How to Clone Yourself in an Interactive Video Interview #289

Cloning Yourself in E-Learning Video #289: Challenge | Recap

A lot of online training involves video content, such as informal smartphone videos, webcam videos, or interactive video interviews. These are fantastic ways to captivate learners and present typical e-learning content in more visual and engaging ways.

Another creative way to use videos in e-learning is to clone yourself in the video to simulate talking to yourself at the same time. I’ve been interested in this effect for a while, but after seeing this short video from Renaldo Lawrence, I knew it would make a fun e-learning challenge.

A Quick Educational Moment

View the video | Learn how it was made

Challenge of the Week

This week, your challenge is to clone yourself in a video and interview yourself. You don’t need to learn advanced video production tools to create this effect. There are plenty of low-fi ways to achieve the overall effect. And that's what this week's challenge is all about!

Resources

Here are a few video resources to give you more ideas for cloning yourself in videos:

Share Your E-Learning Work

Comments: Use the comments section below to share a link to your published example and blog post.
Forums: Start your own thread and share a link to your published example..
Personal blog: If you have a blog, please consider writing about your challenges. We’ll link back to your posts so the great work you’re sharing gets even more exposure.
Social Media: If you share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, try using #ELHChallenge so your tweeps can track your e-learning coolness.

Last Week’s Challenge:

Before you clone your video self, check out what happens when your fellow challengers are free to choose their own e-learning challenge topic:

Choose Your Own E-Learning Challenge #288: Challenge | Recap

New to the E-Learning Challenges?

The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos.

74 Comments

Joanna Kurpiewska

almost 4 years ago07/10/20 at 6:42 pm (UTC)

I can smell a lot of cool examples coming!

Jodi M. Sansone

almost 4 years ago07/10/20 at 9:15 pm (UTC)

Hmm...after 5 months by myself I'm the last person I want to talk to. :)

almost 4 years ago07/10/20 at 10:04 pm (UTC)

Too funny :)

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 12:15 am (UTC)

I would rather talk to any random stranger right now. I picked up a new IPad for my mother yesterday and started blathering on with an Apple associate. I'm sure he felt bad for me.

over 3 years ago08/11/20 at 5:18 pm (UTC)

ditto!

Christina Stephenson

almost 4 years ago07/10/20 at 9:42 pm (UTC)

Oh my gosh. My husband was literally doing this just last night!

Blair Parkin

almost 4 years ago07/10/20 at 11:32 pm (UTC)

We're severely limited for editing video files but I wanted to practice the technique, so here's a really short little example: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/dd7ba9c5-a18b-4f4f-a60c-0178f6c039be/review

almost 4 years ago07/10/20 at 11:45 pm (UTC)

Blair that's fantastic! For those of you who don't know Blair, here's some trivia: Blair was the 2nd person to post an example in the first e-learning challenge in 2013:-)

almost 4 years ago07/10/20 at 11:59 pm (UTC)

Very cool.

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 6:05 am (UTC)

Short but funny one. I like it, Blair

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 4:10 pm (UTC)

That's funny. Nicely don Blair!

almost 4 years ago07/14/20 at 10:38 pm (UTC)

Well done Blair. I think you had a lot of fun on working out your thoughts for this challenge. ;) #LoveIt

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 12:38 pm (UTC)

I love this. I've never seen this effect before this challenge. You did a great job. I love the "sneaky" storyline.

Joanna Kurpiewska

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 1:19 pm (UTC)

I knew I was going to create something for this challenge as it's too awesome to skip, so here it is. I wouldn't say it's an interview but I do interact with my clone and you'll find out something about myself too. Enjoy! https://elearningprojects.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/demos/Challenge289CloneYourself.mp4 Blog post with some behind the scenes info: https://www.elearningdesigner.co.uk/single-post/2020/07/11/Clone-yourself-in-an-interactive-video

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 2:12 pm (UTC)

Fun!

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 2:17 pm (UTC)

Brilliant! Nicely done, Joanna.

Ron Katz
Joanna Kurpiewska

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 7:32 pm (UTC)

Wow. Way cool.

