Notes for gregg pollack's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lPjY-JGZDY
Tools: AUDIO > Video. Use a good mic. Film yourself w/ natural light & good backdrop when explaining ideas. Use Screenflow, high res monitor (for zooming). Hire a film editor. Keynote/powerpoint. Use Animations! Get everything captioned!
Instructional Design:
- Describe the problem first, dont just teach syntax.
- Give Learning Objectives.
- Show them what you're going to build, what they need to know
- teach with visuals where needed
- Show more than one example
- Challenge the watcher to think
- Show the correct way first
- Show common errors
- Provide checkin points. What did we just learn?
- Tell them again at the end.
Filming: clean desktop and browser extensions. Use bigger fonts, zoom in on browser. Good code fonts: Monaco, Inconsolata, Anonymous Pro, Source Code Pro. Accessible color scheme. Code highlighting. Show code side by side with result. Avoid switching windows quickly - pause before switching. Callout and Zoom-in where needed, show people where they should look. Call attention to mouse if clicking. Show your keys for shortcuts. Write out/animate code one line at a time. Don't show face when reading code.
Delivery: Be energetic. act like you're happy to see them. speak more clearly than normal. use a voice volume that's neither loud or soft. Tell tales, personal stories, show that you care. Go on screen when explaining concepts/stories. Wear professional clothes.
Customer Service: Explain how long it will take ("In just 5 minutes we'lll _____"). Do not be overly technical. Avoid profanity. Keep your intro short, state the problem you're solving. Keep audio at consistent level. Show how to install on multiple platforms. Let watchers know where to go next. Update your videos or commit to a version.
links for everything in the comment area of youtube, I hate having to type loooong urls copying them from the screen, and a repo with branches for each step is also pretty useful