further. Jonathan Halls has a rare ability to translate complex, cutting-edge knowledge into actionable, transformative steps, and he's done it again here, combining his expertise in talent development and video production into a comprehensive, practical guide for turning your smartphone into a sophisticated development tool. You can become an expert at scripting, storyboarding, production, lighting, filming, editing, and countless other skills required to create a high-quality training video. This is a must-read book if you want to stay ahead in the L&D world."
-Elaine Biech, 2022 ISA Thought Leader; Author, Washington Post Bestseller The Art and Science of Training

"If you want a guide for designing, planning, and releasing professional quality videos made with your smartphone or other video-enabled device, this book is your answer. It provides clear, easy-to-understand, step-by-step instructions for creating engaging, instructional videos. The section with example screenshots alone is invaluable, not to mention all the other great tips, tricks, and techniques. Creating Training Videos won't turn you into Martin Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola, but it will get you close enough to be the envy of your L&D colleagues and admired by learners who watch your videos."
--Karl Kapp, EdD, Professor of Instructional Design and Technology, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg Campus

"Creating Training Videos is pure excellence! It's written in an easy-to-follow manner and useful for novices and pros looking for tips and suggestions to strengthen their training video creation toolbox."
--Jay S. Naik, Director, Training Center of Excellence, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

"This book is essential for anyone who wants to create effective, professional, and engaging training videos quickly with their smartphone. It's easy to read, well structured, and organised. Always keep it within reach as a handy reference."
--Mhairi Campbell, Journalist and Media Producer

"So you think you can make an instructional video? Not until you've read this book! Jonathan Halls shows you how to make one that actually works based on the science of learning. You'll learn how to capture your audience's attention and deliver important training that sticks with them. The book is packed with important tips that are easy to understand and, better yet, implement. It's a must read for anyone creating a training video, whether you have multimillion-dollar equipment or just a phone. I plan to implement his tips in my own classes."
--Todd L. Belt, PhD, Professor and Director, Political Management Master's Program, Graduate School of Political Management, George Washington University

About the Author

Jonathan Halls is an award-winning author and was named by GFEL in the top 100 Visionaries for Education in 2021. His books include Confessions of a Corporate Trainer (2019), Rapid Media Development for Trainers (2016), and Rapid Video Development for Trainers (2012). He also contributed to ATD's Handbook for Training and Talent Development, 3rd Edition (2022) and has written for publications including TD and Learning Solutions.

Formerly a learning executive at the BBC, Jonathan has close to 30 years of experience in media and training in 25 countries. Based in Washington, DC, he focuses on coaching and workshops for trainers, consulting and strategic support for learning managers and directors, and running workshops in digital media for learning. He's also an adjunct professor at George Washington University.