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What is an instructional film?
An instruction video uses moving images to explain how a system, product, or procedure works, especially when complex. It typically combines filmed instructions with a spoken guide, allowing viewers to see and hear each step and highlighting key actions. Explainer animations, 2D and 3D animations, and other forms of motion graphics can also be used to clarify intricate details.
Why a tutorial video?
In the past, creating an instructional film was quite expensive, and traditional PowerPoint presentations, manuals, and in-person training sessions were often simpler to develop.
Today, however, we're accustomed to finding tutorials for almost anything on YouTube. With the shift to online platforms and the rise of lifelong (e-)learning as a major trend, instructional films have become indispensable. Moreover, it has become significantly more affordable and easier to produce a high-quality instructional video.
The 5 benefits of instructional videos
An explanation is easier to understand when it’s visual, concrete, and tangible. Video transforms lengthy manuals into visual guides with clear, step-by-step instructions presented in a realistic context. This makes the explanation clearer and allows you to convey more information within the same timeframe.
Instructional video or animation are shareable online, translatable, and measurable; reducing the need for trainers and learners to travel.
Video explanations are available anytime, allowing viewers to pause, replay, or even speed up the content. In this "Google generation," such on-demand learning is essential.
Presentation video's for instructions add a personal touch to after-sales support, creating a more customer-centric experience. This helps viewers feel supported, fostering greater brand loyalty.
Time is money. Offering a flexible, tailored training program enables faster knowledge absorption and ensures that critical information is readily accessible. As a result, learners become productive and billable more quickly.
7 types of instructional videos
1. Expert Presentation
Using an expert-led presentation video for instructions not only provides a face to the guidance but also enhances the customer’s aftersales experience. This personal approach helps the viewer feel supported, fostering greater loyalty toward your brand.
By positioning your company as an authority, you also enhance your brand’s reputation. When customers view you as an expert in your field, they naturally develop more trust in your brand and are more inclined to choose your products or services.
This personal touch and approachability are becoming essential. Having an expert in the video clarifies expectations and makes the content feel approachable. This can be especially valuable for larger companies, as it bridges the potential gap created by scale and makes the brand feel more accessible
Demonstrating Instructions in Video
Demonstrating instructions directly on video creates clear guidance with minimal distractions. By focusing solely on the steps without showing a colleague or actor, the audience can concentrate entirely on the instructions.
Additional elements like on-screen text, arrows, and animations reinforce the clarity of each step, helping viewers retain the information more effectively. A voice-over can provide extra insights, including tips and tricks, while setting the tone and emotional feel of the video.
This format is also easily translatable, allowing viewers around the globe to understand and apply the instructions.
Animated 3D Instructional Film
Capturing technical processes can be challenging, especially in busy industrial settings where filming may be difficult. Using 3D animations for your instructional film not only enhances clarity but also conveys a sense of innovation and modernity.
Animation is particularly effective for visualizing internal systems and showcasing machinery that is typically secured behind barriers. Additionally, you can create an instructional video even before the system is available, helping to build support and understanding during the early stages of development. This proactive approach ensures that stakeholders are engaged and informed from the outset.
Creating a Software Tutorial with a Screen Video
Instruction videos are widely used to help software users with certain functionalities. With a good instruction on the software, you can prevent frustration among users, as the software skills are explained in a clear and tangible way.
By making a screen recording and explaining what is happening in the software at the same time, you can easily create effective and clear instructions. For a professional software tutorial, it is important to structure the explanation well in a concise script and to have it professionally narrated. Indall advises and guides step by step in creating software tutorials.
Green Screen
By using green screen recordings, you can easily and quickly create many high-quality instructional videos. In these videos, a presenter personally delivers the instructions, enhanced with animations and photo or video material to make the message even more impactful. A well-known example of this style is the NOS-op-3 videos.
In post-production, the presenter can be blended with any background. Additional visuals, such as images, animations, or other videos, can also be incorporated to strengthen the message.
Motion Graphics
If the subject of the instructions is difficult to visualize, it may be wise to choose an animation format. One option for this is motion graphics, where 2D icons and figures are animated to convey the message clearly. This form of instructional video is also known as 2D animation.
Virtual and Augmented Reality Instructions
Although not a traditional form of instructional video, using VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) can be highly effective when explaining complex systems. By creating a virtual environment or adding virtual elements to reality, you can provide users with an interactive and immersive experience in which they can learn and experiment with different scenarios. This makes understanding complex systems easier and more engaging.
VR and AR might sound ambitious, but they are very practical and are applicable to your business. Curious to learn more? Visit the Indall office for a no-obligation, inspiring demonstration of VR and AR possibilities.
Curious about the possibilities for an instructional video?
The best choice between video or animation depends on the situation. One advantage of live-action video is that it adds a personal touch, which can be a valuable addition for onboarding and in sales processes for technical products. For instructional or explanatory videos, creating an interactive animation is often more suitable, as it allows for flexible presentations of multiple models or configurations, eliminates distracting background elements, and enables viewer assessments on the relevant information.
Often, a combination of both formats is chosen to leverage the best of both worlds. The video footage provides a personal character and realism, as real people are featured, while the animations offer additional clarity.
Curious about the possibilities of creating an interactive video? Contact us, and we’d be happy to share more information!
