I think it's an excellent video. Thought the style seems to be the current trend it was still very eye catching. The only thing was that it started to run a little long and dragged after the 2 minute mark.
Very "US-centric". I would have liked to have felt you considered the rest of the World when you had the US map. If that is your audience - fair enough, else, a Globe would be nice to see.....
I feel you missed a trick in the "classroom" - the chalkboard could have changed to an interactive whiteboard.
Your "circle with a bar across it" at 0:37 falls across the statement "Global eLearning". Your message was talking about corporate education. The symbol is, (for me...) over the wrong thing.
You said "unique" twice (?) in the video. I have yet to find any eLearning company that is unique.
You have made, for me, one of the cardinals sin of selling eLearning, which is confusing travel costs with the costs of eLearning. In most organisations I have worked for, Travel and expenses comes out of "Miscellaneous" or their own line on the budget line/P&L, and is seldom interrogated. People see eLearning training costs going UP, and the Training Department is seen as a Cost Centre rather than as an investment. I have spoken on this in many meetings. In reality, this is often a completely false argument. People see costs increasing, not decreasing for training.
Connectivity to the Internet is not the only thing you need. You need bandwidth, access, and an appropriate working environment that allows (for example...) popups, access outside firewalls and "audio in the office". THEORETICALLY access from home and hotels works - but how often does it?
At 1:32 you have "eLearning", yet you have previously used ELEARNING - not congruous.
At 2:17, you start to get into theories which, to anyone wanting to learn about eLearning/buy it, are , (IMHO) gobbledegook. I would simplify this section considerably. It's all interesting to IDs, but not, I would suggest, to your intended audience. Even then - I have not heard of any of them - but then I am not much of a "theoretician".
It is FAR too long.
That all said....for the genre it is completely adequate, however, I think you could tidy up the messaging to be a lot tighter, and I also think some of your messaging is the standard eLearning industry "spiel", rather than business reality.
Hope you appreciate the spirit in which this is intended.
Yes, this was created in-house. We are hoping to maybe remix a few different (shorter) versions of this depending on who the prospect is.
Bill,
THANK YOU. haha, that was awesome feedback. Being as this was our first promo video with many more to come, that insight is truly helpful. Thank you for the time and thought you put into that.
Also (@2:17), the industries we serve are very much concerned with integrating evidence-based behavior changed practices into their training. We will have to come up with a cleaner, quicker way to show this but with treatment sites (especially federal and state), I would say this is a top priority so I don't think we can leave it out but we will tighten it up.
Great video. My only suggestion would be to add something, maybe even just a single sentance with an image, that represents the industry you are targeting. I recognized the terms that Bruce was not familiar with and went your company's website and saw that you provide training for staff who are focused on improving the lives of others. Like I said, just a brief mention that this is the target audience for your training speciality would help it have context for those who stumble across your promo on Youtube.
I did not think your mention of travel costs was off the mark. In the government or non-profit sector, travel expenses are a huge cost for an organization. With some organizations, the annual budget for travel expenses can be cut by 75% or even more and that dramatically affects how much training can be planned for the next year. So if you are targeting organizations that have little or no current elearning going on this is definately an important topic to cover.
Just a couple of other notes:
In the beginning when it mentions a well trained workforce - just men appear/no women.
And at the end - only phone number appears for conact info. It is a must nowdays to display a web address with your contact info.
My point re travel costs was that very often the point is made that "...eLearning will save you money...!".
When I have analysed the minutae in companies, the reality is that the Travel costs reduce, but that they are more than equalled by eLearning staff, builds, re-builds, consulting, LMS, network upgrades etc.
You need to be careful what you state, as there are a variety of P&L lines affected by any one change.
Thanks for posting this. Nice work on the graphics. A few brief suggestions, some echoing comments by Jerson and Bruce.
1. I'd tried to end it at the 90 second mark or so. Paradoxically, it may drag, because you are always presenting new information without really giving the learner/me time to digest it. Quick delivery can be good, but leave some space for comprehension.
2. The background music sounds a little bit like elementary school. Perhaps something more energetic and perhaps even corporate sounding? I've had good luck over at audiomicro.com. Search "corporate."
3. Good audio quality on the voiceover, but the narrator doesn't sound too enthused. He needs to be more excited about the company and the possibilities. You may want to hire a pro for something this important.
