The Visual Lounge

Getting content out there fast is more important than ever. You don’t want to keep people waiting for your content, after all. But getting faster at video creation is no easy thing, and the last thing you want is to push out low-quality content just in the name of speed.  In this episode of The Visual Lounge, we hear from Brandon Burtner, the Senior Director of Learning Strategies and Solutions at Scaled Agile, on his approach to accelerating workflows in video creation.  A big takeaway from this episode is to not just focus on the production side of things but to also be mindful of the planning process, project management, file management, and everything that needs to happen before you hit record. Brandon takes us through some steps in the agile work method and explains how you can accelerate your workflows and collaborate with stakeholders and contributors more efficiently.  Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 02:18 Introduction02:18 – 05:09 Brandon’s top tip for improving how you create videos05:09 – 07:02 What it means to accelerate flow07:02 – 11:19 How to start accelerating flow for your videos11:19 – 12:32 How to approach project management in a team12:32 – 15:04 How to weigh up “busy work” vs. important project management work15:04 – 18:31 The importance of minimizing handoffs and dependencies18:31 – 21:41 Using templates to accelerate workflows21:41 – 27:10 Optimizing practices for production27:10 – 31:07 Speed round questions31:07 – 31:47 Brandon’s final take31:47 – 32:46 OutroImportant links and mentions: Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-burtner/ Scaled Agile: https://scaledagile.com/ 

With millions of videos at our fingertips, what is it that makes you stop scrolling and click on a video? Aaron King, an entrepreneur and filmmaker of the DeepSnap YouTube channel, joins this episode of The Visual Lounge to give his take on what makes scroll-stopping videos. We hear about how he got started in content creation, coming in from the world of entrepreneurship, and what he’s learned about content in the past few years.  Aaron talks about the power of video in helping to build his brand and why he thinks that being yourself and true to your brand will help you forge a deeper connection with your audience.  This episode marks 200 and counting of The Visual Lounge! It was great to hear that Aaron shares the TechSmith philosophy of leveling up your skills with every video you create.  Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:47 Introduction 01:47 – 03:13 Aaron’s top tip for improving your videos 03:13 – 07:03 What is a video hook and how can you start using them? 07:03 – 11:21 How to create interesting content, no matter your topic 11:21 – 15:11 How to make sure your video has great audio that draws people in 15:11 – 16:29 Stumbling across new ideas in the comment section 16:29 – 24:27 Why Aaron decided to become a content creator  24:27 – 25:29 Why speed is so important when you’re starting out in your journey 25:29 – 28:43 Speed round questions  28:43 – 29:22 Where to find Aaron and information about his brands 29:22 – 30:11 Aaron’s final take on creating great videos 30:11 – 31:21 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepsnap/ Follow Deep Snap on X: https://twitter.com/deepsnap  Deep Snap: https://deepsnap.com Subscribe to Aaron’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@deepsnap 

Dr Clark Quinn PhD joins the podcast to discuss cognitive properties in media creation, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful video production. Topics include: not creating video for video's sake, utilizing cognitive properties in media, the value of templates for video creation, and advice for creators on time management. The episode explores integrating technology with learning for improved organizational performance.

Content creation is no walk in the park. While many underestimate what creators do all day, there’s a lot of work and necessary skills that go into producing content week in, week out. Joining this episode of The Visual Lounge is Britt Carter, the Creator Success Manager at GigaStar and one-half of the duo behind The Betting Belle YouTube channel. Britt’s career has seen her work with big-name content creators, including MrBeast and Ryan Christopher Slots. Now, she runs her own YouTube channel featuring casino and gambling content.  Fully immersed in the world of content creation, Britt has some great advice for creators on video creation, networking, using analytics, and learning to use video editing tools. Tune in to hear why she believes that building solid relationships in your industry and consistency are the keys to success.  Learning points from the episode include: Introduction Britt’s top tip for improving your videos Advice for staying consistent with your content Why content creation is no easy feat What new content creators should focus on  Britt’s advice for building relationships in the content creator world How to become more comfortable on camera  The challenge of creating gambling content  Britt’s journey to becoming a video editor  Why it’s important to find the right tool for your needs Speed round questions  Where to connect with Britt and her content  Britt’s final take on content creation Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Britt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyjocarter/ Follow Britt and The Betting Belle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrittc/  and https://www.instagram.com/bettingbelle/   The Betting Belle: http://bettingbelle.com The Betting Belle YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/@bettingbelle 

In this episode, the guest Rob Balasabas, Head of Partnerships & Community at Uscreen, emphasizes the importance of collaboration among video creators. He shares advice on working with brands as a creator and how brands can hire creators themselves. Rob also discusses the top two trends in the video space and highlights the value of having a supportive community and mentor for new creators.

