I’ve made it my goal for this to be the shortest, most direct, and most practical article yet—one you can immediately apply to start recording videos that communicate well.
To help you achieve this, it’s time to reveal something I haven’t shared before. Almost a well-kept secret. It’s something you might not like, but it’s essential if you want to create effective educational videos.
Dear reader, audiovisual content is, above all, an act of audiovisual communication.
No, that’s not a typo. With this seemingly obvious statement, I want to emphasize that you must pay careful attention to everything “audio” and everything “visual” that reaches your audience.
This medium has its own rules of the game—if you don’t follow them, you’ll be left out.
So let’s get straight to the point: focus on these three pillars that will support your message, ensuring it reaches and resonates with each learner:
- The script.
- Speaking (well) on camera.
- Image and sound quality.
Let’s dive right in!
The Script
In a previous post, I discussed the key to a successful production that truly adds value to learning. (If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it—it includes concrete examples and is essential for understanding what I’m about to explain.)
With that groundwork laid, you should now have a list of video modules to record.
If you followed the casting recommendations I shared in another article (if you missed it, here’s another chance to check it out! 😉), then the selected presenters should be the ones writing their own scripts.
This creates a virtuous cycle, ensuring the project aligns with the overall strategy and that each piece of content meets its intended educational purpose.
With that in mind, here’s a basic structure for writing an effective script:
- Start with a greeting and immediately state the topic of the video.
- Introduce yourself and make a first call to action (engage the viewer right away).
- Present the content, ideally in a short, structured list to make it easier for viewers to absorb and retain the information.
- Summarize the key points at the end, repeating them in the same order and emphasizing the most important ideas.
- Say goodbye and, if relevant, include a call to action for the next video.
A Quick Note
Since this blog is about educational video production, the content should be part of a teaching and learning process.
That means the ultimate goal is to help learners understand, absorb, and stay motivated.
So, in our context, the call to action should be something practical—for example:
- Answering a related exam question.
- Applying the content to a real-world scenario.
- Reading a complementary article for further exploration.
Essentially, getting learners to put their knowledge into action.
If you need inspiration for different video formats, I’ve got another recommended reading for you!
One Last Trick
The script isn’t finished when you write it—it’s finished when the presenter has learned it.
So before moving on to the next step, rehearse, rehearse, and then rehearse again until the delivery feels natural and expressive! 😉
Speaking Well on Camera
As I mentioned earlier, this is about both what’s heard and what’s seen.
For this section, I’ll let my dear colleague Alicia Ro, an expert in digital communication, take over. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on teacher training sessions for on-camera presence, and she’s the perfect person to explain how to speak well on camera.
And not only will she share the 5 key techniques you need to know—she’s also the perfect example of how to apply them!
🎥 Watch the video below:
Ensure that your script respects all the principles of verbal communication, and that rehearsals focus on refining non-verbal communication as well.
Image and Sound Quality
This aspect covers everything from choosing the right equipment (camera, microphones, lighting, etc.) to deciding on framing, camera angles, editing style, graphics, and color tone for each piece of content.
Having a skilled director on your team from the very start of the project—and throughout filming and editing—is crucial.
As I’ve mentioned before, at ADAMS Formación, we work with a multidisciplinary professional team. Without this, achieving effective and efficient audiovisual communication across all aspects of production would be impossible.
Final Thoughts
I promised to keep it short and practical, and I hope this article has given you clear, actionable ideas to confidently tackle your first video shoot.
I want to thank you for reading this far!
I look forward to your comments, where we can continue expanding on these topics and sharing insights together.
