How to get started with video and animation by Cynthia Chin-Lee and Mary Martyak, version 2. Video is everywhere; customers expect it. This presentation shows tech pubs professionals how to get started in video and animation.
2. Why are we here?
Video is everywhere
Innovate, or be left behind
Chinese proverb:
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember;
involve me and I'll understand.”
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4. Video (live action) Example
Automating Server Management
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5. A Journey: Producing Video and
Animations
Here is a story…
About how a doc team delivered their first video and
animation as part of their customer documentation.
Based on…
The Hero With a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell (1949)
The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, by Christopher Vogler (2007)
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6. The Ordinary World
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Team is aware that something is missing or there is an
opportunity to do something new.
7. What Is vs. What Could Be….
Ask why:
What do I want to convey…concepts, instructions, or
entertainment?
Give me a competitive advantage?
Easier to follow and more interesting?
Help the customer to understand how a product works?
Help to maintain the product and reduce service calls?
Will I be able to update content quickly via the web?
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8. Call to Action
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A unique idea is spawned, but 0ur world becomes
unbalanced.
9. Choosing Animation or Video
Animation
When you don’t have access to the real product
(hardware or software)
When it is more cost-effective to use (3D CAD model vs.
expensive server)
Video
When you have access to the real product
When it’s more cost-effective (in-house vs. contractor)
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10. Refusal of the Call
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Change is hard.
11. Justify the Project
Why should we do this?
Enhance (not replace) the documentation
Ongoing demand for alternatives to standard docs
Customers don’t like to wade through a lot of
documentation
Demos increase awareness of products
Fill the gap between marketing materials and product
documentation
Customer and employee training can share best
practices
Get feedback from customers and employees
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12. Find Allies
Find allies from other groups who support the
project:
Service
Marketing
Product mgt
Customer training
Employee training
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13. Meeting With the Mentor
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I need a mentor with experience, valuable insights,
and magical tools.
14. Who Can Help Us?
Where to look for mentors
Attend an STC conference
Look for other groups at your company who are using
multimedia
Look on the web
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Animation 14
15. Develop a Project Proposal
Develop a video project proposal. Include:
Purpose, benefits for viewers
ROI
Audience definition
Concept and task overviews
Accessibility and localization requirements
Required hardware and software
Budget
Project schedule
Contributors
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Sample Video Project Proposal
16. Sample Video Project Proposal
16
Page 1
Objectives
Proof of
Concept
HW/SW Resources
and Budget
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17. Sample Video Project Proposal
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Page 2
Staff and
Roles
Mentors
Video
Procedures
Schedule
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18. Video Editing Software
iMovie (Mac) $15
Windows
Moviemaker (free)
Techsmith
Camtasia ($299)
Adobe Captivate
($899)
Avid Media
Composer ($999)
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19. Crossing the Threshold
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I’m committed to this idea and ready to jump in.
How do I begin?
20. Identify Requirements for the
Animation or Video
Write a concept document
Staff are assigned for specific work
Objectives are explained
Content of the animation or video is described
Components of the media are listed
Concept document is approved by Pubs team and
management
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Sample Video Concept Template
21. Sample Video Concept Template
21
Video title
Script and storyboard writer
Objective
Duration
Video components
Topic overview
Main content
Conclusion
Staff
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22. Tests, Allies, and Enemies
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Production work begins.
We meet some friend and foes.
Who will join us?
23. Production Begins
Content is identified:
Storyboard developed
Script developed
Detailed schedule for production work
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Sample storyboard
Sample script
25. Sample Script
25
Script title
No. of lines in script
Front matter
Procedure overview
Main content
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26. Approach the Innermost Cave
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Team encounters problems. Staff becomes discouraged.
We need to be proactive and confront the challenges.
27. Production In-Depth
Issues can arise when:
Shooting video/screencast
Creating sequences
Capturing screens
Creating image files (jpg, png, etc.)
Creating and revising front and back matter
Recording audio narrations
Creating captions
Reviewing prototypes
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Animation 27
28. The Ordeal
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Results might not work out as expected.
How do I keep the team motivated?
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29. What Can Go Wrong?
