Crash Course + WeVideo

 In this post we will describe how to create a Crash Course style video using WeVideo. We will show you how to:

• create a storyboard
• setting up your surroundings
• controlling for sound
• adding graphics in your video
• adding text
• layering in sound
• publishing

What is a Crash Course video?

Watch this video. What do you see and what do you notice?

Now, watch it again with these things in mind -

1. What is the speaker doing throughout out the film? How does her voice sound?
2. How did they use audio, music and sound effects, to help tell the story?
3. How was B Roll used?
4. What about text and popup images?

Storyboard

Any video project can be difficult, to make it 97% easier we always recommend using a storyboard. We create this sample to make a copy of, or feel free to use something like post-it notes.

The key is to make your thinking visible. If you plan your shots and visuals, the whole project will come together quickly.

This single tool will greatly reduce the amount of work you need to do and increase your grade.

Setting Up for Shoot

Think back to the video...

• What did the background look like?
• How well could you hear the speaker?

One of the biggest issues is sound, if we can't hear you clearly then we quickly stop watching. Control your environment, make sure the surroundings are quiet and there is nothing overwhelming your voice. There are a ton of things that will produce sound that you normally don't hear.

Examples - fan, refrigerator, traffic noise, classroom and hallways are terrible for sound pollution

Editing

I am assuming you have all your footage shot at this point. The editing is following my natural workflow for this project.

1. Click Import. Import your clip(s) that you shot for the project.

2. They will start to show up in the clip bin.

Drag the clip to Video 1.

If you are going to do greenscreen, create a Video 2 and add your shots there. Video 1 is used for the greenscreen image. See below for more information.

Editing the video track can be difficult, I always expand the tracks to make them easier to edit.

Cutting the film

1. I have some odd deadspace at the front of my clip I want to remove. I start by placing the play head at the point I want to cut.

2. Click Split.

3. Click the part you want to delete, then delete it.

You will need to add text, the easiest way I have found is by clicking Text on the far left. It will give you a ton of options. Sample to find what will work best.

Click the one you want, drag it to Text 1.

Double click it to add words, move the location and adjust the color.

I usually always toggle on the fade to give it a softer appearance.

You want to add images into your clip so it isn't just a talking head which is boring. I would not recommend coping images from google as they usually show up super pixelated.

1. WeVideo has tons of stock images and video. Click images to start your search.

2. Search for what you need.

3. Drag it down to the Text 1 track.

Adding your own images is just like adding your video clip(s).

1. Import

2. Drag them to the Text 1 track.

I wanted this one to appear as a picture-in-picture.

1. Double click the image to open the editing. Adjust the image, make it appear somewhere in the shot.

2. Add fade.

3. Save changes.

Now the image will appear as I talk and quietly fade away after a few seconds.

WeVideo auto saves but I do not always trust it. If you are moving away from your project, make sure you manually save it.

1. Click the pancakes in the upper left.

2. Click Save.

Adding more text, I wanted it to appear as I mentioned Teds.

1. Click Text.

2. Drag the one I liked to Text 1 track.

To move and edit the text to make it fit the project is pretty simple.

1. Click to open this window. Edit the text and change the color to better contrast the background.

2. Click Transform to move the text around. Then Save in the upper right.

Be very, very mindful if you want to add audio.

Just like adding images, WeVideo provides a ton of free audio.

1. Click Audio.

2. Search, find what you want and drag it to the Audio 1 track. I would recommend decreasing the volume by using the slider on the far left.

If you need another track, click the +Track button and choose what you need.

Greenscreen

Your video must be on Video 2 and the image you want to appear behind you must be on Video 1. You can drag them from one track to the next if needed.

1. Double click on your video. Click Keying.

2. Click the little eyedropper.

3. Click on the green background with the eyedropper.

Save Changes in upper right.

Play the video to test it out, it works like magic!

Publishing

Be mindful, some videos will take a long time to render, meaning if it is due at midnight you can't publish it two minutes before it is due and it expect it to finish on time.

When you are 100% finished, click Finish in the upper right.

Be super specific when you name your project. Click Set.

DO NOT choose HD, that will be a terrible waste of time.

I recommend also selecting Google Drive as a place to save the final project.

Click Export.

This process will take a while. We have found by clicking HD it will take a ton of extra time and it will not make your project look better as the screens we watch it on are not HD.