Debating the pros and cons of scripting videos, with insights from video producers at TechSmith. They discuss the benefits of having a writer in the recording studio and the challenges of speaking without a script. The trade-offs between scripting and not scripting videos are explored, including the importance of continuity and clarity. Personal experiences and advice for scripting are shared.

Whether you’re a B2B or B2C brand, grabbing and holding your audience’s attention is everything. So could YouTube be the ideal place to build a dedicated, long-term following? On this episode of The Visual Lounge, Finn McKenty, founder of Punk Rock MBA and Head of Product at URM Academy, shares the benefits to creating YouTube content. He talks about how it’s less competitive than other social platforms and how it could help build rapport with your peers before meetings and talks. But how do you get started? Well, Finn says a little experimentation is OK! It doesn’t matter if your first video doesn’t explode, so long as you’re providing something valuable to your audience. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 02:17 – Finn’s tip for making better videos 03:15 – What role YouTube can play in the growth of your business 06:19 – Why YouTube shouldn’t be your “dumping ground”  07:12 – How important is personality on corporate YouTube? 11:31 – Is consistency important? 16:24 – How to get started on YouTube 22:00 – What constitutes success on YouTube? 23:18 – Finn’s Speed Round 26:38 – The final take 27:10 – Outro   Important links and mentions: Connect with Finn on LinkedIn Follow Finn on Instagram Find Finn’s website Subscribe to Finn on YouTube 

Adding videos and GIFs to your customer learning strategy can add a brand-new dimension to your content. But what role do they play and how do you know which to choose? Videos are useful during the onboarding process and for evergreen content, whereas GIFs can be helpful to explain advanced concepts, says Greg Mead, Senior Instructional Designer at ClickUp. Greg joins The Visual Lounge to share how he creates content to engage thousands of learners with learning tool, ClickUp University. He tells us his top tips for defining and generating engagement, the advantages of visual content over text and how customer feedback shapes the path his content takes.  Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 01:36 – Greg’s tip for using videos and GIFs 02:56 – Unpacking findings from ClickUp University surveys 03:36 – When to use video and when to use GIFs 05:54 – Why use video and GIFs instead of text? 07:36 – How customer feedback led Greg to shift his content focus 09:24 – The first steps toward making video content that scales 12:08 – Defining and generating engagement  17:03 – Greg’s career as a video creator 22:03 – Greg answers Speed Round questions 26:59 – The final take 27:25 – Outro  Important links and mentions: Connect with Greg on LinkedIn Follow Greg on Twitter/X Follow Greg on Instagram Visit ClickUp University Subscribe to Greg on YouTube 

If you’re a creative, pitching ideas to stakeholders can be stressful! So how can you adapt your strategies, control your variables and form ideas you’re proud to pitch? Guy Bauer, Founder and Creative Director of B2B video marketing agency Umault, tells us his tips and tricks as he joins The Visual Lounge.  He says your first step should be to form a strong, clear idea that you’re happy with and that won’t be misunderstood by your management. Asynchronous communication is his go-to method to communicate ideas, as it allows you to combine the energy of live calls with the clarity of emails. Plus, hear Guy’s top tips for growing your creative tastes…and why Weezer is still a great band! Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 04:39 – Guy’s tip for video creators 06:48 – Why you need clear ideas and strategies before making videos 11:52 – Why creative ideas should be discussed asynchronously 17:38 – Allowing your stakeholders to previsualize your ideas 21:07 – Making sure you have confidence in your ideas 23:18 – Controlling variables in your pitches and processes 26:55 – How to grow your creative taste 32:27 – Hear Guy’s Speed Round answers 39:22 – The final take 40:45 – Outro  Important links and mentions: Follow Umault on LinkedIn Follow Umault on Twitter/X Follow Umault on Instagram Visit the Umault website Subscribe to the Umault YouTube channel 

On The Visual Lounge, we often talk about getting better, leveling up, and improving how we make and use video by 1%. It's great to talk about, but what's the secret to that happening? Pretty easy; you have to do something. However, for that to work, you need to not just talk about it but make the time available to play, experiment, to try new things with the videos you create.Thanks for being a viewer of the channel. From all of us at TechSmith & The Visual Lounge podcast, we want to wish you a wonderful and successful 2024! Key points from this episode:00:00 - Introduction00:30 - Thinking about scheduling 01:00 - Put together the idea of Leveling Up and Scheduling.01:35 - Build in time and space to play around with and explore new ideas02:05 - How I learned from building the TechSmith Academy02:40 - If you want to get better - do this! 03:08 Video is about exploring and learning through experimentation, leading to better problem-solving skills.04:00 - Give yourself time! 04:58 - What are you thinking about?Important links and mentions: Want to get better at video? Check out TechSmith Academy - free learning about creating and using video.Looking for video editing software? Try Camtasia #podcast #videocreation #learnin