The two-Hour Video Workflow That Truly Will get Executed

Planning, taking pictures, and sharing a video in simply two hours sounds formidable, however as Wistia’s Director of Manufacturing, I’m right here to inform you it’s doable!

The key? Begin with low-hanging fruit: a video that solutions one query your prospects ask many times. It doesn’t want a giant finances or a sophisticated set; only a particular person offering a transparent reply on digital camera. It received’t go viral, but it surely’ll pull its weight.

A one-minute FAQ video we made at Wistia has logged 18 hours of watch time. That’s 18 hours of customers getting solutions on the spot, and 18 hours our assist crew didn’t spend repeating themselves. And that one video doesn’t cease at assist. It could double as social content material, reside in your assist middle, and get despatched alongside by gross sales after a discovery name.

I lately sat down with James Sandbrook, Co-founder of The Advertising Meetup, to stroll by means of making an FAQ video from begin to end in a few hours. It comes down to simply six steps.

Step 1: Discover the query (~10 minutes)

Ping your assist crew and ask what questions they’re sick of answering.

Step 2: Discover video inspiration (~10 minutes)

My go-to for inspiration is watching music movies on Apple Music. My YouTube algorithm can also be dialed in with the proper quantity of cooking movies and Jurassic Park lore. However I received’t simply rip off the issues I discover visually compelling. I’ll take into consideration the interaction between a speaking head and the way textual content seems on display, in addition to the pacing in a video.

Step 3: Write the script with AI (~quarter-hour)

In relation to utilizing AI for assist writing a script, you’re significantly better off constructing a customized ability than prompting, “write me a script about X.” A immediate that obscure is assured to get you one thing generic and lackluster.

To construct a customized ability in your favourite AI instrument, pull collectively scripts you’ve written up to now for well-performing movies, paste them into the ability, and add notes about what makes your model voice distinct, like your tone and preferences. Right here’s the ability I created in the event you want some inspo.

After you create a ability, the scripts you generate can be 90–95% of the best way there with minimal cleanup wanted. You may drop in chicken-scratch notes or a tough transient and get a greater, on-brand script again nearly immediately.

Step 4: Shoot (~half-hour)

Listed here are my ideas for the gear you want (and may have already got) and how you can arrange an excellent shot:

Digital camera

iPhones are highly effective cameras and excellent for recording speaking heads. They’re additionally higher than most built-in webcams. With a Belkin MagSafe laptop computer mount (~$30), you may clip your iPhone on to your laptop computer display and use it as a webcam by way of Apple’s Continuity Digital camera.

If it’s good to file your display, Wistia’s webcam and display recorder may also help you pull off clean transitions between speaking head pictures and product walkthroughs.

Audio

For my part, your audio issues greater than video high quality. In case you’re going to put money into one piece of drugs, make it a microphone.

The HOLLYLAND – LARK M2 DUO 2-Individual Wi-fi Microphone is great and requires zero setup for beneath $80. The Elgato Wave:3 MK.2 USB-C Microphone (beneath $200) is nice for desk setups the place you don’t need a mic in body.

Lighting

All you actually need to do is face a window. Pure mild from the entrance is mushy, flattering, and free. In case your window is behind you, transfer to keep away from showing darkish and shadowy.

Framing

The important thing to framing is to get your digital camera at eye stage. In case you’re on a laptop computer, put it on a stack of books to lift it to the suitable top.

Step 5: Edit (~45 minutes)

The enhancing stage is the place most individuals get caught, and also you’ll spend extra time right here than in some other step. However it may be a breeze in the event you’re utilizing the precise instrument!

A couple of instrument suggestions:

• CapCut is free, web-based, and approachable.
• If you have already got Adobe Inventive Cloud, Premiere has a steeper studying curve however loads of free tutorials to get you from zero to competent rapidly.
• Wistia’s Remix editor is agentic, so you may drag in a recording and immediate it like a chat: “make this right into a 2-minute video,” “lower the ums,” “add captions,” “make this vertical.” It received’t generate an AI avatar of you, however it would edit what you’ve truly shot.

A couple of enhancing ideas:

• Punch in in your speaking head (lower from a large shot to a close-up) to create visible selection.
• Burn in captions, particularly for stats and key phrases.
• Lead together with your finest second, not your intro. If an ideal line occurs on the 2-minute mark, pull it to the highest as a hook, then lower to the start.

Step 6: Publish and share (~10 minutes)

First, be sure your video has an excellent thumbnail! We’ve discovered that movies that includes somebody’s face on the thumbnail drive increased play charges than movies with product shot thumbnails.

Lastly, get the video out of the door. Hand it to assist for ticket replies, gross sales for after discovery calls, and social to share with followers.

You’ve bought this!

I hope this workflow helps you begin making extra impactful movies. The whole lot will get simpler the extra you repeat a course of. So block off two hours in your calendar and provides this a go!