What is a Corporate Training Video?
A corporate training video is a video designed to discuss what is considered best practice in the workspace and to train employees on company policies. The purpose of a training video is to teach and not to entertain, however it should still be engaging. A successful training video's content will lead to learning about company processes and procedures. The video should cover a variety of training topics such as mandated compliance regulations. Developing a corporate training video is an efficient way to create consistent company-wide messages for easy distribution. The need to implement video-based training is greater than ever before and can greatly reduce training related expenses. As more companies switch to working remotely, the use of video works well for training because of greater learner engagement.
What is needed to create a corporate training video
Decide what the learning objective is. To produce an effective training video, you will need to have a clear understanding of what you want the viewer to know by the end of training.
Determine an effective type of video format. It is always a good idea when teaching to mix things up visually. The learning objective and your budget will help motivate this decision. A well thought out combination of talking heads, text-based screens, or an interactive video will improve information retention.
Write a script for the video. A video can only be as good as the script, and it is necessary to review the script to find ways to improve the message. A well written script gets straight to the point, keeps the video short and supports the learning objective.
Make it a professional production. Even though a corporate training video is for internal use, it still has the capacity to impact the connection employees have with the company and its brand. Poor audio, lighting, acting and script writing can take away from and negatively impact what the video is trying to achieve.
Include subtitles in your training video. Captioning videos is a great way to deliver the message if audio is not working or unavailable. Corporate training videos should be accessible to anyone who will ever watch it. Captioning the video provides a better experience for employees with disabilities. This can be added during Post Production.
Make sure to brand your video. A corporate training video should represent the brand, and when necessary include the brand's color and logo. Brand a training video by shooting in company offices, or a familiar location that serves to strengthen the connection with the viewer.
When possible, use people in the video to elicit empathy. A great way to keep employees engaged in the material is to establish a connection. To do this, use relatable leadership figures or even professional actors or animated characters.
Ways to ensure learning through Corporate Training Videos
Create content for the trainee. The employee being trained is the target audience, so elements should be included to keep them engaged. These can include people, music, and stories. While these are not the only elements you should consider including, they need to make sense right away.
Make training videos easy to understand. A video intended to teach needs to have structure, provide a clear outline for the information that will be provided, and follow a logical sequence.
Attach corporate video to a specific learning objective. An effective learning objective will explain why the trainee needs the information, how the knowledge or skill should be applied in the workspace and how successful implementation of the objective will be measured.
Develop relevant content. A training video should only provide information necessary to perform a task. The content can be memorable by rephrasing key points, or creative repetition.
Technical and Editorial aspects of corporate training video production
Technical Aspects:
A corporate training video can have all the necessary information in the world but if the quality is poor no one will watch or learn from it. A well shot and edited training video is done in a way that makes the content engaging. Here are some technical aspects to remember in corporate video production:
Shots should be in focus; a blurry subject will distract your viewer.
Do not forget to set the white balance correctly, this will make shots look more professional when done the right way.
Shots need to be steady, a shaky visual is a distraction and will take away from the learning objective. For a professional looking shot, cameras should be mounted on a tripod or stable surface.
The scene needs to be well-lit for the subject matter to be seen. It is important to take time to set up proper lighting.
Audio should be clear, having an echo or background noise is distracting. Audio should be easy to understand or it will shift the viewers focus away from the learning objective.
Editorial Aspects:
People are able to retain information visually better than what they hear. A successful training video from an editorial perspective needs to be visually engaging. Here are some editorial ways to “show,’ rather than “tell,” in a corporate training video:
Each shot needs to be framed deliberately. Videographers can use interesting angles or use shot composition to emphasize certain content that supports the learning objective.
Change shots frequently. Changing the shot often can keep viewers engaged by tricking viewers into thinking they are missing something so they won’t want to look away. Including motion within a shot will also keep the attention of the viewers.
Carefully utilize effects. Special effects have the potential to reinforce what is being learned and illustrate a message. Using additional message elements such as music, graphics and text animation when appropriate will make the training video more engaging.
If you are ready to make the switch to video-based training during the boom of remote learning, check out 3 Ton Group. 3 Ton Group is flexible, responsive and has the ability to create compelling visual content for corporate training video production. Check out our other post on Promo Videos.