Training Video

Chroma key (commonly called green screen) is a post-production technique that replaces a solid-colour background in filmed footage with a different image or video.

Why it matters#

Chroma key gives a production team control over the presenter’s visual environment without requiring a physical set. The presenter is filmed in front of a green (or blue) screen, and the background is replaced in editing with any image, graphic, or video. This is useful when a physical location is unavailable, inconsistent, or unsuitable for the content.

Screen capture is a recording of what appears on a computer or mobile screen, used in training video to demonstrate software, workflows, or digital processes.

Why it matters#

When the learning objective involves a digital tool or system, showing the software directly is more effective than describing it. Screen capture replaces abstraction with demonstration. It is also one of the most common forms of attention reset in training video — cutting from a presenter to the screen they are describing shifts the visual register and refocuses learner attention.

Training video production is the end-to-end process of creating a finished instructional video, spanning three sequential phases: pre-production, production, and post-production.

Why it matters#

Most problems in a finished training video were created before filming began. A weak video script, an unplanned b-roll list, or an undertested video kit produce footage that editing cannot fix. Understanding the three-phase structure makes it possible to catch problems at the cheapest possible moment — in a document, not on a filming day.

A video script is the written document that specifies what a presenter says — and optionally what appears on screen — for every moment of a training video.

Why it matters#

Without a script, delivery is inconsistent, timing is unpredictable, and editing is harder. A script locks in the learning goal before filming begins. Changing direction after footage is captured is expensive; changing it in a document is not.

How to write one#

Start with a single question: what is the one thing the learner must be able to do or understand after watching? Every sentence in the script should serve that goal. If it doesn’t, cut it.