Communications Toolkit

Planning and Workflow

In this section, you will review examples of short how-to videos with a critical eye. Studying what works — and what doesn't — is one of the most effective ways to improve your own work. Once you have reviewed the examples, use the suggested workflow below to begin planning your own video.

Video 1: A Well-Done How-To Video

This short video on slicing a tomato demonstrates good use of lighting, editing, and camera work. Some content is better suited to a fact sheet, but a physical technique like this is more efficient and effective to teach through video.

Points worth noting:

  • The footage is approximately 15 years old and was originally recorded in 4:3 ratio. The green bar on the right is a clever editorial choice to reformat older content for a modern 16:9 widescreen display.
  • There is a slight audio hum audible on headphones, likely from the original recording equipment. It is not distracting, and a subtle music track would mask it entirely.
  • The video is simple and effective but does not create a strong emotional connection with the viewer. Given its short length and specific focus, that is acceptable. It has more than 500,000 views.

Video 2: A Simple How-To Video That Works

A video does not have to be complex to be effective. This video uses only two shots and a simple outro animation. The creator is clearly not a professional, but the content is well executed. It shows how to tie shoelaces — a topic that is especially valuable for parents of children with autism who are working on this skill.

What this video does well:

  • Gets to the point and stays on topic with no unnecessary content
  • Camera is still, and the overhead angle with the shoe facing away from camera replicates the view a child would have
  • Audio is clear and loud throughout
  • The filming perspective matches the learner's point of view, which many shoe-tying videos miss
  • The technique was clearly practiced and planned before filming

One improvement would have been to use white shoelaces for better contrast and visibility. It has 2.7 million views.

Video 3: Useful Content, Poor Execution

Cat grooming is a topic that genuinely connects with cat owners, so this video has good potential. However, it has several execution issues worth studying. Watch it before reading the notes below.

Issues to note:

  • The camera is handheld by an assistant and is not steady
  • The camera is not always pointed at the action — the tail brushing segment does not show the tail
  • Audio is recorded from the camera's built-in mic, so volume varies with distance from the camera
  • There is no editing — close-up shots with narration would have been more effective than moving the camera closer

If you have time, rewatch this video and think about what you would do differently if you were producing it. It has over 70,000 views.

Video 4: A Well-Executed Cooperative Extension Video Series

This video is part of a series produced by food and nutrition educators and agents in North Carolina. Each short video teaches a basic cooking skill. While the individual videos vary slightly in feel, there is consistent branding and style across the series.

What works well:

  • The project was clearly planned — clips look and sound polished
  • Effective use of on-screen text to accompany narration
  • Well lit and expertly edited
  • Subtle background sound adds warmth without distraction
  • Good use of still shots panned and zoomed to simulate motion — a technique that simplifies recording and allows close-up shots not easily achievable with a smartphone
  • Appropriate setting for the content
  • Tasting the food at the end provides a natural, satisfying finish

Areas for improvement:

  • For a strong reader, a fact sheet might convey the information more efficiently. Other videos in the series — such as this one on frying eggs — rely more on movement and action and are better suited to the video format.
  • The presenter is always centered in frame, which can look awkward on a widescreen display.

This series is a good example of breaking a broad topic — cooking skills — into short, focused videos that viewers can use individually as needed. View the full series on YouTube.

Suggested Workflow

Each type of video will have its own workflow, and with experience you will develop an approach that suits your style. The process below is a suggested starting point for beginners producing short how-to videos.

  1. Identify your audience and objectives. Establish clear learning objectives for your video.
  2. Reflect on your idea. Decide whether video is the right medium and whether the topic is too broad. Your goal is a video of 3 to 15 minutes. This is also a good time to search YouTube for existing content on the topic.
  3. Write your storyboard. Include a script with each panel. Think of each panel as a paragraph — write draft script, sketch the scene, then revise as needed. Each panel represents approximately 15 to 25 seconds.
  4. Review your script. If the content is technical, ask a subject matter expert to review it before you film.
  5. Build your shot list. Review your storyboard and identify all content you need to create. Organize by type: stills, video, narration, etc. Plan an efficient shooting sequence — the order you record does not need to match the order content appears in the video. Plan multiple takes for spoken parts.
  6. Download and organize your media. Download all files to a single folder. Review each clip, choose the best takes, and give each file a descriptive name.
  7. Edit. Edit using your organized media collection. Save files with useful names and label drafts clearly. Name your final version in an obvious way — appending "Final" works well.
  8. Encode. Encode the video and play it back in a separate video player to confirm it looks and sounds correct. Touch up and re-encode if needed.
  9. Prepare for upload. Write a clear title and keyword-rich description. If you followed your storyboard, you should have a script ready to support closed captioning. Your video is ready to upload.