Produce high-quality learning videos quickly and easily.
Create online courses with your smartphone
Last updated on this page: 04/29/2024
Create Videos for Online Courses and Trainings Yourself
On this page, you will learn how to create online courses yourself using high-quality video content. This prepares you for creating a workshop that you want to sell to your customers online or provide to your team.
The didactic effect of self-created seminars and trainings highly depends on how well you have transferred the learning content conveyed in them to your online course. Creating e-learning videos and using our blink.it software for integrating and distributing the online training is a good way to quickly and easily convince your target audience of your content and give them the opportunity to learn based on your self-created learning materials. This way, you enhance the learning effect and simultaneously strengthen the connection of your learners to your courses and yourself. This approach makes particular sense for people who do not want off-the-shelf seminars and e-learnings but want to create their own online trainings.
Enjoy reading!
Video elements are simply essential in e-learnings. Whether for seminars, trainings, or workshops, whether pure e-learning or combined with in-person events as blended learning: those who incorporate videos into their online courses have a clear advantage, and shooting videos with a smartphone is not rocket science.
Since the smartphone generation starting with the iPhone 13, smartphones, in terms of simplicity and quality, have nothing to envy compared to shooting with a professional camera. From now on, everyone has their high-performance camera in their pocket and can achieve remarkable results if they know how to handle it properly.
The 3 Phases of Filming Videos for Creating Online Courses: Planning – Shooting – Post-Production
Every training video starts with an initial idea: What is the goal, what do you want to achieve with your video? Phase 1 is therefore the planning of your video. Next comes the actual shooting, Phase 2: How should you hold your smartphone, what additional technical equipment do you need? The last phase is the post-production of your training video: What software can you use, how do you edit your video, what do you need to pay attention to regarding the audio, etc.
Are you ready? Then let's get started with Phase 1: The Planning of Your Video.
1. The planning of your videos for training, workshops, and seminars
Recommended time budget for beginners: 30 minutes
Recommended time budget for advanced users: 10 minutes
At the beginning of any well-thought-out action is a more or less rough plan. With the creation of a training video for online courses, you pursue a specific goal, which is why you must first ask yourself some questions to actually achieve this goal.
Step 1: Create Video Concept (optional)
A television or movie always builds on a script, which includes dialogues and descriptions of the setting. A script is also a useful tool for creating short didactic videos for online seminars. You can orient yourself according to the following 5 W-questions:
What for? |
This question should always come first: What is the goal of your training video? What should the target audience do after the video? |
About what? |
This question is closely related to the question of "Why": What is the content of your self-created video seminar? What is the core message you want to convey? |
Many didactic short videos are designed in such a way that the trainer is visible in the frame the entire time and addresses the learners directly. Of course, other scenarios are conceivable as well, but for beginners, we recommend this selfie variant. |
How? |
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Where? |
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For your learning video concept, we have created a template that you can either fill out digitally or print out and write your notes in. In the template, you will find the W-questions mentioned above, along with examples and plenty of space for your entries.
Step 2: Create a cheat sheet for the shoot
During the video shoot, you might feel a bit nervous or forget what you wanted to say. A small cheat sheet can help you, which you can prepare in about 15 minutes for your shoot. Of course, during the recording itself, you shouldn't look at the cheat sheet, but it will help you beforehand to get oriented and plan your recording.
We have created sample cheat sheets for you and provided some tips on how to best design your notes for the video shoot.
Step 3: Prepare the equipment for the shoot
In addition to planning the content for your video shoot, you should already think about the technical equipment in advance. For quick, simple e-learning videos, a modern smartphone is sufficient – as long as you pay attention to a few basic things like a stable surface.
You can enhance the smartphone with some smaller technical devices and thus produce professional video quality for little money, e.g. with an external microphone, tripod, or extension cable.
2. The video shoot
Recommended time budget for beginners: 45 minutes
Recommended time budget for advanced users: 20 minutes
Are you ready for the shoot of your videos? Perfect! During the video shoot, there are fundamentally two essential elements: good sound and good image. How to achieve both will be explained in the following sections. In Phase 1, we have already provided you with a list of purchase recommendations for your video equipment. In Phase 2, we will now focus on the actual shoot of your training video.
Tip: Take enough time, especially for your first shoots, to try out different settings and options.
Step 1: Ensure Good Sound
The most important aspect when filming videos for training, seminars, and workshops is clear audio. An external microphone makes a crucial difference: If your training video has background noise or your words are acoustically unclear, viewers quickly lose interest. They can overlook a shaky or dark image – but not poor sound!
Therefore, pay attention to the following two points when filming your training video:
A quiet room: e.g., your living room or a quiet seminar room
A free microphone input: Make sure that the microphone opening on your smartphone is not covered.
If you don't have a quiet room available, a lavaliere microphone can help: Attach it close to your head (e.g., at your collar) so that distracting background noises are barely audible. We recommend the Rode SmartLav for about € 65 (for iPhone and Android).
Tip: Short Test Recording
It’s best to test the sound once before you start the actual recording. Film yourself for 10 seconds and say something at a normal volume. Then watch the recording directly on your smartphone.
Do you understand yourself well? Then the sound quality is sufficient – you can start!
Don't understand yourself? Then check if your microphone is connected correctly.