I know it's sometimes difficult to hear what people really think, but we are all just trying to make ourselves better. Thanks again for posting.
Bud, I like it - maybe we can take a page out of your book on length - that seemed really clean
Nancy, why not? Did you see all of the amazing feedback we got? you guys are awesome!
And actually, it was a precursor to our sample below. Let me know what you guys think!!
This is our eLearning sample on "Criminality" for drug treatment specialists. This sample is focused on the tool they use with their participants called an "Attitude Check"
-Check out the Exploring Attitude Checks slide - one of my first storyline interactions
Thanks for posting this. Nice work on the graphics. A few brief suggestions, some echoing comments by Jerson and Bruce.
1. I'd tried to end it at the 90 second mark or so. Paradoxically, it may drag, because you are always presenting new information without really giving the learner/me time to digest it. Quick delivery can be good, but leave some space for comprehension.
2. The background music sounds a little bit like elementary school. Perhaps something more energetic and perhaps even corporate sounding? I've had good luck over at audiomicro.com. Search "corporate."
3. Good audio quality on the voiceover, but the narrator doesn't sound too enthused. He needs to be more excited about the company and the possibilities. You may want to hire a pro for something this important.
I know it's sometimes difficult to hear what people really think, but we are all just trying to make ourselves better. Thanks again for posting.
Thank you for the link to audiomicro.com. I will find this useful.
Bud, I like it - maybe we can take a page out of your book on length - that seemed really clean
Nancy, why not? Did you see all of the amazing feedback we got? you guys are awesome!
And actually, it was a precursor to our sample below. Let me know what you guys think!!
This is our eLearning sample on "Criminality" for drug treatment specialists. This sample is focused on the tool they use with their participants called an "Attitude Check"
-Check out the Exploring Attitude Checks slide - one of my first storyline interactions
Hi Nicky, my feelings on posting videos like this, good or bad, is that they smack a bit of advertising. I'm sure this is not your intent but I have seen discussion groups (thinking of LinkedIn in particular) that have been totally overshadowed by people who are just promoting their product or service.
Sorry if that came across as spam, it certainly was not my intent. I was simply trying to (and did) get very good and robust feedback from my colleagues. I also followed it up with a sample elearning created in storyline as a supplement to the video.
Taking everything together, I do not think the posting of this video was inappropriate, but I will keep an eye on what I am posting to so that this forum doesn't turn into a LinkedIn where you need a weedwhacker to get to the valuable information.
Got to say Nancy, I take your point but respectfully disagree. I guess it depends where you're coming from. I like the business aspects of the conversation here. I've learned a lot from what is shared.
Maybe there should be a section of the community which is around business practices-- things like pricing, proposals, marketing, etc.
I can see where these types of topics wouldn't be of interest to e-learning pros who work in corporates or institutions with fixed internal clients, but for those of us trying to earn a crust on the outside, it is very helpful to be able to share ideas.
I cam sympathize with Nick-- when you think you've done something cool, you want to share it! I don't think Nick was trolling for biz and I liked his video-- got some ideas from it.
I think "forum-dwellers" need to be careful, and (if in doubt...) offer explanation.
I think Nancy made a valid point, and I think a simple "...by the way guys, this is the introduction, and it links to my Storyline content..." (or similar would have gone far to diffusing any misinterpretation.
I think the thing that might be missed here is that there's a lot of spamming these forums, which gets dealt with very promptly, so sometimes we have to be vigilant.
All that said, I for one LOVE the "spinning wheels" idea and animation, but it was puzzling me why it was posted.
I hope the new forum design has a "coffee-bar" area where we can post (appropriate) "off-topic" material as well as business-related, and Articulate-related material.
Yep, I'd agree with all that. Spamming would kill what is imho one of the best communities I've ever participated in, so understand the need for vigilance and self-policing
Nancy's point was quite valid-- didn't mean to imply otherwise.
Hi Nicky -- Really loved all the effects you used, but it was a bit fast-paced for me.
I'm just an old gal, and maybe cannot absorb information as fast as you young folks!
The consistent background kept coming back to tie ideas together. I liked the burnt orange color -- We don't see that color used very much in eLearning.
