New Videos by 1/29 Explainers

1/29 Explainers (a member of our Explainer Network) has been doing a lot of great work lately and I'd like to highlight a couple of their recent projects.  Nick Seuser heads up the team in the Bay Area and I asked him to provide a bit of info about the projects:

The first video is for Flock, the social web browser:

Next up with have a video for the Millennium Foundation's MASSIVEGOOD event:

With such keynote speakers as Bill Clinton, Condoleeza Rice, Annie Lennox and Ashley Judd, this piece premiered at the GBC Conference in June, 2010.  The idea was to demonstrate how easy it is - with just a few clicks - for companies and employees to save lives while getting business done.

Good stuff. If you're in the market for a video that explains your company, service or product, check out the Explainer Network of video producers, or contact Common Craft.

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Custom Video: Rightcliq by Visa

Today Visa is rolling out a new product called Rightcliq that makes online shopping easier and more social. It works in your browser like a bookmark or plug-in. I'll let the video below explain the rest. You'll find it on the Visa website here.

About this production

Like so many online products, Rightcliq by Visa has an explanation problem that deserves special attention. A solid explanation is key for people to see the value and feel connected to what it does. For example, people have been shopping online for years.  We have our favorite sites and feel comfortable with the process. The online shopping experience is well established in our minds. Because it's so well established, we may even be skeptical of change - and therein lies the challenge.

How do you convince someone that something they already love could be even better? Our challenge with this video was to help the audience identify with the problems of online shopping (products on multiple sites, lack of input from friends, payment hassles, package tracking) and then show how Rightcliq solves them - and the key is to "show."  Explaining this kind of product is difficult with words or even pictures, but a story in video form about a person "Jennifer" who experiences Rightcliq - that's where the product comes to life.  As always, our goal is for the viewer to say "I feel that way!" about the problems and "I want to use that!" to the solutions.

We really enjoyed working with the Rightcliq team at Visa.  They were not only very professional and amazingly organized, but fun - something we value highly.

For more info, see this TechCrunch article.

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Signs as Explanations

It's true - I love signs.  I take pictures of them, laugh about them and talk about if they work or not. I think the fascination is related to explanations.  Signs are usually meant to communicate within constraints, much like our videos.  This post is the first in what I plan to make a series. Let's look at a few.

This sign is at an establishment on a boat dock in Seattle. Like any "head" or toilet on water, it deserves special care because it doesn't operate like a normal toilet.  Overall, I think it's great - it provides a simple, understandable rule and a concrete consequence for not following it.  But I can't help but get stuck on the opening line "These are Mechanical Marine Heads."  Why is it so specific?  Does this mean anything to the land-lubber?  I doubt it does and I think it compromises the communication by using language that's overly specific.  The opening line is so important and it should inspire confidence. This one made me say "so?" I suggest "This toilet is different."

Please forgive the focus on the bathroom, but they are often filled with interesting signs.  This one is at SeaTac airport, but is one you see everywhere.  My criticism of this is not about content so much as placement.  If the goal is to get people to wash their hands, why tell them at the sink?  If they're at the sink, there is a good chance they're already doing it.  I think the sign should be placed near the toilets.

Speaking of toilets, this sign is on a toilet at a restaurant in Seattle. The toilets use reclaimed water, which is an environmentally friendly option and one that humans can't drink. The sign has to be there by law. It's obviously clear and effective, but seems kind of ridiculous and even funny.  On the sign by the urninal, there's a hand written note that says "OK, I will not drink from the toilet. Thanks."

Next I promise to move away from the toilet-focused signage.

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Lilipip's Latest Videos

Lilipip is one of the newest members of our Explainer Network of video producers and lately they've been pumping out some great videos for their customers. I'm highlighting a few below...

The first video is for Circle Street and as I told Jen at Lilipip, I really like the way they approached this video.  It's informal, fun and tells a story about a problem being solved.  It made the value proposition of Circle Street clear in one minute.  Take a look:

Second is a video for Adobe's eLearning Suite 2.  Another great video and one that highlights a different visual style and script.  This script is more oriented for elearning pros vs. the mass market, so it's a bit more technical.  What I really like is the visual animation style.  Notice how color is used to highlight the product in a mostly gray video. It also has a noir feel and matching music that gives it style.  Good stuff.

Lilipip, like all members of our Explainer Network, produce custom videos for organizations of all types.  Visit the Explainer Network page for more information.

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Video: Wikipedia - Explained by Common Craft

Today we've published a new video:  Wikipedia - Explained by Common Craft

Wikipedia is one of those resources that works, but it's not always clear why.  It seems preposterous that 1000s of volunteers could not only create an online encyclopedia, but also make it a trusted resource for millions around the world for many years. But it is a reality.  Wikipedia has become one of the web's biggest success stories. 

But how does it really work? What is in place to make sure that the information is factual and high quality?  The goal of this video is to answer these questions.

