A starter's video

[admin]

Here's my new idea: A storyboard/comic like approach seems to be much more efficient in showing how something done. Have you ever seen this anywhere? -- I have not, but I worked once in storyboarding and I know: it could look pretty !

Not sure if this is what you meant, but it's one recent example of a "comic" approach: http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/index.html...or were you thinking more of a PowerPoint presentation?

I still think the video idea makes sense if it's done in small chunks, like around 2 min max....can't recall/find the one that I was thinking of as example.

Update/addendum: Or something like Opera does here? http://www.opera.com/support/tutorials/ ... bookmarks/
Or better yet, like this? http://www.opera.com/support/tutorials/flash/speeddial/

chrome is too much "comic". I meant comic in the sense of "picture story" -- a movie laid out as a sequence of stills + text. I will make one...

[j_c_hallgren]

chrome is too much "comic". I meant comic in the sense of "picture story" -- a movie laid out as a sequence of stills + text. I will make one...

Ok...so what about the Opera tutorials? Like the speedial one? You meant something more like those? They are obviously a rather large outfit so if those are good for them...

[admin]

chrome is too much "comic". I meant comic in the sense of "picture story" -- a movie laid out as a sequence of stills + text. I will make one...

Ok...so what about the Opera tutorials? Like the speedial one? You meant something more like those? They are obviously a rather large outfit so if those are good for them...

Yes, I liked the speedial one. Should have a "back" button though. Any idea what software they use to make this?

[j_c_hallgren]

Yes, I liked the speedial one. Should have a "back" button though. Any idea what software they use to make this?

No clue on how it created...it appears to be flash?...and that was closest to the type of thing I was thinking of before but couldn't find an example of...I've seen others that have back/next/menu choices some time ago.

[sWeeT LaYLa]

Wink http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

[j_c_hallgren]

Wink http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

Interesting! Looks potentially promising, at least to me. But the user forums at that site don't seem to be available to get more info about it...are you connected to the developer or just a user of it?

[graham]

I personally prefer the simple presentation mode of old (examples & narrative). This has imo several benefits - it gives an air of professionalism; no gimmicks; informative; it can go as fast as the viewer wants and that is important if you have a picture with a lot of detail, also it does not have that modern annoying fast selling approach that so many American videos use where the script is crammed into a couple of minutes with some guy straight out of the Simpsons doing the talk-over without taking breath!.

If what you are presenting is to make new buyers aware of the things that make XY special then I think the tour you have done is very good but some things like the use of tabs can best be shown visually. So, I think the thing is to either concentrate on showing the things that new buyers think are a major negative (tabs only) or when DP arrives a few of the big time savers - scripting is a good candidate as many will not appreciate that simple scripts can do amazing things - like quick backups or Jacky's latest editor. The thing is that many potential buyers see the word 'scripting' and think too difficult and not for me and move on without trying.

Maybe it is better to think of having a collection of small education aids but only ever one available on the site with it changing the next day/week. This way the viewer is not blasted with information over-load but given time to understand and encouraged to download the program to 'test' it all out, by which time they can move on to the next 'info release'.

These things are very difficult to get right but like music productions when it comes together it does the job of selling because the viewer likes it or is intrigued.

[j_c_hallgren]

I personally prefer the simple presentation mode of old (examples & narrative). This has imo several benefits - it gives an air of professionalism; no gimmicks; informative; it can go as fast as the viewer wants and that is important if you have a picture with a lot of detail, also it does not have that modern annoying fast selling approach that so many American videos use where the script is crammed into a couple of minutes with some guy straight out of the Simpsons doing the talk-over without taking breath!.

I think that both styles are valuable but maybe for slightly different audiences...something like the Opera tutorials give a better idea of how something is/can be done and help to explain those items requiring multiple steps/clicks to complete easier...for example, POM in http://www.xyplorer.com/tour/index.php?page=pom is a feature that is quite uncommon, so seeing it work as described, even as simple as on that page, would be helpful to a new/potential user, IMHO.

If what you are presenting is to make new buyers aware of the things that make XY special then I think the tour you have done is very good but some things like the use of tabs can best be shown visually.

I'd not looked at XY site for tour for a while, and see that it's been improved even more...however, as I've said above, there are a few places there where selected "shorts" could be beneficial to show just how easy it is to use and do that function...and as Opera does it, you pick from menu so you only need to deal with those of interest.

Using the PowerPoint style like that also has advantage of being easier to update as needed when XY changes, vs a fully recorded video w/audio, as one could likely just update that slide or portion.

I disagree with the rotating or changing tip idea, as maybe the feature that I'm looking at wouldnt be the one for that week...if all were available, but one is featured that week, then that makes sense.

[admin]

Wink http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

Yo, that looks like what I need! Will try...

[admin]

I personally prefer the simple presentation mode of old (examples & narrative). This has imo several benefits - it gives an air of professionalism; no gimmicks; informative; it can go as fast as the viewer wants and that is important if you have a picture with a lot of detail...

Exactly! I think in case of the fast-talking videos "the medium is the message" (-> videos are cool, so the software is cool). But without good audio this does not really work.

... think of having a collection of small education aids but only ever one available on the site with it changing the next day/week...

That's what I'm thinking of, "Tip of the Week", "Today's Feature Highlight" or something like that, as short and funky as possible. (The Tour got a bit lengthy I think -- it merges into a tutorial...). Of course with an index and back catalog of previous Feature Highlights.

[graham]

jc wrote:

I think that both styles are valuable but maybe for slightly different audiences

I agree with the different audiences bit and this is where marketing is so important - first rule is to know your market and aim at the segments that you want to succeed in. The problem is that geographical segmentation presents so many difficulties - American/UK/German/French etc are all very different but share a common need of a decent FM. The other thing marketeers must remember is that marketing is all about perception and often nothing to do with reality - Vista is a prime example!

[j_c_hallgren]

I agree with the different audiences bit and this is where marketing is so important - first rule is to know your market and aim at the segments that you want to succeed in.

Right! I see the tour as aimed at the more techy side who are used to other file mgrs (possibly) where the slideshow/video would be more useful for the more avg user who may never have known anything but Win Expl...and a sale is a sale no matter who buys it!

[sWeeT LaYLa]

Wink http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

Interesting! Looks potentially promising, at least to me. But the user forums at that site don't seem to be available to get more info about it...are you connected to the developer or just a user of it?

No, I'm just a user who likes it. Sure, there are better commercial applications available but they cost hundreds of dollars. Admin may need some time to learn how to use it efficiently but Wink is really a great tool.

[admin]

Wink http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

Interesting! Looks potentially promising, at least to me. But the user forums at that site don't seem to be available to get more info about it...are you connected to the developer or just a user of it?

No, I'm just a user who likes it. Sure, there are better commercial applications available but they cost hundreds of dollars. Admin may need some time to learn how to use it efficiently but Wink is really a great tool.

Here's a first attempt unsing Wink (brilliant tool!): http://www.xyplorer.com/tour/index.php?page=fow

[j_c_hallgren]

Here's a first attempt unsing Wink (brilliant tool!): http://www.xyplorer.com/tour/index.php?page=fow

Looks pretty good! Small suggestions: 1) that msg callout(?) box for last right-click be more under trout-01 pix at left as attention of eye is under the middle one due to position of msg...2) Any way to avoid the German in main title/AB? It's a bit confusing to have mixed languages.