• Read it out loud! Especially if a script is intended for narration (vs. on-screen text), reading the voice-over out loud ensures it has a natural flow and easily fits within the necessary video timeframe.

• Look up samples of videos similar in tone, energy, and content to the one you want to write. This will not only help put you in the proper writing mindset, but will also help you avoid ripping off other scripts (accidentally or otherwise).

• Stick to a consistent format. Find a simple, basic, script-writing format and use it for all your drafts. This way you aren’t starting from scratch whenever you begin a new script, and your clients will also become familiar with that format and can more quickly review and adapt each script you deliver.

• Make every script element as clear as possible. Note what parts are voice-overs. Note which parts are meant to be visual pieces. Note fade-ins, transitions, fade-outs. This can help eliminate confusion during the final video production.

• Establish clear client expectations. Have a detailed conversation discussing your client’s goals for the script, including the main message they want to convey and the primary actions they want viewers to take after the video ends.
… Read More

Have you ever received information in a text-heavy and non-user-friendly way? Sure – we all do every day. Whether it is at the doctor’s office receiving medical information, at the bank when signing up for a student loan, or at work, when a business presentations take up dozens of text oriented slides. Is this really necessary?

Especially in the globalized and information-heavy world we live in, where language barriers abound, using graphics and effects to convey a message makes a lot of sense. That is how our team at GradTrain connected with PowToon.

It became clear to us that a video with cartoon images as well as accompanying text and/or sound is a powerful way to get messages across, whether it be for doctors to give advice about health behaviors, or for a startup company like ours, that is aiming to get prospective international graduate students from around the globe excited about the new services we are offering – in a clear and impactful way.

Reaching an international audience

At GradTrain we aim to reach a diverse group of people, with different nationalities, backgrounds and interests, who speak different languages.… Read More

Videos are powerful advertising tools and for a good reason. They’re easier on the eyes than walls of text, and they are generally more entertaining. Using great video tools like PowToons and the abundance of video tutorials available online also makes video creation easier than before. Add the fact that videos are now easier to share over the Web and you have a great way to market your products. As of 2011, more than half of B2B marketers in the United States have invested in video advertisements, and there’s no sign of that figure going down.

While many videos find varying degrees of success when targeting local markets, things get a lot trickier when taking things to an international scale. A lot of businesses have made the mistake of creating a video that generates way less views than they expected, thanks to the language barrier. Fortunately, you can break the barrier without having to break your bank by adding subtitles to your videos.

There are many reasons why subtitles are surprisingly effective at increasing the amount of views your videos can get, but here are some of the more important ones.… Read More

“I am an instructional designer for Synergis Education, Inc., a company that partners with various higher education institutions across the nation to deliver solutions that serve 21^st Century students. As part of my job I am always looking for new tools that will enhance the content I create with subject matter experts. A few months ago I came across the PowToons website when I was searching for a free or relatively inexpensive tool to animate content lectures. I found the price for educators reasonable and their tag line–claiming that it “brings awesomeness to your presentations”–intrigued me.

After going through the demo of their software and seeing some sample presentations I was excited to give it try. I instantly saw how it could enrich the learning experience in higher education as well as in the K–12 environment. I pitched the software to the folks I was working with at a school of business and they were willing to give it a try.

My first presentation took longer than I anticipated, but the end product was well received by the faculty and my fellow instructional designers. Overall, this felt like a more organic process of presentation creation then PowerPoint development because the main focus is the gallery of graphics.… Read More

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Tom Evans is a BBC-trained broadcast engineer turned author and writer’s mentor. He specialised in clearing creative blocks and teaches simple techniques on how to tap into unlimited creativity. He has written six non-fiction books and two short works of fiction. Visit www.tomevans.co for more information.