Step 2: Ensure Good Lighting
When recording selfie videos, make sure your face is well lit and that there are no shadows or minimal shadows visible. Depending on the room, for your studio at home, you need both a natural light source (window) and an artificial light source (e.g., an LED lamp). To evenly light your face, both light sources should come from the front. Ideally, stand between the window and the lamp and place the smartphone camera slightly in front of you.
Tip for Video Beginners:
Just try it out! You will quickly notice how different your image looks when you place your light source in front of, next to, or behind the camera. Take your time and test different positions.
Step 3: Create a Good Setting
In selfie videos, some framing looks more harmonious than others. Pay attention in your next professional video to the scenes where a single person is speaking. Often, the camera is very focused on the speaker's head – this makes them seem closer to the viewer.
A good setting for videos with people can be achieved with the following three tips:
Always film in landscape mode! On one hand, this is the natural direction our (side-by-side) eyes look, and on the other hand, almost all our playback devices (PC, laptop, tablet) are designed for this orientation.
Film only the essentials! The speaker should take up at least 3/4 of the frame, with a focus on the face.
The neck must be visible, but the hairline does not necessarily have to be: If you only look at the speaker's face, there should be more space below than above. This aligns with the natural direction our eyes look.
Step 4: Roll the film! Start the recording
Take one last look at your cheat sheet and start the recording. Don't be shy about stumbles – it’s best to keep speaking and record the entire video. This way, you will immediately get a feel for whether your training video works overall. Then press Stop and start again! You will notice that speaking becomes easier after a few recordings.
Once you have recorded a few versions of your video, make sure to watch the result directly on your smartphone! Having to set up the entire setup again after you have dismantled it is frustrating – even if setting up the blink.it Kit takes a maximum of 15 minutes for experienced hands.
Are you looking for software that allows you to create online courses yourself? With blink.it, you have a learning platform that allows you to do just that - and you can also sell your courses directly through it. Create your own learning platform now and try it out for free for 30 days! 👉 CLICK HERE!
3. The post-processing of your explanatory video
Recommended time budget for beginners: 30 minutes
Recommended time budget for advanced users: 10 minutes
Option 1: Edit Videos Directly on Your Smartphone
If you want to cut your video as quickly as possible, option 1 is the best for you. Here's the easiest way to proceed:
Open the video on your smartphone and view it directly there.
Open the file with a smartphone video editor. Our recommendation: CapCut Photo & Video Editor for iOS and Android (free with many features; Pro version for € 10 to € 20/month)
Trim the file at the beginning and end, reduce noise in the audio, and adjust the aspect ratio.
Export the video as .MP4 (1080p) and upload it to your playback medium afterwards.
Option 2: Video Editing on PC
Many people find that the smartphone display is simply too small to edit a video properly. If you are among them, then upload your video to your computer and follow these basic editing steps:
Open the video with your chosen editing program and play it through completely. We recommend the free tool CapCut Photo & Video Editor (available for Windows and Mac).
Trim the beginning and end of your video: "Trimming" means cutting away everything at the front and back that is unnecessary. But don’t cut too short: Make sure to leave 1 to 2 seconds before your first word and after your last word.
Denoise the audio so that background noises are minimized, and your voice can be heard clearly.
Adjust your video to the aspect ratio in which you want it to be played (we recommend 16:9).
Watch your edited video several times until you are satisfied with it.
Export your final video as an .MP4 file and upload it to your playback medium.
Tip: With editing software, you can of course do many more cool things, like transitions, fades, filters, subtitles, and much more. The above steps are just the basics that you should definitely do for every video.
Field of Application "Further Education, Workshops, and Seminars": Self-Created Videos in Your Online Courses
Now you have learned step by step what is important when creating learning videos. Finally, we have a few general tips for creating your own videos for workshops, seminars, training, coaching, e-learning, and blended learning.
10 Tips for Good Videos in Online Courses
Keep your video short! 2 minutes are totally sufficient for a learning video, no more than 3 should be allowed.
Good sound is essential for the video quality of any video. If your viewer cannot understand what you are saying or if there are distracting background noises, they will quickly tune out.
Always film in landscape mode! Our eyes are positioned side by side, not on top of each other. And most digital playback devices are designed for landscape formats. We recommend using the 16:9 format for every video.
Pay attention to relevant content for the viewer: Make it clear in your video why your viewers or learners should watch it. They need to know if the video is interesting for them and what prior knowledge they may need to understand your content.
No call to action means nothing happens! At the end of your video, your viewer must know exactly what you expect from them - even if you just ask them to watch the next video in the online course.
Place your video in the context of the entire workshop, seminar, or e-learning: Does the content relate to something you mentioned in the seminar? Are there any additional sources on the topic?
Videos as elements of blended learning: Selfie videos shot personally are particularly good for preparation for in-person meetings and motivation.
Videos commissioned externally are expensive. They are usually only worthwhile if you want to produce a large image film or something similar.
Pay attention to your correct mindset when filming videos. Be confident, in good spirits, and don’t fear mistakes: A single slip of the tongue seems more authentic to the viewer than a perfectly read script. Usually, mistakes are also not noticed at all or quickly forgotten. Even professional news anchors on television stumble sometimes - it’s just part of it and makes the person in front of the camera likable.
Use your videos for advertising: Videos expressively show what a training, coaching, or online course can look like with you. Therefore, also use your video outside of your e-learning, for example as a sample on your website.
