Corporate training videos are an incredibly useful way to train employees, improve skills, and increase engagement. Making videos that connect with the learners and lead to results requires thoughtful planning and execution.
In this post, we take a detailed look at how to go from the very beginning idea through the process of corporate training video production (and subsequently delivering) a top-notch piece of corporate training through video. These proven best practices will set you up for success if you are trying to level up the skills of your team as well as roll out a program company-wide.
Defining Goals and Learning Objectives
Without clear goals and measurable learning objectives, a good training video does not exist. However, before considering the creative elements of your video, first, you ought to establish the goal for it. Ask yourself:
- What exactly do you want viewers to know or be able to do after watching?
- How will this video content tie into larger business goals like increasing sales, improving customer satisfaction scores, or reducing turnover?
Getting ultra-specific here is key. For example, rather than a vague goal of “educating employees about a new software platform,” make it actionable: “Learners will be able to navigate five key functions of the software confidently after viewing.”
Also, it is important to clarify the target audience and their needs. Are you going to train sales reps, engineers, and fresh hires? Make objectives very specific to their exact skill level and their exact pain point around the topic.
Upfront legwork doing this allows you to have guardrails to shape an engaging video script and criteria to measure ROI later on.
Crafting an Impactful Script
After you have set goals to teach according to an audience’s needs, it’s time to start writing a script that will be compelling. It is a roadmap that gives your work life and the backbone of being production-ready.
Hook viewers in the first 15 seconds
These days, people’s attention spans are short. Begin with a quick and gripping cold open scene, a surprising statistic, or a compelling question to capture viewers from the first shot.
Structure content strategically
Break up segments with headings to organize information in digestible chunks. Use explanatory visuals and on-screen text to reinforce complex ideas. End each section with a clear summary sentence or call to action to drive home key takeaways.
Incorporate scenarios and examples
Help learners contextualize new skills by scripting out realistic usage case scenarios. Positive and negative examples also crystallize proper application. A pure information dump is not so effective, but this technique increases retention significantly.
Use conversational language
Use speaking directly with a team as your guide rather than lecturing formally. Use phrases that are not stiff in corporate speak and include beneficial elements like analogies, cultural references, or some humorous touch if possible.
Built-in assessment
Finish off with a ‘summary quiz,’ ask for self-reflection, or put links to extra resources that people can see and use to check out their understanding of new concepts. This allows the person to own the development trajectories.
Refining through Reviews and Revisions
Having a first attempt script in hand, it makes sense to do a few rounds of stakeholder reviews and revisions before landing.
Gather feedback from:
- Leadership on alignment with company values/priorities
- Subject matter experts on accuracy
- Learner focus groups on relevance, clarity, plus suggestions
- Video production pros on the feasibility of actual filming
Take time to carefully integrate constructive feedback into script revisions. This refinement process is what transforms an okay first draft into a polished gem ready for its on-screen closeup.
Storyboarding for Visual Storytelling
Storyboarding is taking your script and mapping out creative ways to showcase the narrative visually. This step involves sketching a series of scenes to outline:
- Key on and off-camera action
- Actor positioning/movement
- Camera angles/motion
- Graphics/text overlays
- Transition effects
Solid storyboarding is the process of using visuals to bring energy to lessons and highlight meaning. Play with different shot sequences to display different interactions and to keep the learners actively ‘Playing’.
Some of the cinematic elements you can explore are attention-grabbing openers, employee testimonials, animated demos, actor recreations, and cutaway B-roll. Stay focused on showing the core concepts of the script and not doing too fancy simply for flair.
When executed deliberately, visuals trigger emotion and prompt deeper cognitive connections, which boost retention of key takeaways.
Casting On-Camera Talent
If the script calls for on-camera hosts or actors, put care into the casting process. Even with the most brilliant script, the wrong on-screen talent can still miss the mark with audiences.
Look for candidates that check the following boxes:
- Authentic enthusiasm
- High likeability/trust factor
- Clear and dynamic communicators
- Genuine reactions during takes
It is ideal to work with professional actors when budgets allow. Do not shut yourself out to using internal company talent as well. Engineers can explain technical specifications, support reps can demonstrate customer service skills, and this greatly enhances credibility.
Regardless of who takes the screen, allot plenty of rehearsal time. That gives you the opportunity to get comfortable with delivering script lines fluidly and with the right tone and personality.
Filming with Intentional Cinematography
Finally, it is time to do something and start recording corporate video training content. During this production phase, there are so many strategic decisions that need to be made to get the desired look and feel.
Location/Set Design
What is the best visual backdrop to convey your themes? When possible, we also think of filming at company locations that are relevant to the real world. Built-in authenticity and visual interest can be provided by corporate headquarters, retail spaces, and manufacturing plants.
If shooting on a closed set, set decoration should be intentional. Giving frames some props and imagery helps to set the scene.
Cinematography
Camera work impacts the viewer’s experience immensely. Varying shot types, camera motion, and scene framing add artistic flair. Consider these tips:
- Use wide establishing shots to orient audiences initially, then shift to closer views to focus attention
- Cut between camera angles frequently to maintain energy
- Occasional slow motion, stabilized gimbal, or drone footage introduces striking effects
- The “rule of thirds” for composition just means framing key elements slightly off-center for natural appeal
Lighting
The polished factor can be significantly impacted by the quality of the lighting. Generally speaking, diffused, balanced key light from the front prevents shadows while backlight carves definition around subjects. Pay attention to lighting continuity across scenes to keep tones cohesive.
Post-Production Editing
With principal photography wrapped, the footage now transitions to the editing bay for fine-tuning. Skilled video editors add major value here through:
- Ordering and trimming clips to accentuate drama
- Adjusting color correction and audio levels for consistency
- Mixing in supplemental b-roll and graphics smoothly
- Setting pacing via shot duration and snappy, seamless transitions
This post-production polish generates the slick, share-worthy final cut ready for viewership.
Implementation Plan and Measurement
The hard work has been done to create a magnificent corporate video training module. Don’t stop short of an effective implementation plan. Deploying your creation to target learners and measuring its measurable business impact is a critical step.
Solid distribution tactics might include:
- Embedding videos in your LMS platform for self-paced consumption
- Learning to code multi-modal training content via video input
- Email, social media, internal communication, etc., for promoting links
- Featuring clips on venue screens for passive viewing
On the data side, define KPIs that are directly connected to the original goals and keep an eye on how things are trending at regular intervals. Are the sales of some products in the videos increasing week over week? Does the knowledge assessment score reflect learners’ comprehension of the covered concepts?
Video training adoption can then be consistently correlated to the real performance markers and used to showcase the measurable ROI and opportunities for further optimization.
Key Takeaways
Developing polished corporate video training content with real impact takes thoughtful planning across these fundamental steps:
- Locking course goals and measurable learning objectives
- Scripting compelling narrative arcs that resonate
- Visually storyboarding dynamic scenes
- Casting engaging on-camera talent
- Filming with deliberate cinematography
- Post-producing for polish
- Distributing for adoption and tracking data
Although it takes a lot of effort from many people, the payback in terms of improving employee capabilities and achieving business outcomes is well worth it.
Rightfully integrated content, style, and implementation can make your custom video assets into sparking training experiences of soothing substance, cinematic captivation, and tactical efficiency. It will make digesting the need-to-know material easier and retaining it longer for learners.
The data doesn’t lie. Companies quickly realize in video-based training that there is very real ROI in terms of increased productivity and capability building, and bottom-line performance improvements.
So what are you waiting for? Get your script and storyboard template. Start rallying those stakeholders you have and those on the production crew. It’s time for some video magic and the ascension of your workforce to the next level!