© 2014 VMware Inc. All rights reserved.

Creating Compelling Stories with Videos

John Frazzini

Senior Manager, Technical Communications

Overview

• Why video?

• Differentiating your content

• Inspiring the team to create content

• Style and voice

• Reviewing content for watchability

• Market your content internally and externally

2

3

Why video?

Why video?

• Different learning models, different information needs

• Changing user expectations

• Video medium is better at illustrating some concepts/procedures

• Widens audience

• Cross-promotion of your content

4

5

Differentiating your content

Differentiating your content

• Find your value proposition

– Short, instructional material

– “How-to” procedures

• Select content based on your criteria

– Concept/procedure pairs

– Topics that are difficult to describe in words but easy to describe graphically

– Processes that occur over time

– Popular topics

• Make sure content conforms to your criteria… avoid multi-purpose videos (marketing, support, instructional, etc.)

6

8

Inspiring the team to create content

Inspiring the team to create content

• Create a separate video team, or use existing writers to create content?

– Writers have the necessary technical knowledge and storytelling skills, use them!

• Launch a pilot project with a small team to create videos, then use that team as evangalists for the rest of the writers

• “Pitch sessions” to get video script ideas reviewed by team

• Use video metrics (number of views, drop off times) to motivate teams and show them their content matters

9

10

Style and voice

Style and voice

• Scripted vs. unscripted

• Talking head vs. voiceover

– http://rene.kizilcec.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/final_version2.pdf

– Stanford study: viewers prefer to watch videos with an actual person speaking, but ability to retain and use knowledge in video is not increased by presence of a speaker

• Graphics and animations

• Intro and exit “bumpers”

• Recruit onscreen (or offscreen) “talent” and develop their skills to present the material

11

12

Reviewing content for watchability

Reviewing content for watchability

• Have script review sessions before video production

– Read script aloud in front of others to ensure the script sounds natural

– Encourage live, interactive feedback during review meeting to improve script quality

– Ask questions like “what more would a user want to learn here” or “how can we make this section more visually interesting”

• Review board for final video approval (like the MPAA)

– Watch video for copyright problems (using other company’s screenshot’s for example)

– Review for watchability, presenter pronounciation problems, general story flow

– Approve before publishing to your video hosting system

13

14

Market your content internally and externally

Market your content internally and externally

• Cross-promote your content

– Tag line or links in video directing users to more info in your docs

– Link from your documents to video

– Use social media (twitter, blogs, etc.) to draw users to your content

• Create a promotional video for internal audiences

• Find a forum to announce your new videos internally

• Advertise your accomplishments within the company

15

Photo Credits

• “Cameraman and The Black Hole – Zoom Shot”, Juno Lee

• “Pero no daban sol para hoy?” Carlos Galeano

• “Pure Inspiration” U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Bessey

• “Push the music” Rosa Buono

• “Bored” Steve Koukoulas

• “Performer Magazine photo shoot – May 22, 2007” Pat Piasecki

CONFIDENTIAL17