What’s the best budget-friendly microphone to make videos? How do you set up your lighting in a home studio? Do you need a green screen? What’s a stream deck? The TechSmith team has all these answers covered and much more. On this episode of The Visual Lounge, host Matt Pierce, Kara Swanson (Content Marketer), Andy Owen (Video Production), and Anton Bollen (Customer Success) share their top picks for audio, camera, lighting, and accessories. If you’re looking for some recommendations to po...
Dec 08, 2021•59 min•Ep. 99
What can we learn from comic books that we can apply to instructional design or marketing? It may seem like an odd question, but it turns out we can learn a whole lot from comic books. Buddy Scalera, comic book writer, educator, and Founder of Comic Book School, joins The Visual Lounge to share those lessons with us. Whether you’re creating your own comic book or designing instructional videos for a corporate environment, we can all take something from comic books. In this episode, Buddy explain...
Dec 01, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 98
The digital age has ushered in its fair share of upsides and challenges, especially when it comes to productivity. While there are so many applications and tools that promise to make it a lot easier, sometimes, they do the opposite. That’s probably why people end up getting lost in the maze of keeping up with the times, are overwhelmed while finding information, or are just plain unproductive. The critical question here is, how do you address this productivity problem? And how can videos and ima...
Nov 24, 2021•58 min•Ep. 97
Becoming a content creator is a dream that many people have these days. But it’s far from an easy road to follow. It takes a great deal of grit, determination, and a commitment to learning and growing to get your channel off the ground. On top of that, there’s also the big learning process of developing your camera and editing skills. Joining this episode of The Visual Lounge is Sean Cannell, CEO of Think Media, and host of the Think Media Podcast. If you’ve ever looked up YouTube or content cre...
Nov 17, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 96
What makes a solid explainer video? The kind that gets your point across fast, without confusion, and equips the audience with all they need to know. There are many components that go into a good explainer video. Lee Lefever, Co-Founder of Common Craft, breaks them down in this episode of The Visual Lounge. Common Craft excels in creating simple animated videos to explain concepts suitable for use in online presentations, courses, classrooms, and more. With a refreshingly simple animation style,...
Nov 10, 2021•56 min•Ep. 95
What does it take to be great at learning and development? Is it down to fancy tools, qualifications, or top video creation skills? Not exactly. It’s all about your audience and focusing on what they need to know. The other stuff can come later. In her career, Kati Ryan, Founder of A Positive Adventure, has picked up so many fantastic tips for L&D professionals. She joins this episode of The Visual Lounge to share her best advice for new and experienced L&D professionals alike. She expla...
Nov 03, 2021•28 min•Ep. 94
Did you know that customer education can help to boost both customer adoption and retention? Education is often an overlooked part of the customer experience, but companies that prioritize it see great results. In this episode of The Visual Lounge, Cutler Bleecker, Learning Experience Designer at Skilljar, joins to share his expertise on customer education and creating great training content. Cutler has a passion for both teaching and technology, with an undergraduate degree in education as well...
Oct 27, 2021•55 min•Ep. 93
Are you ready to take the plunge and become a YouTube content creator? Before you wing it and hope for the best, you need to know the best practices. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. In this episode of The Visual Lounge, we invited Nick Nimmin, a YouTube content creator and educator, who’s seen great success on the platform with over 800,000 subscribers and counting! Nick is passionate about the power of YouTube and online video to help people connect with an audience, expand influence, and grow ...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 92
What does it take to record great audio? A recording studio? A degree in sound engineering? You may be surprised. Justin David Proctor, audio recording master and two-time Grammy Award winner, joined this episode of The Visual Lounge to share his expertise on creating great audio. Justin takes us through his advice on getting the right equipment, pre-production and planning, preparing the room, dealing with background noise, software, and much more. Justin has worked in professional audio and mu...
Oct 13, 2021•55 min•Ep. 91
How do you ensure great learning design? Whether you’re working with video, PDFs, or blog posts to deliver training content, visual elements are key to delivering a clear message to your audience. Mel Milloway, Learning Experience Design Manager at Miro, joined this episode of The Visual Lounge to talk about the importance of visuals and video in learning design. Prior to working at Miro, Mel worked in learning design at Amazon and has held other learning and development roles at various organiz...
