Pro Tips for Creating Amazing Course Content

Hi there! The intention of this course is to provide you with some helpful tips about how you can level-up the quality of the courses you’re creating on Simplero. In this lesson you can seem some basic tips that we’ve put together for you. Remember: These are just tips, not requirements! If you’ve got a cellphone and a Simplero account - you’ve got what it takes to start making course content that sells. If facing the camera, position the camera slightly above eye level, and make sure to speak looking into the camera in order to connect with your audience Make sure the subject of your video is centered and in-frame, regardless of your gestures or movement Be sure to speak clearly and don’t be afraid to use gestures to accentuate important points Audio quality is more important than video quality. People will watch a video with not-so-great video quality, but if they can’t understand what you’re saying then they’ll likely move on For course content, make sure the video orientation is horizontal, not vertical Wear clothing that you would typically wear if you were doing the same thing in person- professional, perhaps with a flare of your own personality Always make sure to test all of your equipment to make sure all is in working order before going live or recording If you’re recording live, be sure to close all unneeded applications on your computer that aren’t being used in your presentation to improve performance Silence your cell phone to prevent unwanted interruptions While using presentations, utilize clean and professional backgrounds and images to make your slides POP

Have you ever started reading a book, and felt a bit confused about what the story was about? You finish the first paragraph, and then another - but you don’t feel connected to the words you’re reading. Any accomplished writer knows that in order to get you to finish the book, they have to hook you within the first few sentences. The same logic applies to videos online. You have, on average, a total of 8 seconds to hook your audience. Check out these tips we’ve put together for you to help you keep your audience engaged throughout your entire course.  Know the objective, or purpose of your story. Why are you telling it, and what do you want someone to believe or do when they’ve finished hearing your story? If you find yourself speaking about a topic that might be too broad, consider breaking your topic up into individual lessons, or even a completely separate course. Get personal, and be relatable. Step into the mind of your audience - what’s something real you can share that will resonate with them? Keep your audience engaged. Ask questions, provoke thoughts, and inspire people to follow up with you. When crafting your message, think about storytellers you admire. Think about what other great storytellers use to share compelling messages, and hook their audience. If your goal is to offer a solution to a problem, let your audience visualize the problem and the solution you’re offering. Keep it simple. Sometimes providing too many details limits the effectiveness of your story. 

When recording audio, a great way to think about it is that someone could be listening to your content as a podcast. If you’ve ever heard a podcast with poor audio quality, you’ll know investing in solid audio recording equipment is essential to creating high quality content. Remember: These are just tips, not requirements! If you’ve got a cellphone and a Simplero account - you’ve got what it takes to start making course content that sells. The type of audio equipment that is best for you will depend largely on the following: Budget The space you’re recording in Your need to move or be stationary Technical knowledge The availability, and compatibility of your hardware. In general, we recommend that you use an external microphone and headphones that are not built into your device. The first step to determining which audio equipment you want to acquire is to determine which microphone is going to be the best for you in most situations. If you’re always going to speak while sitting at your desk and facing your camera, then having a microphone attached to your desk could be a great solution. If on the other hand you’re needing to move around doing something like yoga instruction, then having a lavalier microphone could be a better option. Looking for a higher-end setup? Check out Calvin’s specs here. For stationary microphones we’d recommend the following: Low Budget: Apple Airpods (Or Similar) Mid Budget: we would recommend the Rode Nt1-A with a pop filter (Or Similar) Higher Budget we would recommend the Shure SM7B or Sennheiser MKE-600 depending on your needs. For all of these mics in the Mid-Higher range, you’ll also need an audio interface, which acts as the middleman between your microphone and your computer. For most people a great audio interface will be something like the Focusrite Scarlett Solo, or Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. The main difference being whether or not you need one audio input source, or multiple. If you go with a shotgun microphone, we recommend the mic be 2-3 feet away pointing at your chin or upper chest. For large diaphragm condenser mics, we recommend you place the mic 4-6 inches away from your mouth. For lavalier microphones you’ve got some great options as well: Low Budget: Rode smartLav+ (You can even record right into your smartphone with these) Mid Budget: Rode Wireless Go Higher Budget: Sennheiser G4 transmitter + Sennheiser ME 2 Mic The advantage of these lav mics is that you also don’t have to have an audio interface, and can record directly into your camera with a 3.5mm jack. Regardless of which mic option you choose, make sure you keep a constant distance between your mouth and your microphone to avoid creating fluctuations in volume that can be undesirable. We recommend the microphone be ~6 inches from your mouth.

