Over the past ten years, I’ve created hundreds of custom training videos, screencasts, and intro videos for some of the most notable companies in the WordPress industry, including Automattic, GoDaddy, Liquid Web, Pressable, Namecheap, Crowd Favorite, and many others. To keep up with the growing demand for custom video tutorials, I recently launched a brand new service called, 101Videos.com
Need a custom training video for your product or service?
What makes my videos different? Read, “How to Create Screencasts People Will Actually Want to Watch!”
Here are some custom videos I’ve recently created…
Working with Shawn was awesome, but that’s a massive understatement. We hit a very busy season in our business just as we hired him to create some videos. I was only able to send a few apologetic emails, and I assumed that our video production would suffer as a result. Boy was I wrong. Shawn knocked each and every video out of the the park; his initiative and work ethic blew us away. If you need videos, you should definitely hire Shawn.
Kevin Stover Co-founder of Ninja Forms
https://ninjaforms.com
The Process
The process begins with a conversation about your goals for the video. Do you need a full-blown tutorial video, or a brief promo video for your homepage that just highlights the features of your plugin or product? Once we’re clear on the nature of the project and your goals, we’ll move on to the production process. Learn more at: 101Videos.com
- Create a Local Demo Environment — I always work from a local installation to ensure there are no “spinning beach balls” while recording, due to Internet traffic or server hiccups.
- Scriptwriting — The script is the most critical and time-consuming part of the project. We’ll work together to create a detailed, word-for-word script that describes precisely what is happening onscreen at every moment.
- Voiceover — Next, I’ll record, mix, and master a professional-quality voiceover in my studio.
- Screen Recording — Then, I’ll record the onscreen actions to match the narration in both timing and content. I use Chrome’s Full Screen Mode at 2560×1440 pixels for screen recordings.
- Intro/Outro — If needed, I can create a simple, animated introduction with your logo or other required text.
- Music — If you haven’t already done so, I can help you find and license background music that will perfectly set the tone and maximum the impact of your video.
- Editing and Export — With all the pieces in place, I’ll edit the final video and furnish you a high-resolution video file in H.264 MP4 format at 1280×720 pixels, the standard for HD web video.
We hired Shawn to create a series of videos to help new users get up to speed with our email software product, MailPoet. We’ve now had those videos available directly within the UI of our plugin for a couple of months now. Videos in our documentation used to account for about 3% of page views. They are now 15%! We’re quite happy about that.
Kim Gjerstad Partner at MailPoet
https://www.mailpoet.com/
How much does it cost?
Once we’ve had a chance to talk about your project, I’ll create a detailed price quote estimate for your video project. But for the purposes of getting a rough idea of costs, here are some ‘ballpark’ prices:
Screencast tutorial videos like this example average between $250-500/pfm (per finished minute), though there are several ways to reduce costs (see below).
Introductory or promo videos like the examples above typically cost around $2,500, due to the added complexity and tighter time constraints.
Request a quote at 101Videos.com
As you watch most screencast tutorials, what you’ll quickly realize is that the person recording them is just clicking on every screen and checkbox, trying to show you everything that’s in their head. That’s because they’re not teachers. They’re not educators. They’re just expert users of the software. The difference with Shawn’s videos is that he’s focused on education. He’s focused on making sure that the viewer can learn. And to that end, his videos have a completely different feel… one that I think you’re going to appreciate. When I think of quality video tutorials, there’s really only one name in the WordPress space — and it’s Shawn Hesketh.
Chris Lema Daily Blogger, Product Strategist, Speaker
https://chrislema.com
Time and Money Saving Tips
- Create a script for your video. This is by far the most time-consuming part of the process. The more detailed script you can provide, the less time we’ll spend going back and forth with revisions.
- Provide a fully-functional demo environment. For the best final result, I usually work from a local demo environment. But it takes time to create a completely functional sample site to showcase your product. If possible, provide a fully-functional demo site and you’ll save time and money.
- Find and license appropriate royalty-free music. If you don’t require a custom score for your video, find and purchase royalty-free background music that matches the tone of your video and your brand. I’m more than happy to do this for you, but it does take time to find just the right piece of music. I highly recommend Soundstripe or PremiumBeat.
- Furnish an animated pre-roll, or at least a high-resolution PNG of your logo. If you don’t already have an animated pre-roll to use at the beginning of your video, I can create a simple intro using a high-resolution version of your logo, preferably in PNG format, with a transparent background.
Just Need a Voiceover?
Maybe you’re capable of creating a compelling video on your own, but just need a professional voiceover. I’m happy to help! Simple voiceovers for a 3-5 minute project like this one cost just $120 per finished minute:
Custom Podcast Intros
Need a more professional touch to distinguish your podcast from the rest? I can create a podcast intro for you like one of these:
Simple podcast intros like this cost $395, and you’ll receive several variations from which to choose. If you haven’t already purchased a piece of background music for use in your intro, I can also find and suggest royalty-free music for your project.