More than just video – getting everything out of Vyond – Carolin Lüken, expert for Vyond, in interview
As Teamlead Employee Empowerment at Interlake, Carolin Lüken supports people in companies in the creation of digital learning content and shares her expertise. In this interview, the expert reveals why animated video using VYOND plays an important role in corporate learning, how to become a professional in just one day, and what other application scenarios there are.
Hi Carolin. Not only the team, but also your LinkedIn contacts know it by now: You are a real fan of the tool Vyond. How did you become aware of Vyond?
At my previous employer, my colleagues from the UK had made me aware of Vyond, as they were already using it with enthusiasm. Immediately, I sensed the opportunity to make the e-learnings I was allowed to produce much more attractive with such videos. From then on it was clear that Vyond had become a must-have for me and I now use it for all communication and production.
Vyond is very intuitive to use. Why have you now developed a 1-day training?*
In fact, Vyond is intuitively easy to use and it is relatively easy to get started. Nevertheless, and here I speak from my own experience, it takes quite a long time if you want to learn everything autodidactically or probably initially quite simply designed videos will come out. I always find it difficult to learn something, e.g. great features and implementation possibilities that I don’t even know exist. That’s where an experienced trainer can help me get up to speed quickly and save me a lot of time to be able to create great videos quickly. A training course not only offers the advantage of getting to know and using the tool itself with all its possibilities, but also offers good tips and tricks that we know from practical experience with Vyond and that make implementation much easier.
Do you need previous experience or can anyone who has just obtained a license participate in the training?
No, in our 1-day Vyond training we actually start from the beginning, previous knowledge is not necessary. And, those who already have prior knowledge are welcome to be surprised how they can work even easier with Vyond or what additional possibilities there are that he/she has not yet discovered.
Do you have a tip for all Vyond users on how to create a good video not only visually but also didactically?
When we talk about pure explainer video, the first thing I should think about is who do I want to address in the first place? Who is my target audience and what message do I want to convey or what is the stated goal of the video? Only when I have the answers to these questions can I come up with a concept and storyboard. As with e-learning, the groundwork is the key to creating a good video afterwards. I don’t work in Vyond until the storyboard is in place, the texts are clearly defined, and it’s just a matter of pure implementation in Vyond. It is important that an explanatory video should not exceed a maximum length of 2 minutes. With videos longer than 2 minutes, we lose the viewer’s attention and the message will not get through. One more important thing. My participants always have to smile or even laugh when I ask them to remember their first Power Point presentation. They usually had them packed with effects and possibilities to make the slides colorful and full of animations. Nobody would do that today. It is the same with Vyond. Please pay attention right from the first video which effects you use and how. Less is often more. An example: In Vyond, you can work very nicely with camera movements. A constant back and forth with the camera, into the picture, out again, to the right to the left, etc. makes the video very restless and no fun to watch. We also look at how to use camera effects in a targeted way in training, for example. The focus on the message is crucial and helpful.
The use of video content in classic e-learning has been proven to have a positive effect on learning success. How do you use Vyond in e-learning?
In e-learning, I tend to work with small video sequences from Vyond. There is, for example, the possibility that a character from Vyond guides through the e-learning and accompanies the learner. Another possibility is to use Vyond in scenarios. In this way, I can present the situation that challenges the learner to make a decision much better with moving images and let the learner feel much better in the moment. In quizzes, it also makes the whole thing more exciting and entertaining when a Vyond character asks the questions or tasks are given with moving images. There are so many possibilities and that’s why I love the combination of Storyline 360 and Vyond so much, there are no limits as long as it helps the learner get to the goal.
Which feature do you like to use the most?
Hm, difficult to choose one, because there are so many great features and possibilities. The most fun is the character creator, where you can build your own characters and use them in the video. However, the possibilities offered by the camera movements are especially exciting. Spatial effects can be achieved and the eye of the viewer/learner can be guided in a targeted manner.
Vyond is more than just a video creator, it’s a communication tool. What have you used Vyond for that you wouldn’t think of off the top of your head?
That’s right, I now use Vyond for almost everything where I want to tell or convey something to people. Be it as part of my presentation in trainings, e.g. to introduce myself or for digital business cards, for my profile picture on LinkedIn, as GIF below my signature in emails or automatic reply in the out of office assistant. Anywhere I can embed an MP4 or GIF file, I can work with Vyond. And it’s really fun and brings nice surprise effects for the other person.
What was the most complex topic you explained with Vyond?
Conveying the topic of compliance in an explanatory video was an exciting task in itself, in order to really get employees’ attention for the topic. In Vyond, we then presented employee statements with characters and an expert interview with the help of a character who led through the video in order to package the content in an entertaining and interesting way so that the viewers could identify with it.
Dear Carolin, thank you for the interview and the insights!