Go behind the scenes and see a new video come to life via 1-minute videos shared on social media. Follow along as I step through every phase of making a new video for our library.

 

The Title: Deepfakes Explained

I'll explain deepfakes: what they are, what problems they cause, and how to mitigate risks. So far, I've published three mini-videos, with many more on the way.

• ​Project Introduction​
• ​What subject will we explain? How do we decide?​
• ​What research is required?
• The driving questions
• Estimating video duration
• Elements of explainer scripts
• Script Overview

Where to Find and Follow the Mini-Videos

I'm sharing each video on social media about twice a week. Follow along and you'll see the entire process:

• ​Instagram (follow @common_craft)
• ​Threads (follow @common_craft)
• ​YouTube​
• ​LinkedIn​
• ​Facebook​

I've also created an online archive of all mini-videos on the Common Craft website.

I hope you'll choose to follow along! If you do, I'd love to hear from you.

Get updates via the Common Craft Newsletter

Do you have a policy, product, or service you need to explain? It's easier than you think, and you already have the tools to do it: Powerpoint or Keynote.

I'm hosting a ​new workshop​ starting April 17th. We'll meet on Wednesday afternoons (Pacific time).

I will be your guide through every step of creating an animated video that clearly explains your idea. This workshop, our third, has a limit of five participants so I can be a personal resource for you.

The workshop includes:

• Explanation skills and tips
• Responsible and productive use of AI in the creative process
• Writing your script
• Developing your storyboard and visuals
• Animating each scene
• Producing your video

I am happy to respond to emails if you have questions or need direction between sessions.

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"The Explainer Workshop was truly a game-changer for me."

Amber Smart, Winter 2024

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The Details

• Five 1-hour online sessions (Zoom) with Lee and the group
• Limit of 5 participants
• Three Explainer Academy courses and an online workspace that never expires
  • ​​Explanation Master Course ($199 value)​​
  • ​​Ideas in Motion ($149 value)​​
  • ​​How to Create Readable Videos ($129 value)​
  • Workshop Workspace​ (All session recordings, resources, etc.)
• Access to our online library of 3,300 Cut-outs
• Multiple guides, templates, and models in PDF
• All sessions will be recorded and available in the workshop workspace.
• Price: $995

Enroll Now

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"Lee provided personalized feedback and kept sessions fun and very interactive. I highly recommend this workshop!”

Luisa Molina, Fall 2023

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The Schedule:

The Explainer Video Spring Workshop will be in April and May 2024:

• Session 1: Wednesday, April 17th, 3pm PT (1 Hour)
• Session 2: Wednesday, April 24th, 3pm PT (1 Hour)
• Session 3: Wednesday, May 1st, 3pm PT (1 Hour)
• Session 4: Wednesday, May 8th, 3pm PT (1 Hour)
• Session 5: Wednesday, May 22nd, 3pm PT (1 Hour)

Can't make a session? All sessions are recorded.

Learn More

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"The workshop puts you on the spot to deliver your explanation. I found that it's the practical aspect of actually doing it that matters. The workshop was excellent!"

Clyde Johnson, Fall 2023

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Watch a Brief Video

If you have questions, reply to this email or contact me directly at ​lee@commoncraft.com​.

Enroll Now

Why PowerPoint and Keynote are Perfect for Creating Animated Videos

When it comes to creativity, the right tools matter, but they can also get in the way. When a task requires expensive and complicated software, it becomes a barrier to experimentation and learning. They also help keep the riff-raff out of the big leagues. What a shame.

Me? I’m all about the riff-raff because the riff-raff are my people. We are professionals who need easier ways to communicate and create media without headaches. We don’t care a lot about design awards and the perfect font. We have a job to do and need a better way.

In my experience, amazing things are possible with the most common and affordable tools. What matters most is your ideas, your audience, and your goals.

Unsung Heroes

The tools I’m using are both popular and much-maligned: PowerPoint and Keynote. Your eyes are rolling. I get it. But here’s the thing: PowerPoint or Keynote are unique because they provide everything needed to create animated explainer videos. Using these tools, you can explain a new policy, a multi-step process, or a complicated idea. They solve problems and bring ideas to life.

The Magic

When I say “animated videos” you may think of Pixar movies like Finding Nemo or Toy Story. Instead, I want you to think about South Park. The format and animations in South Park are simple and clunky compared to a Pixar movie. Yet, they’ve seen huge success. Why? Because of the writing. The magic of South Park is not the sophistication of the animations but the stories, jokes, and ideas in the script. Simple visuals play a supporting role. It’s your idea that matters.

Today we have the help of AI in the creative process and it can be helpful​. However, humans are required to know the audience to bring it all together.

What's Required for Simple Animated Videos

Most animated videos use the same process and flow. Whether it's a Common Craft video or a South Park episode, the video will require:

• Script - If your video has a voice-over, you will likely work from a script that tells the story.
• Storyboard - This is where you’ll consider visuals and actions for each scene.
• Visuals - You’ll need to find, create, or license the visuals you need.
• Animations - Words and visuals will appear, disappear, or move on the screen according to your script.
• Voice-over - The voiceover is based on the script. You’ll read it aloud as it is recorded.
• Video - You’ll capture the animations for each scene in video form.
• Editing - With the voice-over and animations recorded, you’ll edit them together to make the final video.

Consider the variety of media and tools in the list above. You can spend serious time and money learning professional tools for each step. Or, you can use PowerPoint or Keynote.

