Virtual Training

11The Essentials of Highly Effective Virtual Training Production

The directors and producers of TV shows and movies invest hundreds of hours into perfecting their sets, lighting, and audio. On the major shoots I've been on with professional crews, twice as much time was spent on getting the cameras, lighting, audio, and set right as was spent actually shooting the video.

Professionals make this investment of time because they know that viewers know what looks right and wrong, even if they are unaware of it at the conscious level. Directors and producers are acutely aware that the more natural things look to the viewer's brain, the lower the cognitive load and the easier and more enjoyable the content is to consume.

This is your primary goal with virtual training. Just like producers and directors, you need to invest time to create an on-screen experience that makes you look natural on camera and as close as possible to how you might look if you were teaching in a physical classroom.

It takes effort to get it right. You need to care about the details and approach things with a focus on your audience. You must be intentional about optimizing every aspect of your virtual training set.

Videoconferencing technology is good and getting better. Professional-level video equipment continues to become less expensive and easier to use. Today, you can build a decent virtual training set for less than a thousand dollars. For around a few thousand dollars, you can build an impressive professional-level ...