Oct 06, 2021•58 min•Ep. 90
The future of communication in the workplace is video (and no surprise, it's already here). If you haven't found a way to implement video in your your workplace communication methods yet, there's no time like the present. ju In this episode, Matt Pierce , Andy Owen , and Kara Swanson discuss ways that video has become a part of their internal communication and why they think replacing some communication with videos will serve you and your coworkers better in the long run. Do you want more tips o...
Oct 01, 2021•31 min•Ep. 89
What’s the secret to great visual design? We asked Connie Malamed, The eLearning Coach, to share her eLearning and visual design expertise in this episode of The Visual Lounge. Connie helps people build their instructional design skills. She’s a consultant, an author, and speaker in online learning and visual communication. Connie is the author of ‘Visual Design Solutions: Principles and Creative Inspiration for Learning Professionals’ and also runs The eLearning Coach website and podcast. Conni...
Sep 29, 2021•52 min•Ep. 88
If you're looking to grow your company's YouTube channel, then this video's for you. You know that there are certain strategies to make your videos grow, gain views, subscribers, and get more exposure. But how can it work for your company? In this episode, Matt Pierce , Andy Owen , and Kara Swanson talk through our experiences with YouTube content creation and strategy and what we've learned. Do you want more tips on creating videos? You can easily watch and search past episodes here . You can a...
Sep 24, 2021•29 min•Ep. 87
What’s the best process or framework for creating videos that leave an impact? The truth is that every video creator does things differently. And you’ve got to find whatever works for you. Oz du Soleil is someone who’s found a process that works for him. He’s the host behind Excel on Fire, a YouTube channel that makes Excel tutorials both fun and interesting. As well his YouTube channel, Oz is also a Microsoft Excel MVP, lead author of Guerilla Data Analysis 2 nd Ed., and has several courses on ...
Sep 22, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 86
The main reason that people continue to watch a video is that they’re genuinely interested in the topic. What if there were some key questions that every creator could ask that would help them figure out where their viewers are in their progress and who exactly they should be creating content for? In this episode, Matt Pierce , Andy Owen , and Kara Swanson discuss the seven questions you need to ask before you start creating videos. Do you want more tips on creating videos? You can easily watch ...
Sep 17, 2021•32 min•Ep. 85
You’re invited to Level Up! On October 5 th , 2021, we’re holding a free, four-hour digital event to help you improve your workplace communications. This explosive interactive event will guide you through evolving your video communication skills, no matter your level. Whether you’re an experienced video communicator or starting from zero, we want you there! Hosted by the incredible Dave Patton, TechSmith Partnership Marketing Specialist, Level Up is packed with presentations from brilliant TechS...
Sep 15, 2021•25 min•Ep. 84
What is B-Roll? Why does it matter? And how can you record it properly to enhance your video content? Today we dive into all of these questions. In this episode, Matt Pierce and Andy Owen talk through how to use b-roll effectively, and why it's so important to in any future videos you put out. Do you want more tips on creating videos? You can easily watch and search past episodes here . You can also find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ....
Sep 10, 2021•23 min•Ep. 83
If anyone can help you gain the confidence to get behind the camera, press record, and create awesome videos, it’s Andrew Kan. Andrew Kan is a leading YouTube video creator who’s worked with TubeBuddy, Salesforce, and other big brands to create videos that audiences find valuable and enjoy. We sat down with Andrew at Video Marketing World to get his thoughts on what first-time video creators should know before they hit record, why video is such a valuable and impactful medium, and how to incorpo...
Sep 08, 2021•23 min•Ep. 82
Tutorial videos are a fantastic way to connect with your audience through teaching and learning. But is there such a thing as a one-size-fits-all tutorial video workflow? Josh Cavalier has over 25 years of experience in learning and development and is a passionate instructional video creator. He joins this episode of The Visual Lounge to share how he adapts his tutorial video workflow to ensure highly effective instructional videos. This episode is packed with actionable advice that will revolut...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 81
Research shows that bad audio is the single most important factor in people stopping watching videos. Simply put, bad audio means no viewers. And, of course, as video creators, we want viewers! So how can you improve the quality of your audio recording to get perfect audio for your videos? As a beginner, it can be overwhelming stepping into the world of video. When you add audio into the mix, it becomes even more difficult to know what levers to pull to get the outcome you want. Jake Pechtel is ...
