Mastering Learning & Training Videos: A Guide to Engaging and Effective L&T Content

THE LEARNING AND TRAINING VIDEO CHALLENGE

If you’ve been tasked with creating Learning and Training Videos for your company but you’re not sure where to start, we hope this article helps you get started on the right foot. We’ve created a ton of L&T content for our clients (some of it award-winning) with videos ranging from expert interviews to demonstration videos, and from animated explainers to live-action videos with actors, props and locations. There’s so much you can do to create effective training videos and we know that it can be a little overwhelming. Let’s look at some of the options and some examples below. You can also see more about our L&T services here.

TYPES OF LEARNING AND TRAINING VIDEOS

Animated Videos use animation, graphics, voice overs, music, on-screen text and typography, and visual storytelling to explain concepts, processes, or skills in an engaging and easy-to-understand way. Instead of relying on live-action footage, these videos use characters, icons, and motion graphics to simplify complex ideas, making them more digestible and entertaining for the viewer. Animated training videos are great for breaking down tricky topics, adding a fun element to learning, and helping to keep viewers' attention. They’re also highly versatile, as you can create animations for a wide range of subjects, from technical training to soft skills development.

With custom graphics your video(s) can match the branding of your company completely. We use colors, fonts, icons and anything else we can identify to make sure the content fits your brand’s identity.

Something to think about: If your team or audience is diverse, or if you have locations in multiple countries, you should consider adding closed captioning to your videos. This way you can use the same exact video content for multiple languages.

Expert Interviews/Talking Head Interviews are on-camera conversations with someone who has specialized knowledge, information or experience in a particular topic area. The goal with these interviews is to deliver insights, advice, or unique perspectives from the expert that can be valuable to the audience. Whether the focus of your content is new hires or current employees, this type of video is personal and speaks directly to your team. They’re very useful to deliver information about policies, compliance measures, procedures and customer service.

Demonstration Videos are perfect for explaining how to use a product, how to access a service, and how to complete processes found in the workplace. You can be as simple or as creative as you want to be with these videos. Simplicity may mean that you have one of your team members on-camera showing how to use your product. A creative demonstration video can have multiple team members, a built-in storyline, and even actors brought to play parts of customers, buyers or users.

Interactive Videos are a little like role-playing. While your audience watches your video they are given questions or options to choose from resulting in a correct, or incorrect, answer. The video jumps to a new scene based on their answers. These videos are sort of “gamified” and are similar to the “choose your next step” books you might have read. It’s a great way to keep people interested, and it’s a great way to train your workforce. Not only do viewers learn what the right answers are, they learn which answer are wrong and that’s really helpful.

New Hire Orientation/Recruitment Videos typically feature people from your team speaking on camera. The motive here is to introduce your new hires to the culture, policies and processes of your company. You can also include shots of your location (office, shop floor, warehouse, customer service areas, etc.) to give viewers a flavor of where they’ll be working and what’s it like to work at your brand. Orientation videos can be as creative as you want. For example, if you consider your company to be a fun place to work, have fun with your video and use humor and quirky music. To use a very specific example of being creative, if you’re a book publisher make your orientation video a story about a new person coming to work for you and the amazing things that happen to them along the way. There’s no limit on what you can do.

These videos can be used for both an internal-facing audience (employees, new hires), but they can also be used to show off your company and culture to the general public. If you want to create video content that speaks to both audiences, make sure there isn’t any proprietary information included that you don’t want the public to know.

Workplace Compliance Videos are usually very straight-forward. They involve a person, most often in some type of management role, speaking on camera to inform your employees about things like policies, procedures, emergency management, data protection and more. We help out by providing teleprompters during filming to make it very easy for the people who are on camera.

Compliance videos are almost always internal-facing because they contain proprietary and/or company-specific information.

Animated Explainer Video

Orientation Video

Product Demonstration Video

Workforce Recruitment Video

HOW TO GET STARTED?

One of the first things you need to do (any maybe the easiest one) is to ask “is your video content is going to be internal- or external-facing, or both?” A video can be both internal- and external-facing. For example, New Hire Videos are great to show new employees. But if they’re done right, they can also be used to introduce the public to your brand’s culture. Creating video content that works for both your team and the public is a great way to get the most bang out of your buck.

What is your budget? Each type of Learning and Training video requires its own budget size. An animated video using custom graphics that match your brand style will be more expensive than an animated video using stock assets. And a demonstration video using one team member is going to be more cost-effective than a demonstration video that used actors and locations. And while the type of video you create may be more costly, it pays off with branded elements, engaging content, creativity and sets your brand apart as unique, professional and trust-worthy.

How many videos do you need to create? If you want to show viewers how to use your product, one video usually suffices. But what if you have a long list of policies you need to discuss? A module of videos may be the way you need to go. Modules separate videos by topic and each module can build upon the previous one. They’re also a great way to make your content more engaging as your employees can watch videos one at a time and take their time watching each one. With a module system you can also track views, time on site and more. If you do go the route of video modules, you’ll need a back-end system to host your videos. This isn’t a big deal and the costs are pretty low considering that this is where you’ll host such important content.

Once you’ve answered the above items, the script is the very first step in the actual pre-production process and is the foundation of all videos. Nothing can happen without it. It’s so important that you may need to make it a group effort on the part of your company, or hire copy writers or your video production company to create it. The important thing is to make sure you are writing the script to be engaging but also informative. The information in your video is very important and you want to make sure viewers stay engaged.

At this point, you’re ready to take-off. But before the cameras roll or the animations get created it’s time to:

• Choose the team members who are going to be on camera, or find and hire actors to take part in your videos.

• Find locations for your videos (your office, a conference room, an outdoor space, etc.) that match the dialogue that viewers will be listening to.

• If you’re doing live-action videos (not animation) it’s time to schedule dates for filming.

WHY STORYBOARD MEDIA GROUP IS YOUR PERFECT L&T VIDEO PARTNER

We’ve worked with clients in all types of industries to create L&T content: tech, healthcare, education, lifestyle. We’ve created L&T content for include Raymour & Flanigan, Chelsea Piers, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Mercedes, United Technical Institute and The State Bar of California in Los Angeles and San Francisco. We’ve created content that has helped our clients win Brandon Hall Awards for Excellence in learning and training programs. And we’ve partnered with one of the largest L&T development brands in the world to produce live-action training videos for their clients.

We provide full-service including script writing, concept creation, finding and hiring actors, finding locations, production teams, storyboarding, editing and more. If you want to be sure your video production company can tick all the boxes on your list and create the content you need, look no further than Storyboard Media Group.

Repurposing Video Content: A Case Study

4 Important Reasons Why You Should Repurpose Your Video Content

Repurposing video content is a great way to make the most of the digital assets that you’ve put time, energy and money into creating.

• Repurposing video content saves time and resources by avoiding the need to create new content completely from scratch. Creative projects can require a lot of time and budget to get off the ground, so the less often you need to do it the better.

• By adapting video content for different platforms, you can reach a much broader audience and engage them in various ways. This includes sharing short clips on social media, creating GIFs for e-commerce sites and using screenshots as photos you can use in different marketing pushes.

• Reusing your video content in different ways provides opportunities to optimize it for search engines which can improve visibility and SEO rankings. Each new content piece can include different (but relevant) keywords and meta descriptions.

• Repurposing video content helps you maintain a consistent brand message across multiple platforms, reinforcing your brand’s identity and building trust with your audience.

A Case Study in Repurposing Video Content

Storyboard Media Group works with all its clients to get them the most value for their budget. That’s why we’re big believers in repurposing video content. At the start of every project we ask our clients how they plan to use their video, and we provide suggestions for how to reuse it. That leads us to the case study of Strato Footwear.

This screenshot taken from video footage acts as a “photo” in digital marketing materials.

Strato Footwear has one mission: to keep your feet happy and stylish while keeping up with your fast-paced lifestyle. How do they do it? Strato Footwear has a secret weapon: Layered Comfort Design. They’ve carefully crafted their shoes with multiple layers of cushioning and support, giving your feet a cloud-like experience. They design their footwear lines with purpose and functionality, so you can strut confidently knowing you've got the best of both worlds.

According to Strato’s CEO, “we needed lifestyle content from Storyboard Media Group for our footwear launch. And we needed content to add to our website to make it look attractive and engaging to customers, as well as for social media use.” 

To accomplish this, Storyboard Media Group spent a day filming the shoes on an actor that we hired just for the shoot. We filmed in six unique locations to show off the footwear in different settings. We even dressed the actor differently from one location to another. From this one day of filming, the final deliverables were (6) 15-second videos, (1) 30 second video, and a number of screenshots that we took from the video footage. This gave our client a lot of options for how and where to use the content.

“We used the 30-second video as our flagship video to showcase what our brand and shoes were about and how to wear them in multiple settings with ease.” This flagship video is on the client’s website as an introduction to the brand and product.

This “photo” is a screenshot from the filming we did.

The 15-second videos were used on social media to showcase the brand to wider audience, and in quicker bites. Digestible videos like these can be used as a way to quickly grab attention and drive customers to a brand’s website where they’ll find more information.

One of the ways Storyboard Media Group helps clients expand their content library is by offering screenshots of the video footage. This gives clients “photos” they can use on their site, in digital marketing material, and in a number of other ways. This isn’t possible with every project, but when a project allows it’s a great way to generate more content.

According to our client, “we used the screenshots & short 15-second videos in a remix way, where we (cut and combined footage) to develop even more entertaining short video clips combining all the content given to us by Storyboard Media Group. This allowed us to have even more content to utilize for posting on social platforms.”

In addition to using the content and screenshots on their website and social channels, Strato Footwear was even able to utilize some of the screenshots in marketing materials like their sales PDF.

“Storyboard was very easy to work with. They made the whole process seamless. I guided the team on what I was looking to get done regarding the look, feel, vibe, angles, and setting. They easily grasped the information I provided and took it up a notch with their creativity. They made sure I received enough content to get the ball rolling for my business.”

— Rahul Anand, CEO Strato Footwear

Storyboard Media Group can offer ideas and suggestions for how to get the most from your video project. During our initial consultation calls and meetings we learn about your project, your specific needs and how to create the content you need. Whether you’re a startup or an established brand we work with you to identify how to best get you the deliverables you need.

How to Create A Video Production Budget

The Big Question

One of the first questions our clients ask about video production is “how much will it cost?” This is often an extremely difficult question to answer because every video is different. Here’s an example we often use to help explain this.

Imagine you want to build a house. So you go to a contractor and ask how much it will cost. They won’t be able to tell you at your first meeting because there are a lot of things they don’t know. For example, how many floors do you want? What kind of materials does it need and what kind of quality? How many square feet will it be? How many windows are there and how big are they? Will the house be built on flat ground or on the side of a hill? All these things factor into the cost of a new house.

It’s the same with video production. Though in this case the questions are different. We ask if your video needs a voice over. Does it require actors? Do you need help with your script? Do we need to find a location to film your video? How many hours will be needed to film it? How many graphics do you need? What style of animation would you like? The list can go on and on.

Now That That’s Out of the Way

We know you’re reading this article to get an answer to your question so let’s get started. You’ll need to identify the who, what, why, and where of your video content. The more information you know, the easier it is to know what your budget needs to be.

The Strategy

Determine your goals. Are you looking to raise awareness with commercial production, improve engagement with animation, raise investment capital with a personalized message, or earn more conversions with a demonstration? Knowing your goal will help you decide which type of video you need.

The type of video you need determines the assets, equipment and skill set required to make the video. Animation and special effects can be simple, or they can require designers, artists and animators. A demonstration video may need an actor or actors, a voice over artist and a lot of planning. Commercial productions may need actors, locations, vehicle rentals and more.

The quality of your video content will have an impact on your budget as well. Do you want the least expensice actor available, or someone with more experience? Do you need a beautiful location, or a simple room in your office? If you’re creating an animated explainer video do you want to use readily available template graphics or custom, personalized graphics?

Where you’ll use the video determines the format(s) and, to some extent, the length it will be. You should know beforehand if your video will be seen on YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, television, social media, etc. Different video platforms have different requirements for video. In addition, if you plan to use your video on multiple platforms, the multiple formats and various cuts required may require additional work that will increase the cost. And generally speaking, longer videos cost more.

Once you have the strategy, move on to the creative assets by determining what you already have on-hand to give the production team (images, previous video content, style guide, branding elements, etc.), what assets the production team will need to create themselves, and how soon you need your video.

The Script

The script for your video can be a good indicator of how involved your video production will be. Generally speaking, the more complex the script is (one interview with a team member vs. having multiple actors, filming in your office vs. needing a location) the more the video will cost to produce. The same goes for the length of the script. If your video is going to be 5 minutes long, that will be more expensive than a 1 minute video.