Excellent use of graphics and of transitions from one to another!
Did you have an artist produce the drawings?
You gave me some ideas for spicing up my training videos!
I think there is a place for sharing business ideas here because there are a lot of small business owners (like myself) and self-employed contractors who can benefit from the shared knowledge. I'm all for that and would not like to see that type of discussion discouraged. I almost didn't say anything about the video because it is good and I believe that Nicky just wanted to share it but it is a slippery slope, tip-of-the-iceberg type of thing so felt compelled to say something.
I think there is a place for sharing business ideas here because there are a lot of small business owners (like myself) and self-employed contractors who can benefit from the shared knowledge. I'm all for that and would not like to see that type of discussion discouraged. I almost didn't say anything about the video because it is good and I believe that Nicky just wanted to share it but it is a slippery slope, tip-of-the-iceberg type of thing so felt compelled to say something.
You make an excellent point. The community is too great to let it go all 'LinkedIn' on us! Thanks for making your point, Nancy!
I lost interest after about 45 seconds. When I think commercial, I think of something less than a minute, or less than 30 seconds. Especially online where attention span is minimal.
25 Replies
I think it's an excellent video. Thought the style seems to be the current trend it was still very eye catching. The only thing was that it started to run a little long and dragged after the 2 minute mark.
Was this created in-house?
Hi Nicky....
Hmmm.
That all said....for the genre it is completely adequate, however, I think you could tidy up the messaging to be a lot tighter, and I also think some of your messaging is the standard eLearning industry "spiel", rather than business reality.
Hope you appreciate the spirit in which this is intended.
Bruce
Jerson,
Yes, this was created in-house. We are hoping to maybe remix a few different (shorter) versions of this depending on who the prospect is.
Bill,
THANK YOU. haha, that was awesome feedback. Being as this was our first promo video with many more to come, that insight is truly helpful. Thank you for the time and thought you put into that.
Also (@2:17), the industries we serve are very much concerned with integrating evidence-based behavior changed practices into their training. We will have to come up with a cleaner, quicker way to show this but with treatment sites (especially federal and state), I would say this is a top priority so I don't think we can leave it out but we will tighten it up.
Hi Nicky,
Great video. My only suggestion would be to add something, maybe even just a single sentance with an image, that represents the industry you are targeting. I recognized the terms that Bruce was not familiar with and went your company's website and saw that you provide training for staff who are focused on improving the lives of others. Like I said, just a brief mention that this is the target audience for your training speciality would help it have context for those who stumble across your promo on Youtube.
I did not think your mention of travel costs was off the mark. In the government or non-profit sector, travel expenses are a huge cost for an organization. With some organizations, the annual budget for travel expenses can be cut by 75% or even more and that dramatically affects how much training can be planned for the next year. So if you are targeting organizations that have little or no current elearning going on this is definately an important topic to cover.
Just a couple of other notes:
In the beginning when it mentions a well trained workforce - just men appear/no women.
And at the end - only phone number appears for conact info. It is a must nowdays to display a web address with your contact info.
Thanks for sharing,
Melanie
My point re travel costs was that very often the point is made that "...eLearning will save you money...!".
When I have analysed the minutae in companies, the reality is that the Travel costs reduce, but that they are more than equalled by eLearning staff, builds, re-builds, consulting, LMS, network upgrades etc.
You need to be careful what you state, as there are a variety of P&L lines affected by any one change.
Bruce
Hi, Nicky:
Thanks for posting this. Nice work on the graphics. A few brief suggestions, some echoing comments by Jerson and Bruce.
1. I'd tried to end it at the 90 second mark or so. Paradoxically, it may drag, because you are always presenting new information without really giving the learner/me time to digest it. Quick delivery can be good, but leave some space for comprehension.
2. The background music sounds a little bit like elementary school. Perhaps something more energetic and perhaps even corporate sounding? I've had good luck over at audiomicro.com. Search "corporate."
3. Good audio quality on the voiceover, but the narrator doesn't sound too enthused. He needs to be more excited about the company and the possibilities. You may want to hire a pro for something this important.
I know it's sometimes difficult to hear what people really think, but we are all just trying to make ourselves better. Thanks again for posting.
I'm actually interested in the tech/software used. Did you use After Effects?