Presentation Software to the Rescue

Next, let's consider the production process in the context of PowerPoint and Keynote. I’ve used them to create videos for years. Here’s what you can expect:

• Storyboard: Presentation software works by default. Each presentation slide is one scene of the video.
• Visuals: PowerPoint and Keynote both have libraries of shapes and icons, along with features for drawing what you need. Adding visuals from 3rd parties is easy.
• Animation: Both products have well-developed animation features. With a bit of practice, your visuals will move to match your script.
• Voice-over and Video: The “record presentation” feature of both products makes recording your screen and the voiceover a simple process.
• Production: The final video is produced when you export the presentation as a .mp4 video file. This process combines all the scenes into a single video.
• Editing: If you need to make a change, you can re-record a single scene/slide and export the whole thing as a new video.

That’s all there is to it. It takes practice and a bit of instruction​, but it’s not difficult once you understand the steps.

Use Cases

Video production is a skill that lasts a lifetime. Once you get the process down, you’ll see opportunities everywhere. Options to consider:

• Transforming presentations - If you’re performing the same presentation over and over, you can turn it into a shareable video.
• Explaining processes - Flow charts, graphs, maps and more can be transformed into an animated video you can create once and use a thousand times.
• Helping website visitors - Your product or service may need an introduction or a quick explanation on your website. This method means you can create the video yourself.
• Education and training - The right video can captivate an audience and break up boring lectures. Create animated videos of complicated topics and play them in the classroom.

Making an animated video sounds intimidating and has been in the past. Today’s presentation software has evolved to make it easier than you expect, and I can show you how to do it well.

Learn more at the ​Explainer Academy​.

We're preparing to launch our new Readable Videos course and I'm so excited for you to see it. The method we teach applies to nearly everyone because it uses presentation software to create animated videos with real power. Let's take a closer look.

The Big Idea

Producing animated videos is complicated, in large part, because of the voice-over. Performing it, editing it, and matching it to animations requires special tools and know-how.

We asked: what if animated videos didn't require a voice-over? What if they were purely visual?

Removing the voice-over simplifies the entire process. Using animated words and visuals on the screen means that videos can be created in a few hours versus days or weeks.

One Tool: Presentation Software

Readable Videos only require presentation software. PowerPoint and Keynote can do everything you need. No hardware, no expensive software, and no complicated editing. One tool can do it all, and you probably have it already.

Limited Editing Required

Video editing is not often required when producing Readable Videos. Simply record animations on your computer screen, trim the beginning and end, and you're done.

Use Case: Quick Problem Solving

Readable Videos are best when they are brief and solve a problem. A quick scenario:

Your manager is rolling out a new policy. She needs a short video for a meeting in two days. You use PowerPoint to create a Readable Video that uses visuals and animated text to guide viewers through the policy change. It relates the big ideas in 90 seconds and you look like a rock star.

Hidden Power

You'll discover features and practices you never knew were possible with presentation software. With a bit of instruction, you'll quickly build a new appreciation for what these tools can do.

Engaging and Accessible

It's not enough to animate words on the screen. How they animate is key. We teach best practices from the fields of digital accessibility and graphic design so your videos are professional, polished, and inclusive.

Everything You Need

From creative direction, storyboards, and digital drawing, to animating text and recording your screen, we teach every part of the process, including explanation skills.

Video Instruction

The course includes 14 chapters and over 30 videos in all.

Reviewed and Tested

Over the past month, we invited a group of educators, trainers, and communicators to take the course and provide feedback. Their participation helped us streamline the course, discover new ideas, and ensure we are teaching effectively. We are incredibly thankful.

We're back with a new, free resource for anyone interested in creating simple animated videos. These videos are different because they do not have a voice-over. Readable Videos use animated words and symbols to tell a story or bring information to life.

The best part? The tools you need are free or built into your computer. You can start right now.

Quick Reminder: Common Craft's library of explainer videos is used by educators around the world. In addition to producing videos, we help educators and other professionals develop communication and media skills at the Explainer Academy. This new mini-course is part of that mission.

Free Mini-Course

We've created a free mini-course at the Explainer Academy called How to Create Readable Videos. This course walks you through the big idea and how to create your first readable video.

What you get:

• Clear video instruction from Lee LeFever, co-founder of Common Craft and Explainer Academy
• Free pack of 25 Common Craft Cut-outs
• Links to free resources for creating readable videos

Three Reasons Readable Videos Matter:

1️⃣ Traditional animated videos can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to create. Readable videos are simple and efficient to create using free and built-in tools.

2️⃣ Producing a video voice-over is a complex process that requires experience and skill. Readable videos use animations and words on the screen instead.

3️⃣ Accessibility and Ease matter. Readable videos work well for those with hearing impairments. Because there is no voice-over, they can be consumed anywhere without bothering others.

A Scenario

Imagine that you need to explain a new idea for your team, company, classroom, etc. A document might work, but visuals are essential to getting the idea. A presentation deck could be good, but it feels too clunky.

An animated video would be great, but you'd need software, equipment, and time to create and edit the voice-over and animations.

Then, you discover readable videos. Using presentation software and a screen recorder, you can create an animated video in an afternoon, right from your desk.

Example

The animated GIF below is an example of a readable video:

I hope you have a chance to check out this new mini-course. Readable videos could be a new, useful addition to your toolbox.

I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Matthew Pierce at Techsmith, makers of Camtasia, Snag-it, and other fine products.

Matt hosts The Visual Lounge, which is about the power of using visuals in videos and how to make them better. I was a recent guest and we discussed:

• Common Craft as Pioneers of Explainer Videos
• Our approach to creating and using visuals in our animated videos
• What's unique about Common Craft Cut-outs
• Dual coding theory
• Cognitive load, and a lot more...

You can watch the entire interview below or at this link: