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Instructional Video Best Practices (ILC)

Storyboard/Script

storyboard showing 4 panes  

Create a more detailed storyboard/script for the video, including both what you want to say and what you want to show. This is key for determining how much time your video will run. Include references to specific examples, images, or lines of narration that you want for each segment. Test your presentation (e.g., slides) that will be included in the video to get an idea of how long they will run and adjust the number of steps, if necessary.  

check icon A five-minute narrated video will use, at most, 750 words of written text, if continuously spoken. Read over your text and adjust accordingly.  

check icon Slides and other visuals can help supplement narration, but it’s important to allow for breaks and transitions, and to give the listener time to internalize the content. For example, you can add an image related to the topic and leave it for a few seconds before moving on to the next topic. 

You will likely end up with more content than you’ve given yourself time for. Consider what is critical and what is optional. Alternatively, if you find you can’t address the topic in the time you need, consider breaking it into smaller elements and refining your goals, or developing complementary materials to help learners understand the topics. 

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