Video Production

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.

An e-learning team is the group of people responsible for designing, building, and delivering an elearning course. Roles vary by project size — on small projects one person may cover several.

Why it matters#

Knowing who needs to be involved — and when — prevents bottlenecks, scope creep, and quality gaps. The most common failure point is a poorly managed relationship between the instructional designer and the subject matter expert.

On-camera delivery is the way a presenter speaks and behaves in front of the camera — covering energy, tone, pacing, and conversational quality.

Why it matters#

The camera absorbs energy. What feels animated and engaged in the room reads as flat on screen. A presenter who does not consciously compensate produces footage that fails to hold learner attention, regardless of how accurate or well-structured the content is.

Delivery is not a cosmetic concern. It is part of the instructional design. A learner who disengages from the presenter disengages from 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.

A teleprompter (also called an autocue) is a device that scrolls the script in front of the camera lens so the presenter can read while appearing to look directly at the viewer.

Why it matters#

Memorising a script takes time and introduces errors. A teleprompter removes that constraint. The presenter can deliver accurate, complete content without stumbling over words or losing their place — and because the text scrolls over the lens, eye contact with the viewer is maintained.

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 kit is the set of physical equipment needed to film a training video: camera, tripod, lighting, and microphone.

Why it matters#

Each element of the kit controls a different dimension of production quality. A weak link in any one of them — shaky framing, flat lighting, poor audio — degrades the entire video. Learners tolerate imperfect visuals more readily than they tolerate bad sound. Getting the kit right before filming day prevents problems that cannot be fixed in post-production.

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.