After much consideration, my final idea will be Making a Monkey. I will make a sock monkey in an explainer video. The shots are not too many, however, getting the different shots and angles will take time (as well as making the monkey!). I will create a plan and shot list to ensure that this can be successful. I intend to shoot either on the Canon 700D or an Olympus DSLR. I may use my phone for some shots in different set up but I am still considering this.
Sewing explainer videos are very popular, in this example, there is no voice over or explanation - just music and the action is the creation of the monkey. The shot is just one shot and there are extra instructions on screen as well as the pattern to download and you can subscribe to the channel
This is one approach; the other approach is to have an explanation and a person showing you how this is done. Again, most of the video below is a top down shot of the actions, there is also the man's voice over and subtitles so the explanation is clear at all times. This video is detailed and you could easily follow this real time and watch and copy.
Explainer videos are great for, obviously, explaining things! However, this is not their only purpose and they are used for many purposes for small and large businesses. They are an easy way to hook in users to products and services. They can help boost search engine optimisation, boost conversion rates, have easy links to social media and are easily shared and so they improve business. They are also good for people as people learn from them, they gain an understanding and sometimes a skill, and they can help people connect with a community online that enjoys the same things as they do. They can also appeal to a range of learning styles and people find their favourite people to explain things and often subscribe and follow them online.
It is important for this project to understand what makes the explainer video not just okay, but really good so people want to watch this and learn something from it. Forbes states that there are five key elements that make an explainer video great, and they are:
- 'A clear and concise script
- A clear voice-over
- An understandable video caption
- Engaging visuals
- A catchy and memorable soundtrack' (YEC, 2022)
Forbes also states that, 'The average user will not spend more than 20 seconds on your site if they're not hooked.' (YEC, 2022). On the internet, people will click away as soon as they are not interested, and now there is so much choice - why should they look at my video? Looking further at the research, Forbes advises the following: 'Plan the script, make it short and sweet, use simple language, keep the tone light and create rich visuals' (YEC, 2022). In my own video, I plan to set up to shots that will be constant so I have a constant recording from two angles, and so I don't have to shoot them separately. I also plan to complete a voice over just on the computer so that I can add this over the explanation as well as any straight to camera shots. I also plan to make a storyboard and shot list tro ensure it is absolutely clear how I will be doing this. Pre-production will be the key to making this really work.
Frontiers in Communication state: 'The use and importance of online videos about news, science, and climate change are continuously increasing (Allgaier, 2019; Frees et al., 2019; Galan et al., 2019). For example, 62% of Germans use YouTube frequently or occasionally as a search engine for specific questions and issues (Koch and Bleisch, 2020). Almost 70% watch videos on general knowledge topics, and 65% watch explainer videos or tutorials, with the share being even higher among young people (Koch and Bleisch, 2020; Wissenschaft im Dialog, 2021).' (Schorn, 2022). The importance of this is that most people receive and learn information from websites, particularly YouTube, and younger people are even more likely to watch YouTube for explainer videos and tutorials. The increasing use of explainer videos, tutorials and learning online has changed how people learn and what learning means. The impact of Covid had a massive effect on people's attitude to online learning and how institutions and websites changed to accommodate how people wanted to learn and in what way.
I may here be creating a fairly simple explainer video about making a sock monkey, but thinking about how this could mean I could teach others to do this, and how they might enjoy this, and it would bring joy to others - it is important and I do not take that lightly. There is nothing forgivable about a bad explainer video!
References
Mezzolab (n.d.). Top 30 Benefits of Explainer Videos. [online] www.mezzolab.com. Available at: https://www.mezzolab.com/blog/top-30-benefits-of-explainer-videos [Accessed 4 May 2025].
Schorn, A. (2022). Online explainer videos: Features, benefits, and effects. Frontiers in Communication, 7. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2022.1034199.
YEC (2022). Explainer Videos And The Key To Making Them Great. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/councils/theyec/2022/09/16/explainer-videos-and-the-key-to-making-them-great/ [Accessed 4 May 2025].
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