The Final Step

Talk to your video production partner and give them all the information you can. Use the steps above to round out the scope of the video. They know the costs for all aspects of video production - talent, location, time needed for filming, animation, etc. - and will be able to put together a quote based on what you tell them because once you have an idea of everything you need, the price will start to become apparent.

We always tell clients that the scope and budget is a little fluid until all the final decisions are made. For example, clients may want us to hire actors to portray certain roles in their project. But they may decide to use team members instead of actors to cut down on costs. And because there are so many things that go into video production, there are a lot of things that can be tweaked. Don’t be afraid to work with your creative partner agency to arrive at a number, and a scope, you feel comfortable with.

2025 Video Trends: What Your Brand Needs to Know

Why We Share Video Production Trends With You

Every year Storyboard Media Group compiles a list of the trends we see in video production and digital content strategy. This is important for us to know as a video production agency. But when we work with our clients we do more than just create content. We help guide them through the content creation process so that they get the best return on the time and investment. That’s why we think it’s important for our clients to see these trends. With this knowledge they can inform their video marketing and stay as relevant as possible in an ever-accelerating marketplace.

In today’s post we are merely putting all the trends here for you to see. But keep an eye on our blog because we’ll be diving deeper into each of these trends with dedicated blog posts for each. In fact, we’ve already started. You can read about short-form videos (trend #2) here.

Short-Form Video Content: The Ultimate Guide for Businesses in 2025

In our 2025 Video Trends report, Storyboard Media Group called out short-form video content as something brands need to really pursue to stay relevant, boost e-commerce sales, and to have a strong, continuing online presence. This content is a powerful tool that businesses can use to reach a wider audience and engage with potential customers. And because it has become more and more essential for businesses to create content that is easily consumed and shared on social media, short-form videos are the perfect solution. For busy brands and marketing teams they are quick and easy to make. For audiences they are quick and easy to watch, and can be highly effective in capturing attention.

Short-form content can be made quickly, on-the-fly, and without a ton of planning.

What Are the Benefits of Short-Form Video Content?

There’s not a lot of downside to short-form videos unless you expect them to do all the marketing work you need done. They have their place as attention-grabbers, but they don’t usually go too deep. If you use them correctly they can provide a lot of ROI and engagement.

• They are (relatively) easy to create: Short-form videos can be produced quickly and easily, even with a limited budget. You’re not really telling big, tall and intricate stories with short-form content. You’re creating “bites” to get the attention of viewers. The ease of creation and short length of these videos means you can produce a lot of them and maintain a continuous online presence.

• They make it easy to test your messaging: Because short-form content is quicker to create you can be as creative as you want to be. Have fun, experiment with different formats, play around with different visuals. See what resonates with your audience and then latch onto that and go full-steam ahead.

• Effective marketing tool: Short-form videos are a great way to quickly gain attention on social media. And although short-form videos have a short shelf life, they can be a useful way to promote your longer-form content. When viewers see your shorter videos they become interested in investing more time getting to know you and your brand. In essence, short-form videos lead viewers to your more in-depth content.

• Targeted messaging: Short-form videos should be very specific in the information and visuals they provide. For example, while an About Us video for your brand might be two minutes long and include multiple interviews across different locations, tell viewers all about your brand’s history and mission, and introduce your team and what they do, short-form videos might be a 30 second look at your product being used. It could also be a 15-second clip of your Founder talking. They are used to deliver concise, impactful visuals and messages.

• Messaging NOW/ASAP/STAT: Because short-form content is quick to create, they’re an excellent way to announce things at a moment’s notice. This could be a new product, a new change in service, a sale or a message from your company’s president. They may not be in-depth and complex, but they’re very similar to opening your window and shouting down to the street. People will hear and see you, and you get your point across. However, we don’t suggest you open your window and start yelling out at the people on the street.

How Can Your Brand Use Short-Form Video Content?

This very simply created video provided customers a quick look at the many features of a client’s vest.

Like anything else, you need a plan. Even though this content is quick and easy to make, you’re probably going to create a lot of it. So go into the process like you would any other marketing or sales project and create outlines. What do you want to accomplish? Who are you trying to reach? What type of content do you want to create and why? Here are some ways brands can successfully use short-form videos.

• Boost Your E-Commerce: Short-form videos are perfect to quickly showcase your product on selling sites. They don’t have to be mega-productions, but they should look really nice especially because you’re showing off your product and you want people to buy it.