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 3:32 pm (UTC)

Love it!

Paola Rattu
Joanna Kurpiewska

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 4:08 pm (UTC)

Hi Joanna, this is amazing. Have you created both effects with After Effects? I am not even a beginner with that one... :)

almost 4 years ago07/14/20 at 9:19 am (UTC)

hi Paola, yes, both effects are AE tricks. I added link above to post with some detailed explanation how I did it.

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 12:39 pm (UTC)

Very cool! Look the fire and disappearing act.

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 4:15 pm (UTC)

Woaaa....So cool :D

Jodi M. Sansone

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 4:08 pm (UTC)

So I've watched the videos on how to do this but I don't have the skills, equipment or software to pull it off right away. But I have another idea. Can I improvise on the cloning part? I have a concept inspired by Scott Adams. Otherwise I have to skip for the week.

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 5:15 pm (UTC)

The first rule of challenges: There are no rules:-) You can do whatever you want to achieve the general effect, Jodi. I can see how using the webcam recording in Storyline could work to create 2 separate videos of one person to simulate a conversation. Or do an over the shoulder (from behind) shot of you looking at your computer and then overlay a webcam video in the monitor. And anything inspired by Scott Adams will always be worth watching.

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 5:53 pm (UTC)

Okie dokie. I haven't had a haircut in 5 months so I don't feel like being on a webcam right now, and I am boycotting Zoom/MS Teams/WebEx video until September 1. But I still have a concept that might at least meet the spirit of this challenge, if not the technical aspects. In my past life I was a recruiter for a Fortune 500 company--the world's worst job for an introvert-- so I have lots of interviewing material to draw on. I'll give it a shot, and if it doesn't work for this one I'll find another challenge to cross post it. Talk soon!

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 6:19 pm (UTC)

I'm excited to see what you come up with, Jodi. One quick question. What's with the hard date of September 1 for your virtual reopening?

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 6:47 pm (UTC)

Nothing in particular. Just sick of working on-camera continuously for 5 months, and it's so hot in the desert right now that I just don't feel like dealing with anything. You must be at 115 today too, right? I need a psychological reset. I'll vent it in my demo 289. :))

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 8:06 pm (UTC)

LOL that makes sense. Hey we'll be up in Sedona for a week at the end of July. If you can get a haircut before then, it would be great to see you:-) Our national parks road trip fell through due to COVID closures. So we're keeping it local and spending a week up in the cooler part of the state.

almost 4 years ago07/11/20 at 10:41 pm (UTC)

I will probably be up there--after the 21st. I went to the Grand Canyon last week. I was very quiet up there, except for the poor lady who fell in at Mather Point. No tour buses or large groups. We also did Sunset Crater. And Sedona was quiet too. I'll connect. Sorry everyone for using the board as my social life today! :) My demo is coming.

David McEachan

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 12:56 pm (UTC)

Hi everybody, Here's my attempt using just my phone and Storyline's trim and crop features. (I didn’t interview myself but wanted to practice the technique nonetheless.) https://tinyurl.com/yc285zzh p.s. Do forgive the mess - we're in the middle of a renovation just now!

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 5:31 pm (UTC)

Very cool, David! And no worries on the renovations... I have to imagine there's a lot of house cleaning going on for this week's challenge. What did you use to create your video?

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 6:00 pm (UTC)

I shot the video on my Pixel 3 phone using the front camera and a tripod. The light adjusts strangely throughout, but it was good enough in the end.

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 6:28 pm (UTC)

Well done! I'm not in the middle of a renovation and my house is a mess anyway.

Ron Katz
David McEachan

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 7:37 pm (UTC)

I love how you give it away at the end and you with the book just looks frustrated that the other guy blew the shot. Sweet.

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 4:06 pm (UTC)

Hi David, good job! I like how the 1st character disappears in a spatio-temporal hidden door. Funny!

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 12:41 pm (UTC)

Great job!

Alexander Salas

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 3:52 pm (UTC)

Done 4 years ago for my DevLearn trailer https://youtu.be/ev8Vx0vpU6U booyah!

