Pay attention to lighting. Proper lighting is important, so consider filming in a location with good natural lighting during the daytime, or consider bringing your own lights to your filming location so your educational video will have a bright feel. Locate a decent microphone. A good microphone will help your message come through loud and clear on your educational video. Even a small microphone can improve the quality of your video immensely. Consider the goals of your video. Are you making this video to be shown at a professional workshop or in a classroom? If so, you may want to invest in a higher-quality camcorder for more professional recording. However, if you are making this video for fun, you may be more comfortable filming on a piece of equipment you already have such as a tablet or smart phone.
Consider using additional technical aids to add in interesting features. Tools such as Go!Animate (which allows you to create cartoons), Google Story Builder (which allows you to create mini-movies and video stories), and Stupeflix (which will animate pictures and videos into a slide show) can make your homemade educational video look professional.
Watch other educational videos. Before you create your own video, it may be helpful to review some other videos to find out what to do and what not to do.
Visit the location before you start filming if possible. Pay attention to the noise level at different times of the day, and pick your desired backdrop to film your video.
Dress appropriately for your video topic. If you are talking about preparing for an interview, you may want to dress like you would for an interview; however, if you are explaining how to fix an oil leak on a car, you will likely want to be in different clothing.
Make sure you save your raw footage as a separate document so that you can edit it and make changes in the future.
Check out wikiHow’s page on editing videos for YouTube as a great starting point. Consider using the “YouTube for Creators” page on the YouTube site. This site will help you build your video production skills, understand your audience, and improve your YouTube channel. [4] X Research source
Ignore negative or rude commentary. Don’t pay attention to any personal attacks or criticism that isn’t constructive!
Determine what kind of educational video you want to make: Will this be a “how-to” video, or will you be providing in-depth information on a particular topic? Will there be interactive activities, or will you be talking throughout the video? Make an outline of how you want your video to proceed before you start filming.
Do not be deterred by the existence of a similar video. Many people will watch multiple videos to learn something new. Figure out how to make your video stand out from the rest. Identify anything that you may want to know that is not included in any other video, and make sure you include it in your own.
Make sure you have your facts correct. Before making an educational video, double-check to make sure that the information you will be providing is correct. You don’t know how many people will watch this video!
Practice in front of a mirror. Doing a run-through of your script with no one around to judge it can be a good way to iron out kinks and gain confidence. Practice with a friend, and have her give you feedback. It may be beneficial to have another person listen to your script before you film it and publish it. If possible, practice speaking from memory without the assistance of notes.
Watch other educational videos to see if and how they effectively use props. While it is important not to directly copy any other video, you may be inspired by what you see on other videos. Remember that a prop can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. There are no specific guidelines to creating your own educational video! The props that you use in your video will be unique to the topic you are presenting.
Film your dress rehearsal if possible. This will allow you to watch it over, review your performance, and identify any mistakes you may have made. Ask a trusted friend to watch your video and provide critiques. A neutral third party may be able to better identify errors or potential distractions in your video.