If you’re going to be taking the time to make videos for your courses, then considering an upgrade to your video equipment could be a good investment choice. When creating your video content, consider that your viewers will be viewing your videos on a variety of different devices and screen sizes. Creating high quality video content can help ensure your videos will have a professional look regardless of who’s viewing them. Remember: These are just tips, not requirements! If you’ve got a cellphone and a Simplero account - you’ve got what it takes to start making course content that sells. What you purchase for recording videos is going to depend on: Budget The space you’re recording in Whether you need more than one camera Your need to move or be stationary Your output needs (1080p, 4k, 240fps, etc.) Technical knowledge The availability, and compatibility of your recording equipment If what you’re looking for is a webcam that you can connect to your computer via USB, which will be cost-effective, and functional for things like webinars, zoom meetings, scenes that have good lighting, and smaller rooms - then we would recommend the following (Low Budget) Logitech C930 (Mid Budget) Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO (Higher Budget) Insta360 Link If you’ve got the need, a higher budget, and what you’re looking for is something with a bit more flexibility, is portable, allows you to choose the lens you need, and that you can use to record directly to the device - then you’re likely looking for a DSLR with video capabilities. Calvin’s top pick is the Canon 90d with the Sigma 18-135mm lens. You can see his full specs here: https://calvincorreli.com/blog/39580-my-video-setup  If you go with a DSLR, something that can additionally help streamline your video creation process is an external screen, also known as a field monitor, which will allow you to see yourself while you’re recording. Some cameras come with this built in, but if not this can really help with making sure that you stay in-frame, are actively recording, that you’re in-focus, and that your lighting is working properly. Here are a couple of field monitors we recommend: (Mid Budget) Andycine A6 Plus (Higher Budget) Atomos Ninja V

Almost as important as what resolution you’re recording your videos in - lighting has a huge impact on the overall quality of your video content. If you’ve never invested time or resources into setting up proper lighting for your videos, this could be a game changer for you and your viewers, and can help you establish a consistent higher quality brand image for your videos. Remember: These are just tips, not requirements! If you’ve got a cellphone and a Simplero account - you’ve got what it takes to start making course content that sells. First up, Some Lighting Tips: Make sure your video isn’t dimly lit, or too bright. Excessive shadows and intense lights are distracting and look unprofessional. If possible, use more than one light source. For most videos you’ll want to position the primary light source in front of you, just above eye level. If you are using natural light, be aware that it may change over the course of your recording or presentation. Soften harsh lighting by directing it at a nearby wall or by using fabric to create diffusion. Any lights that are behind you should not be brighter than in front of you.  Using studio lighting can help you create a consistent and professional look throughout your video content. For many people, using existing lights in your home or office might be the only thing available for you. Getting creative with existing materials - even shower curtains to diffuse light can really help make a difference. For those looking to purchase some better lights for video though, here are some recommendations for you depending on your budget and lighting needs. (Lower Budget) Neewer Dimmable Bi-color LED panels - We recommend getting at least two, and you can even find sets of them that come with light stands as well. Of Note: For all light recommendations listed below, you will likely need a softbox, or equivalent light diffuser, in addition to a sturdy stand - like a c-stand in order to safely mount and use your lights. (Mid - Higher Budget) Godox SL series lights. You’ll want at least two of these as well. If you have the budget for it, go with at least SL 100’s. Depending on your space, you could also go with a SL60 as a secondary light, and a SL100 as your main light. For either of these options, we recommend investing in a softbox as well like the Andoer Godox SB-UE 80cm. {High Budget) If you’re looking for higher budget lights, then we’d recommend looking into Apurture lights. There are a lot of different models to suit your needs, and if you’ve got the budget for it they are the best. Pro Tip: If you want to step up your accent lighting game - we’d highly recommend that you look into getting a pair of Aperture MC lights, or a cheaper equivalent. You’d be amazed what these little RGB light panels can do :)

