Training Videos: DIY Animation
Including animated videos of any kind can add visual interest to your presentation or training. Professionally created animated videos can add style and beauty to your content, but if you don’t have the budget for that, there are some tools you can use to create animated presentations yourself! The following are short reviews on three of these tools, but check them out for yourself – they all have free trials so you can see which one is right for you.
Video Scribe is a Whiteboard animation tool that replicates the effect of handwriting or free-style illustrating on a surface (hence, the “whiteboard” effect). They offer a free trial version, but you get many more options and features with a paid account, including the ability to render QuickTime movies or Flash Videos of your presentation, which can be used for a variety of purposes. You can also create JPGs or PNG files from your content, and will have access to commercial use of image, music, and font libraries.
PowToon is a animation tool that is easy to learn and use. If you want to create fun, animated presentations that can be used for marketing and/or training, this is a great tool. Powtoon offers a free version that allows you to create a presentation and share it on your YouTube channel. You can also subscribe to a paid version, which features more tools and options and also allows you to download your presentation as an MP4 video, which can then be inserted into an eLearning tool, such as Storyline or Captivate.
Prezi is a presentation software that offers a cool alternative to PowerPoint. With Prezi, you can create an animation effect by zooming in and out on various visuals in a non-linear way. A good example would be a mind map, where ideas or concepts are diagrammed. Prezi uses a 3-dimensional canvas to allow you to focus on each part of the diagram or environment, then move to a different part in a way that’s dynamic and visually appealing. You can also add background music that will play in a continuous loop, or you can add voice narration to play at designated spots in the presentation. At this time, you can’t render out a Prezi as a video, but it’s still a great and innovate way to convey information to your audience.
