Have you ever tried to bathe a cat? Most cats hate water, making bath time hard. In this video, I will teach you some tips to make bath time with your cat easier.
How to Bathe Your Cat and Survive is a video hosted on YouTube.
© 2023 Kirstin Johnson
Project Description
How to Bathe a Cat and Survive is a four-minute explainer video. In this family-featured video, I share tips on minimizing scratching and anxiety for my two cats during bath time. The video is currently hosted on YouTube. The following tools and media were used to create this video:
iPhone
Camtasia
Studio cardioid condenser microphone
Audiate
Canva
Adobe Stock, B Roll footage
Pixabay Music, All Jokes Aside by LemonMusicStudio
Freepik, animated bathtub icon
Video
This project aimed to create a professional explainer video similar to what is seen on YouTube or TikTok. I started the project by creating a script in Word. This script allowed me to organize my video and determine the shots I needed to capture. Next, I recorded my videos with my iPhone in landscape mode. Jones and Harris (2021) stated that you should always use landscape mode when shooting a video because portrait mode will create black bars on the sides of the video, making it challenging to edit. Once I captured my shots, I edited the video using the trial version of Camtasia. I added B Roll footage from Adobe Stock throughout the video for a polished look. I also found an animated bathtub icon on Freepik to add to my title slide.
Audio
For the audio, I recorded my voiceover in Camtasia using a studio cardioid condenser microphone and edited the audio in Audiate. My video followed the Modality Principle. I used narration and limited my on-screen text. Martin and Betrus (2019) argued that it could be overwhelming for learners when too much text and graphics are shown simultaneously (p.20). Narration can reduce the cognitive load for a learner and create a better learning experience. My narration also followed the Personalization Principle by using a conversational style instead of a formal one. Captions were created in Camtasia for ADA compliance. I downloaded a track from Pixabay called All Jokes Aside by LemonMusicStudio for the intro and outro music.
Thumbnail
For the final touch, I created the How to Bathe Your Cat and Survive thumbnail featuring my two cats in Canva. This thumbnail was uploaded to YouTube. Visitors will see this image instead of the title slide of the video.
Reflection
Throughout my journey with Camtasia, I've experienced significant growth in proficiency in using this tool, mainly through experimentation with B-roll footage and a conscious effort to limit on-screen text. This evolution has enhanced the visual appeal of my videos and improved overall engagement.
Continued Learning
Looking ahead, I want to continue refining my skills in creating explainer videos by seeking new learning opportunities to present training content with minimal on-screen text, if possible. I plan to continue learning best practices in video production by reading industry blogs, watching tutorials, and studying successful explainer videos. I also plan to gather feedback from peers, leaders, or my target audience to identify areas for improvement and refine video content and delivery.
References
Jones, M. G. & Harris, L. (2021). Audio and Video Production for Instructional Design Professionals. In J. K. McDonald & R. E. West (Eds.), Design for Learning: Principles, Processes, and Praxis. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/id/audio_and_videoT
Martin, F., & Betrus, A. K. (2019). Digital media for learning: Theories, processes, and solutions. Springer Nature. https://books.google.com/books?id=KuK_DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
© 2023 Kirstin Johnson
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