• Make Product Teasers: These types of video are made of quick cuts showcasing a new product's features with upbeat music. Imagine a smartphone launch video with close-ups of the camera, sleek design, and someone using it seamlessly. Your teaser can use mysterious clips to hint about an upcoming release to build anticipation. For example, a fashion brand could reveal glimpses of a new collection with dramatic lighting that only partially shows the pieces, but gives the audience enough to know that they want to know more.

• Show Your Viewers Behind-the-Scenes (BTS): Make content about a day in the life at your company that showcases your team and culture. This could be a fun montage of employees working, collaborating, and having fun. A video like this should be (mostly) unscripted and inspired by your team itself. You can also show the making of a product, and highlight the craftsmanship and process. A bakery could show the process of making bread from start to finish, with close-ups of kneading dough, the oven, and the final product.

• Create How-Tos and Tutorials: These videos are meant to be quick and to the point. We once had a client with a coat that had all kinds of utility uses, and we created a video showing a person wearing the coat and doing quick mentions of all its uses. We later created a longer video with graphics, call outs, voice over and more. But the original short video was something the client could use immediately and it got viewers interested to learn more.

• Create Customer Testimonials: These are short and snappy reviews from satisfied customers. There’s almost nothing more effective than a happy customer sharing their positive experience with a product or service in a video for your brand to use. Testimonial videos show that you have clients who are willing to take the time and effort to speak on your behalf because they’re so happy. If you have a customer who seems willing to do this for you, just ask them to record something on their phone (in vertical mode). It’s quick and easy for them, and a gold mine for you.

• Make Before and After Videos: These are almost like testimonial videos but no one needs to talk on camera. Just showcase the impact of your product. For example, skincare companies show clients’ skin before and after using their product. This is also a great way to have User-Generated Content (UGC) which is another trend we’re following in 2025.

• The All-Important FAQ Video: Answering common customer questions in a visually engaging way is a great use of short-form video content. A tech company could create a short video explaining how to reset a password or troubleshoot a common issue. These videos don’t mess around. They get right to the solution of a frequently asked question. You can also address concerns or misconceptions about your product or service. An example of this is a sustainable clothing brand answering questions about their ethical practices, use of materials and the level of waste they create.

• Event Highlight Videos: Use this type of video to recap key moments from a conference, workshop, or launch party by creating a series of short clips showcasing exciting moments and highlights from the event. You can also tease your upcoming event with snippets of speakers and/or expected activities.

Our Tips for Creating Short-Form Video Content

We already mentioned earlier in this post that you need to develop some kind of plan before you embark on the process of creating this content. It’s always practical to make sure you get a return for the work and effort you’re putting in. But in addition you should:

• Keep it short and sweet: Videos should be no longer than 60 seconds. If you really want to be bold, go for 10 seconds per video.

• Use quick visuals: For the most part, it’s a good idea to change up what viewers see in your video. For example, if someone on your team is talking to the camera have them moving through your office. If they’re outside have them move around so the audience can see the surroundings. If you’re showing off a product, show the product off in multiple settings.

• Add music or sound effects: Whether we’re talking about by Hollywood movies or brand videos, audio helps to enhance the viewing experience for your audience. There’s a saying that good audio is 90% of good video content. We think it’s true. So take a little time when deciding what music to add to your finished content.

• Include a call to action: Don’t forget this one…tell viewers what you want them to do after watching your video. This can be said by whoever is in the video, it can be a clickable button, and it can be in the description of the video.

• Don’t Be Afraid To Be Different: With all the content creation tools available to businesses it’s easy to create content that stands out. Think outside the box. Have fun. Be weird (if this fits your brand). Try to make content that looks different from your competitors. Use stop-motion video. Use slo-mo video. Use cartooning to look different. The point is to be creative even if your content is short.

How Does Storyboard Media Group Help Brand Create Short-Form Video Content?

Need a steady stream of videos without the in-between hassle? Is your team is small, or already busy with other projects, and you need a little help getting content out the door? Or maybe you want your short-form content to look a little more professional. Our flexible month-by-month plan puts you in control. You tell us how many videos you need each month, and we handle the rest. It's like having an on-demand content creation team at your fingertips, ready to bring your ideas to life. Whether videography or photography we’ll work with you to develop the plan and messaging, and then we deliver the content for you to use. We’ll even create a calendar that shows what content will be created at which point in each month so your team can build around that.