The space you’re shooting in is an important part of your overall image. Your surroundings, your outfits, your background - everything contributes to your overall level of professionalism, your personality, and how your message will be perceived by your viewers. Remember: These are just tips, not requirements! If you’ve got a cellphone and a Simplero account - you’ve got what it takes to start making course content that sells. Here are some tips about what to do, and what to avoid in order to level-up the perceived value of your course content: When in doubt, go minimalistic. A plain white background is better than a background filled with clutter that doesn’t add value to your image. Think about what is relevant to your message, and what will add value. Would it be more fitting to film in front of a library filled with books, or in front of an organized kitchen with a plant? Perhaps a modern office, or an outdoor garden would be a better bet - it’s really up to you :) Consider how much of your background needs to be displayed, or if perhaps your camera can be closer to you so you or your subject can fill more of the frame. Record yourself saying the same message in front of various places throughout your recording space. Get feedback from your friends and colleagues to see which setup or location feels like the best fit. If your space is naturally a bit more cluttered, considering blurring your background with a camera using a low depth of field, or with background blurring software. Checkout some backgrounds from content creators in your industry that inspire you. What are they doing, and what backgrounds are they using that make you feel like their quality is really high? Also take note of what someone might be doing that might diminish their overall image a bit and apply these learnings to your own content. Especially at the beginning, it’s important to be consistent. If you shoot with a different background, or in a different location for every video, this can cause some distraction and confusion for your viewers unless the locations are related and relevant to your business. In most cases it’s probably better to setup one place really well and dedicate your time to that until you feel you’re ready for an upgrade.

The best post-production advice we can give is to try to do as little as possible unless absolutely necessary. What we mean here is - if you do the work to get the recording right straight out of your camera and microphone, then this is simply going to save you a lot of time. This means practicing your lines in advance, getting your framing and lighting right, setting your audio levels correctly, and all that jazz. No one likes to spend hours using post production software to correct mistakes - if anything, we should be using software to step-up our professional game. Remember: These are just tips, not requirements! If you’ve got a cellphone and a Simplero account - you’ve got what it takes to start making course content that sells. Whichever situation you find yourself in, here are some tips to using post production software to give your videos an extra edge: Time is money. To make your videos snappier and help keep your audience engaged - Consider editing out most of your filler words like ‘um, uh, and like’, as well as any lengthy pauses between words where you’re taking time to think or draw longer breaths. Organize your videos and audio files in a way that will help you easily identify them - even months down the line. This will not only help you when creating your course content, but will help you stay organized. Backup, Backup, Backup! Make sure to have at least 2 separate copies of your video and audio files at all times.  Zoom in slightly on your face from time-to-time when you want to emphasize on a specific thought or phrase. This can help grab someone's attention during longer video clips. Consider adding an intro or outro sequence to your videos for an extra brand boost. If you’ve got the time and ability to do so, exploring the art of color grading your video footage can give you a real professional look - though this may be overkill for some course creators. Be sure to normalize your audio levels so that you can be sure the volume you hear on your device is the same that anyone will hear on theirs. Use the software that you need, not the one that has the most options or features. Most video editors will only ever use a fraction of the features that video editing software comes with, so go with the one that is the easiest and most intuitive for you to use. What post production software you use will depend on your experience level, your needs, and your device. Here are a few we recommend: DaVinci Resolve - Honestly one of the best pieces of video editing software that you can get. Works on both Mac and PC and the best part is - it's free and easy to use. There is a Pro version, but most people will never need it. Final Cut Pro - If you're a Mac user, then this is very likely be a program you've heard of. It's easy to use, extremely powerful, and it's basically iMovie on steroids. Remember here that if you don't need the extra features that FCP offers, then iMovie could very well be what you need to get started. Adobe Premiere - This is Adobe's professional video editing software. Some say it's the best there is, while we would say it's pretty overkill and less intuitive to use than Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Descript - If you're interested in saving some time, and having a fully editable transcript available while you edit your videos- then Descript deserves your attention. It doesn't have as many editing features as the others on this list, but if your needs are simple then this could be a solution for you.