Ever include a bloopers! type slide in your projects?

Nov 08, 2012

We're reviewing some courses that some of you sent in for makeovers and I just saw a slide that I've never seen used in e-learning: Video outtakes and bloopers. How cool is that?

The course featured chapter video introductions from an employee. But, the last slide in the course includes about 20 outtakes of her tripping over the words and all the fun stuff that happens in video shoots. What a great way to humanize the training beyond conversational writing and design. It also goes a long way to communicate the organization's approach to training.

The closest thing I used to do was throw in little Easter eggs or "7th inning stretch" effects to mix up longer courses. They were almost always rejected--except for those that were too subtle to detect. Here's an example of one I tried in a 3+ hour mortgage banking course... It's not subtle.

Has anyone ever included bloopers in their courses?

13 Replies
Bruce Graham

Never, ever, of course not, who would suggest such a thing....

I tend to be more subtle - like take all of the left-hand letters in the Notes and make the message

...or at least, I would, if I had ever done so.

Bruce

PS - have a reasonable collection of voiceover bloopers that I have considered putting into courses, but have never done so. Thanks for reminding me - may well do so in future

Rich Johnstun

I have included a few at the very end. I've only done it on stuff that is being used in a blended environment where a facilitator is using the media. The instructors who have used it seem to really like it as they say it breaks some of the seriousness of type of content our guys are typically delivering (very technical in nature). 

Dave Neuweiler

I did one (that was partially rejected).

It was a screen of a work desk, with phone, monitor, and the like. There was also a picture frame with a run-of-the-mill family photo. My SME asked if I could put a picture of the project owner's dog into the frame... no problem there.

But going a step too far, I created a hyperlink from the dog's picture, and when clicked, went to a hidden screen where a full-sized picture of the dog gave a brief message: "Woof." When the "woof" audio file finished palying, the user was returned to the original screen.

The SME laughed about it, but declined leaving it in the project. (Sigh.)

Todd Dennison

Dave - very clever!  I love that idea. 

I actually have a large collection of voiceover bloopers that can never be shared publicly.  I often am on site during the recording and when I hear the VO talent flub and then swear a blue streak I hit SAVE.  I have had so many fun moments with those outakes...

I'm working on becoming more professional and less fun, no wait,

no I'm not.

Bruce Graham

I would just like to thanks David for his personal encouragement to action via the posting of this thread

I have just sold the idea of a "voiceover blooper reel" to my first client - using the best of the voiceover out-takes.

I will be introducing it using the "Big Secret Button" principle, appearing when all arms of a hub-menu have been visited, and re-purposing my "8mm film" demo to introduce it.

Thanks again David, what a visionary you are

Bruce

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