Curious to know why you posted this here - did you use any articulate products in the demo?
I liked it!
Here's ours-- it is much shorter:
http://youtu.be/gErQ4ii_sI8
Thanks for the great response you guys!
Daniel, we love robust feedback - thank you!
Jerson, yes, after effects
Bud, I like it - maybe we can take a page out of your book on length - that seemed really clean
Nancy, why not?
Did you see all of the amazing feedback we got? you guys are awesome!
And actually, it was a precursor to our sample below. Let me know what you guys think!!
This is our eLearning sample on "Criminality" for drug treatment specialists. This sample is focused on the tool they use with their participants called an "Attitude Check"
-Check out the Exploring Attitude Checks slide - one of my first storyline interactions
www.changecompanies.net/elearningsample
Thank you for the link to audiomicro.com. I will find this useful.
Kay
I really like the rotating wheel and fly away pages effects.
Kay
Thanks, Kay!
Hi Nicky, my feelings on posting videos like this, good or bad, is that they smack a bit of advertising. I'm sure this is not your intent but I have seen discussion groups (thinking of LinkedIn in particular) that have been totally overshadowed by people who are just promoting their product or service.
Hm..
Sorry if that came across as spam, it certainly was not my intent. I was simply trying to (and did) get very good and robust feedback from my colleagues. I also followed it up with a sample elearning created in storyline as a supplement to the video.
Taking everything together, I do not think the posting of this video was inappropriate, but I will keep an eye on what I am posting to so that this forum doesn't turn into a LinkedIn where you need a weedwhacker to get to the valuable information.
Best,
- Nicky
Got to say Nancy, I take your point but respectfully disagree. I guess it depends where you're coming from. I like the business aspects of the conversation here. I've learned a lot from what is shared.
Maybe there should be a section of the community which is around business practices-- things like pricing, proposals, marketing, etc.
I can see where these types of topics wouldn't be of interest to e-learning pros who work in corporates or institutions with fixed internal clients, but for those of us trying to earn a crust on the outside, it is very helpful to be able to share ideas.
I cam sympathize with Nick-- when you think you've done something cool, you want to share it! I don't think Nick was trolling for biz and I liked his video-- got some ideas from it.
I think "forum-dwellers" need to be careful, and (if in doubt...) offer explanation.
I think Nancy made a valid point, and I think a simple "...by the way guys, this is the introduction, and it links to my Storyline content..." (or similar would have gone far to diffusing any misinterpretation.
I think the thing that might be missed here is that there's a lot of spamming these forums, which gets dealt with very promptly, so sometimes we have to be vigilant.
All that said, I for one LOVE the "spinning wheels" idea and animation, but it was puzzling me why it was posted.
I hope the new forum design has a "coffee-bar" area where we can post (appropriate) "off-topic" material as well as business-related, and Articulate-related material.
Bruce
Yep, I'd agree with all that. Spamming would kill what is imho one of the best communities I've ever participated in, so understand the need for vigilance and self-policing
Nancy's point was quite valid-- didn't mean to imply otherwise.
Hi Nicky -- Really loved all the effects you used, but it was a bit fast-paced for me.
I'm just an old gal, and maybe cannot absorb information as fast as you young folks!
The consistent background kept coming back to tie ideas together. I liked the burnt orange color -- We don't see that color used very much in eLearning.
Excellent use of graphics and of transitions from one to another!
Did you have an artist produce the drawings?
You gave me some ideas for spicing up my training videos!
Great work!
Judith
I think there is a place for sharing business ideas here because there are a lot of small business owners (like myself) and self-employed contractors who can benefit from the shared knowledge. I'm all for that and would not like to see that type of discussion discouraged. I almost didn't say anything about the video because it is good and I believe that Nicky just wanted to share it but it is a slippery slope, tip-of-the-iceberg type of thing so felt compelled to say something.
This place rocks and you rock for trying to keep it pure.
Thank you,
Nicky
I lost interest after about 45 seconds. When I think commercial, I think of something less than a minute, or less than 30 seconds. Especially online where attention span is minimal.
Thanks Jesse!
That seems to be the consensus!
We are working right now to remix a few different shorter versions of it!
Best,
Nicky
Cool, can't wait to see it. I did enjoy the animation and the timing.
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