Tom’s top tips for creating video and animation for learning:

1.Don’t be afraid of failure. If I look back at videos I’ve created I’d probably hate them! Don’t wait for perfection, learn as you go.

2.Start with a clear brief. Then think about how best to get an idea across. Starting with something small and clearly defined will help you get started. 

3.You only need a small amount of equipment. You can get started for only a couple of hundred pounds, which will give you a huge return on investment.

4.Write a script. I quickly learnt that no matter how confident people are, they may freeze in front of a camera or microphone. Bullet points might work well if you want a more natural interview, but for videos about information, processes and systems, you’ll need a script as you’ll want people to say the words in the right order, in the right way. 

5.Get the script signed off! I learnt that the hard way early on, and had to redo entire videos because a key piece of information wasn’t included. Before recording anything, get the script approved. The script is where you work out all the kinks. It will save you time in the long run.

6.Avoid adding specific dates. That means avoiding having a Christmas backdrop, for example. Refer to dates only when it’s really relevant as it ages the video, so you may have to update it sooner.

7.Practise the script. Practise, practise, practise to get the intonation right and to feel really comfortable with it.

8.Exaggerate when you’re reading the script. This is particularly true for animation, when people are not going to see your body language. You need to be 100 times more animated than in real life, and exaggerate the tone of voice that you’re using.

9.Be mindful of your characters, cast and language. People are usually very forgiving of mistakes in real life, but it’s much easier to offend in a video or animation. Ensure you have a diverse range of characters, and check for any language that could possibly offend.