For this video, we had help from the Wikimedia Foundation, the not-for-profit organization behind Wikipedia.  We worked with them on two versions of the video - a short version that we licensed to the Foundation that focuses on Wikipedia's two big rules and the longer version you see here.  The longer version is more comprehensive and appropriate for classrooms and licensing. Whether you're new to Wikipedia or use it every day, this video will help you see what's happening behind the scenes. 

We expect this video to be licensed by individuals and organizations who want their students and colleagues to have a greater understanding of Wikipedia. This video comes with multiple licenses. 

Watch it now.

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Video: Preparing an Emergency Plan

Today we're publishing a new video called "Preparing an Emergency Plan - Explained by Common Craft"

If you've seen the news lately, you know there is no shortage of emergencies.  Tornadoes, hurricanes, winter storms, earthquakes, fires, it's all out there.  We don't like to think about them affecting us, but they can.  This video is focused on making a plan so that you and your family or loved-ones know what to do when an emergency happens.  It only takes 20 minutes to create an emergency plan and the once it's in place, you can have peace of mind that you and yours know what to do when it something happens.

This video is obviously a departure from our technical and financial focus. It came from a relationship that we've established with Public Safety Canada. This video is a follow-up to the video we made with them in 2008 called "Preparing an Emergency Kit."  They recently came to us about making this video and we were happy to work with them again.  This relationship is what we call the "hybrid model", where we work together on the video, and we can offer a Common Craft version for licensing.

Along with use in classrooms, we hope that this video will be useful for government organizations that need better ways to get their constituents. This video is only available through this website or via licensing. It is not shared on You Tube or other hosts.  If you're a blogger that would like to use it, please contact us.

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1/29 Explainers Video: What is Geocaching?

1/29 Explainers, members of our Explainer Network of video producers, recently released a couple of great videos that highlight their work. Nick and the folks at 1/29 have serious video chops and have been putting them to good use in short, animated videos like the ones below.

What is Geocaching? (produced for GoGeocaching- currently has nearly 90k views in two weeks!)

Atlassian also hired 1/29 to create this fun video about JIRA Studios which integrates with Google Apps.

Like all members of the Explainer Network, 1/29 Explainers can be hired to make a video for your product or service.

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Video: Augmented Reality - Explained by Common Craft

Today we're releasing a new video: Augmented Reality - Explained by Common Craft

We don't make a habit of making videos about every new gadget or technology. Everyone once in a while though, a technology captures our attention and becomes a candidate for a video. The video we've published today caught our attention - it's a topic that I think we'll be hearing a lot more about in coming years. It combines information from the web and reality - what you see through a camera phone. 

By making this video about augmented reality, we're hoping to introduce you to something new - and something that could very well change the way you think about what's possible. 

Augmented reality has a classic explanation problem.  It's a pretty simple idea, but hard to explain with words.  Right now the geeks are excited about it, but for it to really become adopted and used - it needs a simple and compelling explanation in video form.  Hopefully we're helping.

A couple of notes...

You'll notice that this video is called "Augmented Reality - Explained by Common Craft".  We recently made the decision to move away from "in Plain English" tagline. Instead, we're working to build more brand identity through using our name in the title.

Thanks to William "Whurley" Hurley of Chaotic Moon Studios for his help in advising on the video.

If you like this video, you may also like some of the Social Media videos.

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Video: Saving for Retirement (401ks) in Plain English

Today we've published a new video "Saving for Retirement in Plain English".

Since we first considered making the series of videos on Money, we've had our eyes on retirement savings. Not just our retirement, but yours. Too many people start saving too late and/or don't know the basics of why retirement accounts like 401ks and IRAs make sense. This video is aimed at helping people see the long term benefits of retirement accounts.

Who is it for?  Along with use in schools, we see this video being a tool for companies who offer retirement programs. This video can be licensed for use by HR (or financial organizations) that have the goal of increasing awareness and adoption of the programs.

This video will join the other Money videos in a forthcoming "Financial Basics Pack" of 6 videos:

The release of this video also marks a break for our recent focus on money and a return to technology. More coming soon!

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Welcoming Two New Members of the Explainer Network

We're so excited to have two new members of our Explainer Network of custom video producers. 

Lilipip is a Seattle-based company that has been making videos for years. They're seeing new opportunities in the world of animated video explanations and we think they'll be a great fit for the Network.  From their listing:

We make animated videos about your product, service, or concept. We’re an “Open-Source Creative” team with transparent pricing and processes – featuring global artists with a wide range of styles. Follow Lilipip on Twitter.

Here is one of Lilipip's most recent videos:

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Animated Explanations is based in Brussels, Belgium and focuses on the European (and global) market for explanatory videos. They have extensive experience in making complex ideas easy to understand in video form and we're happy to have them in the Network. We're especially excited to have European representation in the Network. Follow them on Twitter @instruxion. From their listing:

Animated movies, interactive tutorials and instructional videos in attractive formats and any language.

Here's a sample:

How to find a new job using LinkedIn? - Animated Explanations

 

The Common Craft Explainer Network is a group of video producers that specialize in making custom explanatory videos. The Network currently has six members that represent a number of skills, styles and formats.  If that chunk of text on your home page just isn't doing the trick anymore, contact an Explainer Network member.

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