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 5:28 pm (UTC)

Four years ago?? I'm sorry but I'm only accepting new entries this week:-) Nicely done. It's quite enjoyable watching Alexander troll Alexander in a video. You did a great job w/ your video.

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 5:50 pm (UTC)

haha Dave! Thanks for the ministroke LOL

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 6:27 pm (UTC)

I wished I liked being on camera. You're a natural!

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 5:51 pm (UTC)

Come on Jodi, you can do it! Do a catmeo ; )

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 1:01 pm (UTC)

Esto fue divertido! Y me gusto el ejemplo de AR :)

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 4:00 pm (UTC)

Alexander, this was good fun! Nice job :)

Ron Katz

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 7:40 pm (UTC)

Very cool. I have to work on mine.

Jodi M. Sansone

almost 4 years ago07/12/20 at 10:20 pm (UTC)

Interview with my Alter Ego Demo: https://jodichallenges.s3.amazonaws.com/289+Interview+with+Myself/story.html In the spirit of this challenge, Corporate Jodi interviews her alter-ego Connie Coniglietta, via Vyond animated characters. I tried pulling this off last night via Zoom webcam, but the Vyond characters were funnier, have better haircuts, and I'm not a good actress. I also didn't have a bunny suit handy. These scenarios are inspired by my time as a corporate recruiter and someone who has made me laugh a lot, Scott Adams. Download: https://jodichallenges.s3.amazonaws.com/289+Interview.story

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 2:19 pm (UTC)

Super cute, Jodi! I can hear a combination of Scott Adams and Jodi Sansone in each of those panels. Nicely done. Enjoy your cooler weather (jealous) this week.

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 3:24 pm (UTC)

That was funny, Jodi. I especially liked the Hypotheticals bit.

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 3:58 pm (UTC)

Jody, this was really funny :) I like the sense of humor you put in this project!

Ron Katz
Jodi M. Sansone

almost 4 years ago07/14/20 at 8:49 pm (UTC)

Nice. Love your humor. Spot on.

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 12:48 pm (UTC)

OMG Jodi! This cracked me up. These can't be real stories. Are they?

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 4:48 pm (UTC)

Haha Rema! No, I never had anyone admit that they had punched their boss in an interview. That came from my alter ego. :) The most honest thing anyone ever said to me was in response to the question "Tell me why you are looking to leave your current company?" The person responded (no kidding) "I'm leaving because they expect me to be there every day, even when I don't feel like it."

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 8:28 pm (UTC)

I love this! Vyond + Stroyline is so incredibly powerful as a tool. This is a really fun interpretation of the challenge.

Paola Rattu

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 3:57 pm (UTC)

Hi Everyone, here comes my work for this week. It's the first time I try this trick in Adobe Premiere, really funny to do! https://360.articulate.com/review/content/f6391a38-ab9b-461b-997b-8ff53a8e6612/review I look forward to your feedback! :)

almost 4 years ago07/13/20 at 4:04 pm (UTC)

Nice idea with the questions embeded into interactive video.

almost 4 years ago07/14/20 at 8:42 pm (UTC)

That's fantastic, Paola! The video cloning combined w/ questions turned out really well.

almost 4 years ago07/14/20 at 8:53 pm (UTC)

The video, the music, the interaction, wow! Great job. Plus, I learned that Iceland (US Spelling) is spelled "Island" which we pronounce as "I-land" a word we use for any piece of land surround on 4 sides by a body of water.

Jodi M. Sansone

almost 4 years ago07/14/20 at 6:05 pm (UTC)

Love it! Great job!

Nicki Berry

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 9:00 am (UTC)

A colleague and I have decided to set Wednesday mornings aside for the next 6 weeks to learn some new skills. I wanted to learn more about Adobe Premiere Pro, so this challenge was the perfect match! Here is my first attempt at a cloned interview: Demo: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/a7b4bbbd-6b53-405a-9d35-58d8d97062ed/review Blog: https://edtech-finnberrys.blogspot.com/2020/07/adobe-premiere-pro.html

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 12:43 pm (UTC)

Great application of this technique. The idea of positive self talk is perfect for this cloning technique. I love it and using different shirts.

