Video tutorials: Filming, editing and uploading instructional videos

I’ve previously blogged about the basic how-to aspects of making an instructional video. Here is a collection of video tutorials I made for my colleagues.

First, here are the major steps required to make an instructional video.

In my last post, I presented what the structure of your video might be. When planning, you don’t need a script, but it helps to have a general idea of how you want your video to look and what you expect your students to be doing as they watch. Once you know where you’re headed, it’s time to start making the thing.

Part 1: Recording your video

Here are the three main ways to record your video:

Note: I’ve since purchased an actual document camera which has been a game-changer for me. But since most teachers don’t have one, I’ve stuck with showing how to MacGyver one from cheap, everyday materials.

Here are video tutorials for the different recording methods:

Video 1A: How to record yourself in iMovie

Video 1B: How to use your device as a document camera

Video 1C: How to record your laptop screen

Video 1D: How to record your iPad screen

Some general advice for the recording stage:

• Light yourself properly. Don’t film yourself in front of a bright window.
• Take things one sentence at a time. Don’t do multiple takes. Just say the sentence again and continue.

Part 2: Editing

For me, editing is not completely separate to the recording process. It’s a good idea to edit your video as you record bits and pieces. Using iMovie to edit is easy to pick up. The key functions to know about are:

• Drag video clips into the timeline.
• Split clips using the soundwaves as a guide.
• Delete unwanted clips: dead time, mistakes, etc.

Video 2A: How to edit in iMovie

One advanced feature that I found useful when editing was to zoom in on parts of the frame to help your students focus on important features only. This is particularly useful when showing students how to navigate apps with complicated interfaces. Here’s how to do it:

Video 2B: How to zoom into parts of the frame in iMovie

Some general advice for the editing stage:

• Keep your videos short and snappy.
• Leave time in the video for students to respond. For example, leave a second or two after asking students to pause the video to give them a chance to get to the pause button before you move on.
• Don’t jazz up your video with unnecessary music or transitions. Remember the coherence principle.

Part 3: Uploading your video to YouTube

Once you have finished editing your video in iMovie, there are two ways to get your video onto YouTube:

• Share to YouTube directly from the app.
• Save the file to your desktop, then upload to YouTube.

Video 3: Sharing your video to YouTube

As a final step, delete your video files on your computer including inside iMovie. During remote learning, maintaining our digital devices more important than ever and managing hard drive space is often over-looked.