Video tutorial best practices

Keep these best practices in mind as you create your visuals:

• Use visuals for pacing. Change the visual each time you introduce a new point to cue the viewer that you’re saying something new. (See the script template and storyboard section of the Writing a script tab for more information.)
• Keep it simple! Remember that visuals are a large part of the audience's cognitive load.
• If you include people in your visuals, seek diversity in age, race, cultural heritage, religious expression, gender expression, and disability status whenever possible. An all white, cis male, able bodied group of folks ages 18-24 does not fully reflect the student body of Georgia Tech. 
• If you mix video recording, graphics, and screen caps, make sure they are the same dimensions when editing. Use the dimensions of the video and scale the other elements to it.

Many Library video tutorials consist of screenshots and screen recordings. That is because most of our users first encounter the library online, and most of the resources we provide are online, as well.

When recording your screen, remember the following:

• Simplify the recorded screen area as much as possible. If you are showing your browser, do not have multiple tabs open. If you are showing your desktop, clean up unnecessary files.
• If there is something you want the audience to look at and pay attention to, stop talking and show them. Tell them first, then show them.
• Use static screenshots if it is not important to show the audience the motion of the cursor or mouse.
• Do not move you mouse or cursor around on the screen for emphasis. Use animation or annotation during editing instead.
• If it is necessary for the audience to see a browser load, use video editing to speed up or slow down the process.

Static images and text are good additions to screen recording. They convey information without the cognitive load of motion. Below are recommendations to find or create effective images.

For images:

• Look for images with the .PNG or .TIFF file extension instead of .JPG or .JPEG.
• If you use an image off the web, credit the creator in the video notes.
• Look at advertising to get a sense of the most modern visual style and language but remember not all images work across cultures.
• Avoid the use of clipart.
• Test images for pixelation at the full screen size. Many users will see videos at the size of the embedded window or on a mobile device, but all visuals need to be scalable.

If you want to build graphics from scratch, pick a handful of colors and reuse them throughout the video. Here are resources to help with that process:

• Use a color wheel or palette generator to select your colors.
• When in doubt, select from the tertiary colors in GT’s branding.

For text:

• Use it sparingly. Limit its use to contact information, web addresses, and other brief descriptions. Avoid full sentences of text.
• Use sans-serif font at least 18 pt. size.

Use talking head footage or the Lightboard in the recording studio to illustrate abstract concepts when necessary. In those cases, viewers tend to only require faces and explanations without additional visuals, so as always, keep it simple! 

If you must record video outside of the recording studio, use a tripod to steady the footage. Do not use handheld footage.

The Library has resources and knowledgeable staff to assist you with recording your video tutorial. Take advantage of these by recording your project in one of our AV studios and using our gadgets to enhance it.