Discover how detailed pre-production transforms in-person courses into engaging online experiences, covering everything from content structuring to scripting strategies.
The creation of new online courses or the transition from in-person courses to video format requires careful pre-production. After all, it’s not just about recording classes, but also about considering the entire scope of the project and every aspect of the educational content. In this article, we present in a comprehensive and practical way what you should take into account when planning your course and tips for complete alignment with production.
It is common for the workload to be estimated before the course is produced, since some certifications require effective training time to be granted to those who complete a certain training, for example.
At this point, the intuition would be to conclude that a given course requires X number of hours of video corresponding to the desired training time. But it doesn't work that way.
Indirect interaction, such as supplementary readings and practical activities, contributes significantly to the total workload, also enriching the learning experience.
Another common mistake is to consider the same amount of hours spent on face-to-face training when adapting this content for online classes.
In this type of face-to-face interaction, hours are spent, in addition to the classes and lectures themselves, on live interaction, unforeseen events, questions and answers, moments of pauses, coffee breaks and networking that are not used in the conversion of the course to digital.
The production of a video course is influenced by a series of decisions:
The decision between fully scripted content, read from a teleprompter by the instructor/teacher, or a more free-form presentation, supported by slides or bullet points, significantly affects the dynamics of the course.
Visual elements such as lettering, insertion of images and videos for illustration or demonstration, the number and arrangement of cameras, are decisions that influence the production cost.
Furthermore, the number of instructors, the inclusion of special guests and the carrying out of practical or external demonstrations are factors that determine the complexity of the production and, consequently, the budget involved.
Once you have defined all the elements, structure the course by listing lessons, themes and topics, creating what we call the course skeleton. This involves defining the number of lessons and the topics covered in each one, including the introduction to the course (some people may forget that the introduction will also be a video).
For each class, it is important to detail the topics to be covered. More dense topics may need to be divided into more than one class (or video), while less extensive subjects can be combined into a single session.
In courses adapted from in-person formats and which already have slides, it is necessary, at this stage, to select the specific slides for each class.
For fully scripted courses, this is where support materials should be provided so that in-house scriptwriters, freelancers, teachers or scriptwriters from the production company can adapt the content for a conversational and didactic approach.
Each script should ideally be dedicated to a single video, with revisions and changes facilitated by shared documents such as Google Docs, which avoid versioning issues and facilitate the feedback process.
Well-structured scripts, with separate columns for audio and video, are essential to ensure that the content being delivered is clear and that visual information adequately complements the narration.
These steps can be carried out individually or with the support of a production company specialized in creating video courses. The more detailed the scope of the project, the more accurate the budget will be and the more aligned the course will be with the final expectations.
Careful planning in the pre-production phase is key to a successful video course. By considering all elements—from course content and teaching methodology to scripting and audiovisual production strategies—you’ll lay a solid foundation for a course that not only educates, but also engages and inspires.
This integrated approach ensures that the course reflects the quality and values of your brand, maximizing the impact of your investment in corporate education.
To develop a video course with a specialized production company that has already delivered more than 5000 videos, including successful online and distance learning courses, Get in Touch with the Silvertake Video.
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