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 4:50 pm (UTC)

Great! How hard was it taking up After Effects? Bravo for doing this and setting aside your time for learning!

almost 4 years ago07/16/20 at 7:21 am (UTC)

I haven't got as far as After Effects yet. I found Premiere Pro difficult at first but now I'm used to the basics like the razor tool and how the layers work, I love it! What I learned doing this, is how to crop a layer so that you can have two layers on top of each other and crop one to reveal half of the other... if that makes sense.

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 5:36 pm (UTC)

Oh this is so engaging, Nicki! The dialogue pacing felt really authentic and it especially worked when Nicki (on the right) would begin to talk over Nicki (on the left). What a great example.

almost 4 years ago07/16/20 at 7:21 am (UTC)

Yeah, I interrupt myself all the time! Must stop it! :D

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 8:26 pm (UTC)

I love the topic. This is such a great way to demonstrate it. Really nice work!

almost 4 years ago07/17/20 at 12:15 am (UTC)

Awesome Nicki, I really liked the interaction with your other half and great choice of topic!

Nancy Woinoski
Hero

almost 4 years ago07/15/20 at 7:23 pm (UTC)

Just WOW Nicki. This is the perfect subject matter for a cloning video and it is so well done.

Ron Katz

almost 4 years ago07/16/20 at 10:35 pm (UTC)

This was great. I love positive you and negative you and how they stayed in character. Negative you talking over you worked perfect as well. Timing was exquisite

Paul Alders
Hero

almost 4 years ago07/16/20 at 11:50 pm (UTC)

Hi all, a little late but I finally found the time for a bit of fine tuning and my twin brother wasn't pleased with the first version. Anyway, here is my entry to this fun challenge; https://360.articulate.com/review/content/aa3a716b-0bba-49e5-bb99-9980e8fbb251/review

almost 4 years ago07/17/20 at 11:34 pm (UTC)

Nice work, Paul. Your twin seems nice enough. He does make you brag a bit. LOL.

over 3 years ago07/30/20 at 7:25 pm (UTC)

LOL He can be moody at times ... I asked him about his behavior and got the answer ..... I'll never ask you to record a video again! ;)

Ron Katz

almost 4 years ago07/17/20 at 8:00 am (UTC)

I never tried this before. Didn't know I could do it with a MacBook and IMovie. Here is my entry. . . Demo: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/45a72a18-875a-4901-a23f-2c28303a8f39/review Blog Post: https://baerconsulting.wixsite.com/elearning/post/elc-289-interview-with-a-clone

Sofie Wouters

over 3 years ago07/22/20 at 5:28 pm (UTC)

I would like to try this challenge but how do I start on 'blending' the 2 video's? I don't know where to begin. Can I do this in Storyline 360 or another programme of Articulate? Any help would be welcome (or a link to an 'how to')!

over 3 years ago07/24/20 at 2:08 pm (UTC)

Oh heck! Sorry, just clicked on Report instead of Reply. So sorry - flippin' tremor! I was going to say, I used Adobe Premiere Pro and I've blogged about it: https://edtech-finnberrys.blogspot.com/2020/07/adobe-premiere-pro.html I wonder whether you could use a similar technique in Storyline though... put two videos on top of each other and then crop one to reveal the other.

David Anderson
Author

over 2 years ago01/03/22 at 4:14 pm (UTC)

Nothing new or removed. I'm just making a note for myself that this challenge's recap post is still current: https://community.articulate.com/articles/clone-yourself-in-elearning-video-examples/

How to Clone Yourself in an Interactive Video Interview #289

A Quick Educational Moment

Challenge of the Week

Resources

Share Your E-Learning Work

Last Week’s Challenge:

New to the E-Learning Challenges?

Related Content

How Can Designers Use Interactive Videos in E-Learning? #414

E-Learning Challenges - Complete List!

9 Creative Ways to Clone Yourself in E-Learning Videos #289

74 Comments