Guiding Question - How will you bring your message to life visually?

It’s time for avatars, stock footage, animations, and all the creative elements that make your video engaging! But before diving into the editing process, let’s take a moment to reflect on why all the pre-production work was so important.

Creating visuals is about translating your message into compelling imagery. While this may seem straightforward, it’s critical to ensure that every on-screen element reflects the foundational planning you’ve already done.

Ask yourself:

1. What kind of avatar or character will feel relatable to your audience?
2. Does your script’s tone call for bold, vibrant visuals or calm, muted tones?
3. Are you illustrating abstract ideas like mindfulness or tangible ones like quarterly sales?

Every visual choice should connect seamlessly to the organizational framework you’ve built, helping to convey your message effectively.

An easy way to achieve this is by using templates.

Templates simplify the process by providing pre-designed layouts tailored for specific types of information.

1. Match each chunk of your script to a template layout that best supports the information.
2. Use these tools to create stunning, balanced visuals that resonate with your audience and bring your script to life.

By aligning your visuals with your pre-production efforts, you ensure a cohesive and impactful final product.

Avatars are a popular choice here at Heygen, and for good reason. However, knowing when to place your narrator front and center can make all the difference. Use an avatar-focused view for opening or closing your video, or when delivering impactful statements. Human faces create an emotional connection with viewers, making them perfect for communicating your most important messages.

Text on screen is a powerful way to reinforce your message by allowing viewers to see and hear your content simultaneously. However, too much text can be distracting, so it’s important to keep it concise. Follow the template designer's guidance and use only as much text as the layout allows—any more could overwhelm your audience. Summarize concepts into just a few key words to keep things clear and readable.

Stock footage is a fantastic way to bring movement into your video. Use built-in stock libraries to visualize abstract ideas like teamwork or productivity. For technical demonstrations, the screen recorder is a great tool to capture and integrate footage of processes directly into your video.

Some templates feature slides specifically designed for presenting information. These are ideal for emphasizing statistics and research, making them a great fit for the Support elements of your script. Like with text, avoid overloading these slides with too much information—viewers can only process so much at once. Keep it simple and focused to ensure your message lands effectively.

Theory Corner: Mayer's Multimedia Principles

Mayer’s Multimedia Principles provide valuable insights for the SOAR framework, especially when creating content for visual mediums.

Richard Mayer, a prominent researcher, authored Multimedia Learning, which outlines evidence-based strategies for designing multimedia experiences that maximize comprehension. His work focuses on presenting information in ways that are engaging yet easy to process, avoiding cognitive overload.

While all twelve principles are useful, the following three are particularly relevant for video design:

1. Coherence Principle: Avoid extraneous information. Remove unnecessary words, images, or sounds that could distract or overwhelm the viewer.
2. Split Attention Principle: Align text and visuals closely. Present related content side-by-side to minimize the mental effort needed to connect ideas.
3. Multimedia Principle: Use a combination of visuals and narration to explain concepts. Audiences learn better when information is presented through multiple, complementary channels.

Explore these principles further by applying them to your next project to ensure your content is clear, focused, and impactful.

Reflection:

Take some time to explore the templates available in Heygen and find the ones that best suit your content. Consider which layouts effectively present your key topics and supporting points. Additionally, think about which avatar will connect most with your audience and align with the tone of your message.

Go to next course: "Attract - Pacing"