Need to prepare for when:
Schedules are moved in
People resources are lost
Script is technically incorrect
Tools are missing or inadequate
Recording locations not available
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30. Seizing the Sword
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The reward is within reach
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31. Your Reward
Take possession of what you have earned so far
What has been accomplished is clear and the goal
is in sight
Realize the significance of what you are doing
Share your accomplishments outside of your team
Celebrate the team’s efforts
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32. The Road Back
32
Using their honed skills and tools, team pushes
the idea forward and are victorious.
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33. Assembly, Integration, and Proof
Owners assigned, and resources available for:
Reviewing script text for accuracy
Reviewing script implementation
Comparing audio narration to storyboard
Comparing closed captions to narration
Verifying audio narrations are in sync
Soundtracks applied appropriately
Revising video or animation, based on reviews and comparisons
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35. “Finishing” the Final Product
Owners are assigned to:
Attach front and back matter
Render final file output
Manage:
File transfers
Publication
Archiving of files
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36. Return With the Elixir
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The “ordinary world” becomes a better place.
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37. Your work Is Complete
The video or animation is complete and
published for customers
Documentation web sites
Marketing web sites
Training web sites
Corporate media sites
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Blogs
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39. Production phases and the finished product
How long should it be?
What makes a good tutorial?
What makes a good narration?
Accessibility and localization
File and publishing considerations
Be an evangelist
Oracle videos and animations
Resources and more information
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40. Production Phases and Finished
Product
Production Timeline
Concept
10%
Pre-
Production
10%
Production
30%
Post-
Production
45%
Finish
5%
40
Finished Product Structure Proportioned Scale
Branded
Opening
~6 sec
Front
Matter
5% (~10 sec)
Intro and
Conceptual Content
20% (~36 sec)
Main Topic Content
60% (~110 sec)
Conclusion
10% (~20 sec)
Back
Matter
5% (~10 sec)
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41. How Long Should Videos Run?
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42. What Makes a Good Tutorial?
Informs user who the audience is, and purpose of the video or animation
Provides user-friendly, concise, clear content
Includes instructions that are easy to follow:
Focused on essential features and one task
Easy-to-follow solution for a particular task
Short, sequential steps per screen build into a full procedure
Terms and images are consistent
Tutorials can be developed and compiled into a library of
related tasks
Refers to additional, related documentation
Recaps the tutorial, shows user what the task accomplished, and points
user where to go or what to do next
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43. What Makes a Good Narration?
Narrations complement the video or animation action
Appropriate style:
Simple text
Fluid, conversational voice
Simple declarative sentences with pictorial nouns and
action verbs
Active voice
Address the second person, “you”
Keep a reasonably slow pace
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44. Accessibility and Localization
Accessibility
Captions in Oracle technical videos required
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act
(CVAA) has guidelines for:
Captions
Audio descriptions
Not necessarily so: As long as videos or animations have a
counterpart in documentation, the accessibility requirement is
satisfied. Confirm this with your accessibility representative.
Localization
Oracle is currently not translating narrations or localizing video or
animations
Camtasia software can generate closed caption scripts files that can
be submitted to a translations group, edited, then re-imported to a
Camtasia project to generate closed caption videos in other
languages
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45. File and Publishing Considerations
File considerations:
Video or animation use a consistent format and output is good quality
Audio levels are consistent and output is good quality
File format runs on a variety of browsers and platforms
PC, MAC, Unix machines
Firefox, Chrome, IE browsers
HTML for browser access; MP4 for downloads
Publishing considerations:
Upload restrictions
Findability
Download capability
Supported file formats
User comments
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46. Be a Publicist
Promote your videos or animations in:
Newsletters
YouTube
Oracle YouTube -- http://youtube.com/oracle
Media Networks
Oracle Media Network -- http://medianetwork.oracle.com
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
Blogs
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47. Oracle Videos and Animations
Oracle Server Documentation Sites:
Sun Server X4-2 animations
Oracle Servers Video
Oracle Learning Library:
Sun Server X3-2 animations
Oracle Endeca Information Discovery YouTube:
Oracle Endeca Information Discovery Product Demos
Oracle Endeca Information Discovery Screencast Series
Oracle NetBeans Media Library:
NetBeans IDE 7.4 Overview
Setting Up a GitHub Repository Using NetBeans IDE
Oracle Cloud Marketplace:
Oracle Cloud Marketplace Tutorials and Videos
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48. Resources
General production
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_production
Camtasia tutorials:
To create, edit and produce videos:
http://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-camtasia-8.html
Accessibility:
21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act
(CVAA)
http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/cvaa.html
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