Aug 25, 2021•54 min•Ep. 80
What does it take to make your tutorial videos shine? Jason Valade and Ryan Eash are both Instructional Designers at TechSmith with several years of experience creating high-value instructional videos. Jason is also an ATD Master Trainer and has a background as a classroom teacher. He loves teaching and training people on all things TechSmith-related. Ryan works on the customer education team creating video tutorials and course materials to help customers learn how to utilize TechSmith tools. Th...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 79
Want some video creation and editing tips? Who better to ask than a teacher? In this episode of The Visual Lounge, we invited Jayne Davids, Camtasia Trainer and Video Editor at her company, Raiveon Video Specialists. Jayne shares thoughts on how you can improve your video creation skills by sharing some insights into her own methods. She takes you through processes, how she manages projects, her tips on creating storyboards and scripts, and much more. Jayne has been involved in learning and deve...
Aug 11, 2021•52 min•Ep. 78
If you’re producing video after video, you need to know how well they’re doing. Are they effective? Is there room for improvement? Do they cover everything they need to? You won’t know unless you measure and analyze your videos! Elizabeth Pierce, Senior Director of Learning Experience and Consulting at TaskUs, joined The Visual Lounge to share her thoughts behind measuring video engagement. Elizabeth has 20 plus years of experience working in the learning and development space as a fantastic lea...
Aug 04, 2021•59 min•Ep. 77
Creating great instructional videos doesn’t start when you hit record. For the best success during production and beyond, good planning is essential. Planning and following a set process are key to producing consistently high-value tutorial videos. From scripting to research and analysis to drafting, the better foundations you can lay with your work, the easier it is to scale your videos and achieve the desired effect with your audience. Chandra Owen, Instructional Designer at TechSmith, joined ...
Jul 28, 2021•55 min•Ep. 75
A good SEO strategy can help make sure your videos get found and watched. But if you’re not an SEO expert it can feel overwhelming. In this episode, Matt Pierce , Andy Owen , and Justin Simon talk through 5 ways you can quickly optimize your videos for search engines. You can easily watch and search past episodes here . You can also find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ....
Jul 23, 2021•33 min•Ep. 74
Instructional videos are a cornerstone of many training programs, onboarding processes, and team communication. But if you have never produced your own videos, it can be a bit of a daunting project. There’s producing, editing, camera equipment, audio equipment, and then distributing the content to think about. In this episode, we’re focusing more on the steps you need to take before you start rolling. How do you plan your content for maximum impact? Lee Rodrigues, Senior Instructional Designer a...
Jul 21, 2021•56 min•Ep. 73
Videos are everywhere. But, there are some things that we can do better. One of them is composition. In this episode, Matt Pierce , Andy Owen , and Justin Simon talk about the principles that you can use to get better video composition, from the rule of thirds to headroom, talkspace to foreground/background and more. Do you want more tips on creating videos? You can easily watch and search past episodes here . You can also find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ....
Jul 16, 2021•34 min•Ep. 72
So, you’ve mastered the basics of producing video training content. What now? The work isn’t over just yet. After creating videos, it’s essential to measure their impact and effectiveness. Only by doing so will your videos improve, become more engaging, and have a great impact on your audience. For tips on how to do this, Cara North, Operations Training Manager at Silfex, joins this episode of The Visual Lounge. Cara shares her best tips for assessing the effectiveness of your videos, measuring ...
Jul 14, 2021•58 min•Ep. 71
Here are our answers to your most frequently asked video production questions. We wanted to compile all of the frequently asked questions into one place and give straight answers about how to make better videos. In this episode, Matt Pierce , Andy Owen , and Justin Simon answer questions that people wrote in with, from YouTube, social media, and everywhere else. Do you want more tips on creating videos? You can easily watch and search past episodes here . You can also find us on Apple Podcasts o...
Jul 09, 2021•32 min•Ep. 70
Do you want to start creating tutorial videos like a pro? If you’re new to the world of video creation, it can feel a bit overwhelming. Where do you even start? The good news is that it doesn’t have to be too complicated. You don’t need a big fancy setup or Hollywood director skills. Often, simpler is better. Ashley Chiasson is the Senior e-Learning Developer at Traliant, a compliance training provider for workplaces. She is also a self-proclaimed Articulate ambassador and is most well-known for...
Jul 07, 2021•59 min•Ep. 69
