Activity Pack: Explainer Videos: 4: Production

We are down to the wire here folks!

In this stage you'll record your voice-over script and make some final choices around using sounds, music, or even other video clips.

Recording Your Script

How you record will depend on what you have available. Use the best microphone you have access to. If you have the capacity to record into audio editing software like Audacity your finished product will be way better than if you record directly into your video editing software.

Here's an Audacity tutorial, just in case you want to try it.

How to Record and Edit in Audacity - Beginner Tutorial

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Audio Recording Tips

Here are a few tips that will help you rock your audio regardless of your software choices.

1. Follow the script - ad-libbing rarely works out. If you find you have missed something in your script - re-write the script.

2. Record somewhere quiet and with soft surfaces - in other words the living room is probably better than the kitchen. The bedroom is better than the bathroom.

3. Listen for noises you have become deaf to. Heating systems, airplanes overhead, your kids fighting over the remote, the sound of your computer (desktop PCs are the worst for adding background noise). Shut off what you can, bribe the rest with treats.

4. If you are using editing software (like Camtasia for example), speak a bit slower than you normally do, with lots of space between sentences. When you get to post you can speed the audio track up slightly and remove any spaces you don't need.

5. Enunciate and inflect - but not too much. Most of us "listen" with our eyes as much as our ears, so to make up for that you'll want to add more inflections than you would in a normal conversation. If you have a habit of slurring some words or sounds, try to enunciate a bit more.

6. Read your script - out loud - several times before recording.

7. Plan to record several times and keep the best one.

For a few more pro tips check out this great post The Complete Guide to Doing Voice Overs Like a Pro https://www.techsmith.com/blog/voice-over/

Adding Sounds and Music

These are totally optional but it would be remiss not to at least mention these. It would be equally remiss to not include a stern warning that these may only be used if they do not distract from the explaining part.

If you use sound effects or music make sure they add to the goal of helping your audience understand something. Here are three tips:

1. If you use music consider just adding as bumpers (bumpers are intro and exit pieces of audio or audio and video).

2. If you do use music throughout, and especially if you have opted to not use a voice-over, keep the volume low and use a track that isn't annoying (so subjective).

3. Make sure sound effects line up perfectly with the visual you are emphasizing.

In the production stage decide on the tracks or sounds you will use and if they need any editing themselves, do it now.

Formatting Graphics and Video

Edit the graphics or photos you'll be using. Make sure they are the right size and format and that you can legally and ethically use them. Even for educational use, you should still attribute.

Same goes for any video clips you plan to add. The caution message above (for sound effects and music) applies to video clips also. Use only if they add to the message, no matter how cool they are.

Once you have your audio recorded and graphics ready - off to post you go!