Video Tutorial Best Practices

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

• Pay attention to your wordcount. The average person speaks around 130 words per minute. So, for a 5 minute long video, aim for around 650 words in your script (if you are speaking throughout the video).
• If there is something you want the audience to really pay attention to, do not speak while you show them. Tell them about it first, then show them.
• Write in second and first person. The audience is always you. The Library is always us/we.  
• Keep the language informal.
• Avoid library jargon. Basic terms for us (database, journal, ILL, etc.) can be opaque to our audience. If you include a term that could be jargon in your script, make sure you define it.
• Adhere to the GT Editorial Style Guide.

Why is audience important?

Identifying your audience is an essential part of the scriptwriting process because your audience determines:

• What pre-existing knowledge you expect
• How specific you make your instructions
• The language you use in your script

For example

Say you are creating a tutorial for Georgia Tech faculty about Web of Science. You can assume that they are familiar with using databases, but they are probably less familiar with licensing terms. You would not need to tell your audience what a database is, but you could tell them how much content someone can download from Web of Science in a single session.

More questions to consider about your audience

• Are trying to complete a task within the library building, or are they remote?
• Are they seeking out this information, or are they being assigned to learn it?
• Are they part of flipped classroom where you you will have further interactions with them, or would they have to reach out for help?

How do you write a script?

Some script writers see visuals first and write a script around them. Others hear a script first and create visuals around that. It does not matter which comes first to you, but you need to marry the visual to the spoken word. You can do this with a script template. The most basic template is a two-column table. The visuals are in one column, and the script is in the other.

For example

Below is a script for a tutorial about the GIL-Express. Notice that the script explains what GIL-Express does before using our brand name for it.

What is a storyboard?

You can also create a storyboard to plan your visuals. You can do this by adding a column to your script template and uploading your visuals next to their description. You can also storyboard in PowerPoint with visuals on the slides and narration in the notes. You can even get creative and draw your storyboard on paper!

Check out the links below for more tips on scriptwriting and storyboarding.

Why is chunking important?

Just as a phone number is easier to remember than a string of seven digits, grouped concepts are easier to remember than a list of unprioritized facts. As you write your script, chunk - or break down - your overall topic into meaningful segments of content. Chunking helps the user retain information past the end of the video.

For example

If you were making a tutorial about reserving a study room, you could chunk that information into these segments:

• Where study rooms are located across the three library buildings
• How to make a reservation in LibCal
• How to access a study room
• Study room reservation and use policies
• Where to go for help with reserving or using a study room

For long videos

As stated previously, you should aim for creating a video that is 3 - 5 minutes in length. However, there are some topics that can't be covered in that amount of time! This is where chunking comes in, too. Convert your long video into shorter ones and create a playlist. Or, timestamp your video to make it easier for your audience to navigate through sections.