I recently spent a day in Bristol at the Learning Network’s Media Production Mastery event and it didn’t disappoint. After loving last year’s eLearning Mastery Day, I knew I was in for something good!
I’ve been to two of these Mastery Days now, and each time I’ve been blown away by how well-organised they are and how much the presenters know their stuff. I’m a member of the Learning Network (it’s £29 a year), and the events are free for members to attend. I usually need to book a train and a hotel as I’m based in London (the last one was in Chester) but it’s honestly money well spent.
I’m a big fan of hands-on learning, and if you’re just getting started in the industry, you can easily come away with a couple of solid pieces for your portfolio.
My Experience with Video
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate relationship with video content. It’s often overused in eLearning, not to mention expensive and time-consuming to produce. My go-to tools are Camtasia and Premiere Pro, and I tend to focus on screencasts with flat vector imagery rather than animated scenes.
I’m not the biggest fan of rapid video tools. I do use platforms like Vyond and Powtoon (and you’ll see some of that in my portfolio) but they can feel a bit same-y after a while. So while I can create that style of content, it’s not something I especially enjoy, and I try not to take on too much of it.
I also think video is often used for the wrong reasons. When it’s done badly, it’s long, distracting, and adds very little. So I’m always intentional about what I create and why.
That being said, I’m currently working on a new project that involves a different style of video for me: short, to-camera pieces instead of the usual imagery-led content. It’s one of the reasons this Mastery Day caught my eye and I thought it’d be a great opportunity to learn some new stuff.
So what was it all about?
The day was split into three hands-on sessions. First up was Kevin Davids from Raiveon, who showed us how to use a smartphone to capture B-roll, an interview, and a piece to camera. Then Jayne Davids (also from Raiveon) took us through editing video in Camtasia. The final session was led by Tom McDowall from Evolve L&D and focused on creating and editing podcasts.
Each session was practical and we got to try out different bits of kit (I especially loved using the teleprompter). I’d never seriously recorded video before, so having the chance to test things out was really valuable.
Huge shout-out to Kevin from Raiveon, who helped me figure out a solid little recording setup (more eon this in another blog post). If you’re looking to get into smartphone video, I’d definitely recommend taking a look at the Raiveon website (link to the website is at the end of this blog post). Another big thank you to Katerina Vourlakos, who was my video buddy for the day and allowed me to record a short interview with her.
I haven’t had a chance to refine my podcasting skills yet, as per Tom’s session, but this is also something I’m looking to tackle in the coming months.
The Final Video
My final video’s a bit rough around the edges, but that’s kind of the point. It was my first go at recording a piece to camera, conducting an interview, capturing B-roll, and editing it all together. I didn’t want to over-polish it either, as it was more of a challenge to see what I could pull together in a day, plus a few hours of post-production. I’ve tried to piece everything together in a bit of a story – showing a bit of Bristol, my journey, the event and a summary. I added some music but kept the background noise for more of an effect.
Summary
All in all, it was a brilliant day packed with practical tips, hands-on learning, and a chance to try things I wouldn’t normally do. If you’re part of the Learning Network and haven’t been to a Mastery Day yet, I’d definitely recommend it. It’s a great way to learn, connect, and step out of your comfort zone (just a little).
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