Unboxing Videos for E-Learning #203: Challenge | Recap
Unboxing videos are some of the most popular videos on YouTube. Unboxing videos unwrap "nearly everything that is available for purchase,” and frequently found in YouTube’s top 10 and trending categories.
Unboxers include everyone from 6-year olds to enthusiasts to marketing teams. Sounds a little like e-learning, right?
Similar to e-learning courses, unboxing videos often use special effects such as callouts, bullet points, and image stills to tell an engaging story. And even more similar to e-learning courses, unboxing videos can be boring, unfocused lectures that fail to deliver on their promise.
So what makes an engaging unboxing video? Here’s a quick list of common characteristics found in popular unboxing videos:
- Authentic. Most of the popular unboxing videos are created by average users with a passion for the product. This lends authenticity to the voice of the presenter while giving viewers a more realistic view of what the product is really like.
- Engaging. The most engaging unboxers are those who riff or ad-lib their way through the presentation. The last thing you’ll find in a top rated unboxing video is the presenter reading verbatim from a script. It’s okay to outline talking points to help you keep focused, but you never want to sound like you're reading a script.
- Focused. The unboxing world is competitive and viewer attention spans are short. Keep your videos short and focused and to the point. The quickest way to lose viewers (and learners) is to drag out the introduction by rambling on for several minutes telling us what you’re about to do.
- Relevant. Unboxing videos are most popular when they’re showing a newly released or trending product. Having a clear understanding of your audience will help you plan the production of your unboxing videos.
- Variety. Many unboxers do a great job mixing up their presentations by using a variety of camera angles, panning and zooming shots, still photos, and creative jump cuts. This doesn’t mean that a static video can’t work or that busy videos are better. The key is to look for opportunities to mix up your presentation.
With so much in common, unboxing videos are a great way for course designers to practice their storytelling and demonstration skills. And that’s what this week’s challenge is all about!
Challenge of the Week
This week, your challenge is to record and share an unboxing video. You can go with a video-only solution or add interactive elements. Either way, the objective this week is to produce an informal demonstration video of a newly unwrapped item.
Feel free to use this week’s challenge as an excuse to buy that gadget or fashion item on your wishlist. Or just pick up a fresh bag of gummy bears. Whatever you unbox is fine with me. Have fun!
Last Week’s Challenge:
Before you unbox your e-learning creativity, check out the amazing drag-and-drop examples your fellow community members shared in last week’s challenge:
Drag-and-Drop Interactions in E-Learning RECAP #202: Challenge | Recap
Wishing you an out-of-the-box week, E-Learning Heroes!
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.
Published 7 years ago
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